Arthur Samuel Drakeford was born in 1878 at Fitzroy in Melbourne. The son of a jeweller, he was educated to primary level and then worked as a railway-engine cleaner and, later, an engine driver on the Victorian railways. Active in railway union affairs from at least 1903, he was on the state executive of the Locomotive Engine Drivers' and Firemen's Association for several years.

In 1920, he became the first federal Secretary of the Australian Federated Union of Locomotive Enginemen and was the Union's national President for 20 years (1929-48). Drakeford was a founder of the Commonwealth Council of Federated Unions in 1923 and a senior vice-president of its successor, the Australasian Council of Trade Unions from 1927. He was also Secretary of the State Executive of the Australian Labor Party and President for 10 years.

In 1927, Drakeford entered Victorian state politics as the member for Essendon in the Legislative Assembly, but was defeated in the 1932 general election.

In 1934, he was elected to federal Parliament as member for Maribyrnong (Victoria) in the House of Representatives and held this seat through the next seven elections. He was narrowly defeated at the general election of December 1955.During his federal Parliamentary career Drakeford was most prominent as Minister for Air and Civil Aviation (1941-49). In this capacity he was a member of Australian delegations to several international air conferences in London, Montreal, Ottawa, Chicago and New Zealand. He was closely involved with the development of post war civil aviation in Australia, including the government's purchase of Qantas Empire Airways Ltd.

Drakeford was also a member of the Parliamentary Committee for the Survey of Manpower and Resources (1941), War Cabinet (1941-46), Advisory War Council (1946, during the absence of Hon J A Beasley), held the Navy portfolio for a short period (1946), and was Acting Minister for Defence in the absence of Hon J J Dedman (1947-48).

A S Drakeford died at Moonee Ponds in Victoria on 9 June 1957.

Sources   Australian Dictionary of Biography, Vol 14, 1940-1980, pp 35-36
               Commonwealth Parliamentary Handbook, 12th ed (1956)
               Who's Who in Australia 1955

Agency associated with person unregistered

       1927-       1932: Victorian Legislative Assembly - Member for
                         Essendon
   Oct 1940-?          : Executive of the Federal Parliamentary Labor
                         Party - Member
       1944-       1944: Australian delegation to the British
                         Commonwealth Conference on Aviation,
                         Ottawa - Member
   Nov 1944-   Dec 1944: Australian delegation to the International
                         Civil Aviation Conference, Chicago -
                         Chairman
   Feb 1946-   Feb 1946: Australian delegation to Empire Air
                         Conference, New Zealand - Member
       1945-       1945: Australian delegation to the British
                         Commonwealth Conference on Aviation London -
                         Member
   May 1946-   May 1946: Provisional Civil Aviation Organization
                         Conference - Vice-president
   May 1947-   May 1947: First Assembly of the International Civil
                         Aviation Organization, Montreal - President
26 Nov 1948-07 Dec 1948: Australian delegation to the British
                         Commonwealth Air Conference, New Zealand -
                         Member