Born in Melbourne to James and Mary Ann Rose, he attended Spring Street Model School and became a student teacher and Methodist minister.
Rose was headmaster of Yarraville State School around 1873, but travelled to Edinburgh to study medicine, graduating in 1880.
After a period as head resident surgeon at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh he returned to Williamstown and was appointed public vaccinator in 1883.
In that year, however, he retired to take his seat in the Victorian Legislative Assembly as the member for North Melbourne, serving until 1889.
Although he was considered a liberal at the time he had later associations with the nascent Labor Party.