Born 31 March 1869 at South Yarra, Melbourne, Australia, the fifth child and third son of George Horace Hayes, a mill owner, and Anna Hall his wife. He was educated at the Church of England Grammar School and at the University of Melbourne, and then came back to England and took his medical training at King's College Hospital. Hayes served as house surgeon at the Belgrave Children's Hospital and as resident medical officer at the Golden Square Throat Hospital. He then settled in practice at Leeds, was appointed ophthalmic and aural surgeon at the General Infirmary, and ultimately became consulting surgeon in the ear, nose, and throat department. During the first world war he was commissioned captain, RAMC(T), on 29 August 1914, and served at the Second Northern General Hospital, Leeds. Hayes married in April 1902 Renee P Storey, who survived him but without children. He retired to The Greenway, Shurdington, Cheltenham, where he died on 12 June 1944, aged 75.