Rose was born in Ashfield, New South Wales.
He was the son of a company director and as a young man he established seed and produce and real estate businesses on the Central Coast of New South Wales.
He later owned a dairy farm in the Upper Hunter Valley.
Rose was elected to the New South Wales Parliament as the Country Party member for the seat of Upper Hunter at the 1939 by-election caused by the death of the sitting Country Party member Malcolm Brown.
He did not hold party, parliamentary or ministerial office.