Charles William Frost was born in Hobart, Tasmania in 1882. Educated at two state primary schools, he left school at 13. Frost's involvement in labour politics began while he was working on the state's west coast. He later bought an apple orchard at Margate in the Huon Valley.
 
In 1923, Frost became a Director of the Port Huon Fruit Growers' Co-operative Association Ltd and served two terms on the Kingborough Municipal Council (1924-27 and 1929-30). He stood unsucessfully for state Parliament in 1928, but was elected to federal Parliament as member for Franklin (Tasmania) at a by-election on 14 December 1929. Defeated at the 1931 general election, Frost won the seat again in the September 1934 election. He was a member of the Australian delegation of the Empire Parliamentary Association which visited England for the Silver Jubilee of His Majesty King George V (1935) and a member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works (1937-40). In October 1940 he also joined the Federal Parliamentary Party Executive of the Australian Labor Party.

In the wartime Curtin and Forde Governments, Frost was Minister for Repatriation (1941-46) and Minister in Charge of War Service Homes (1941-45). His responsibility for War Service Homes ceased when this function was transferred to the Works portfolio. Frost was also a member of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Rural Industries (1941) and, on 21 October 1943, was appointed to the Cabinet Sub-committee on whaling.

Following his narrow defeat at the election of September 1946, Frost was appointed Commissioner to Ceylon (1947-48). When the post was upgraded he became the first Australian High Commissioner to Ceylon (1948-50). His appointment was terminated by the Prime Minister (R G Menzies) and Frost retired. He died in Hobart on 22 July 1964, survived by his widow, two sons and a daughter.
 

Sources 
1. Who's Who in Australia, 1944, p 358; 1950, p 274; 1962, p 319 
2. Commonwealth Parliamentary Debates, Vol S26, pp 27-8; Vol H of R
   43, pp 7-8
3. Joan Rydon, A Biographical Register of the Commonwealth 
   Parliament 1901-1972, (1975), p 82 and Additions and Corrections,
   (1977), p 7
4. Colin A Hughes and B D Graham, A Handbook of Australian
   Government and Politics 1890-1964, (1968), pp 27-30, 46, 52, 345
5. Australian Dictionary of Biography, Vol 14, 1940-1980, pp 228-229

Agency associated with person unregistered

       1935            : Australian Delegation to Empire
                         Parliamentary Association - Member
14 Oct 1940-28 Sep 1946: Australian Labor Party Federal
                         Parliamentary Executive - Member
21 Oct 1943-28 Sep 1946: Cabinet Sub-committee on Housing - Member
       1947-       1948: Australian Trade Commission, Ceylon - Trade
                         Commissioner