Frederick Harold Stewart was born on 14 August 1884 in Newcastle (NSW) and educated at Newcastle South Public School. He was employed for twenty years as an administrative officer in the NSW Railways Department. In 1919 he purchased fifty acres of land which became the suburb of Chullora. He founded and was Governing Director of the Metropolitan Omnibus Co Ltd which provided transport to the suburb until 1931. 

In 1928, with Sir Charles Kingsford-Smith and Charles T Ulm, Stewart founded Australian National Airways Ltd. His other Directorships at this time included Associated Newspapers Ltd and NSW Woollen and Felt Mills of which he was both Founder and Director. In 1931 he was President of the Tax Payers Association and in 1933 founded radio station 2CH for the NSW Council of Churches. An active philanthropist, he established the Stewart Prevention House at Curl Curl for undernourished children.
 
In 1930, Stewart unsuccessfully contested the seat of Concord (NSW). In 1931, however, he gained the seat of Parramatta in the House of Representatives as a United Australia Party (from 1944, Liberal) member and held the seat until his retirement from federal politics in 1946. In the Lyons Government, Stewart was Minister for Commerce (1932-34), visiting New Zealand for trade negotiations in 1934, and Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Employment (1934-36). In June 1935 he represented Australia at the International Labour Conference in Geneva. 

In the first Menzies Government, Stewart became Minister for Health (1939-40) and Minister for Social Services (1939-41). To these portfolios those of the Navy and Supply and Development were added in January 1940. Three months later, the Hon Archie Cameron took over the Navy portfolio and the Hon Harold Thorby that of Health. In October 1940, Stewart lost the Supply and Development portfolio but continued as Minister for Social Services. He also became Minister for External Affairs and once again Minister for Health. He held these three portfolios until the end of the Fadden Government (7 October 1941). Stewart represented the Supply and Development portfolio as a member of the War Cabinet (1939-40), the Economic Cabinet (1940) and the Economic and Industrial Committee of Cabinet (1940-41). During the Curtin Labor Government, he was a member of Parliament's Joint Committee on Social Security (1943-44) and Joint Committee on Public Works (1943-46).

After leaving federal Parliament, Sir Frederick resumed his business interests, including as proprietor of Dundas Woollen Mills in Sydney. He was knighted in 1935 and died on 30 June 1961 at St Leonards (NSW).

Sources:
Parliamentary Handbook 1935 (p 162), 1945 (p 153) and 1965 (pp 272-275, 277)
War Cabinet minutes: CRS A2673, items 1-4
Who's Who in Australia 1944 (p 765) and 1959 (p 759) 

Agency associated with person unregistered

Nov 1934-Feb 1936: Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Employment
    1934-    1934: Trade Delegation to New Zealand - Leader
Jun 1935-Jun 1935: International Labour Conference, Geneva -
                   Australian Representative