Australian Dictionary of Biography

Charles Leslie Frost (1897?-1971), Aboriginal leader, was born probably on 22 July 1897 at Peak Hill, New South Wales, son of Charles Frost, labourer, and his wife Jane (Jenny), née Solomon. Of mixed descent, young Charles belonged to the Wiradjuri people. By 1924 he was living at Dubbo and working as a labourer for the Main Roads Board. He was described as 'a tall, thin, erect, laughing' and carefree young man.

On 27 June 1937 Frost opened the public meeting at Dubbo that launched the Aborigines Progressive Association and drew attention to the serious situation of Aboriginal reserves. Having ensured that Aborigines comprised half the membership, the founders set out the objects of the association: to advocate the abolition and reconstruction of the Aborigines Protection Board, to secure improvements in living conditions on the board's reserves, to obtain the repeal of discriminatory legislation, and to achieve the granting of full citizen rights for Aborigines, with direct representation in parliament. In July 1938 the A.P.A. split; the Dubbo section was headed by William Ferguson and the La Perouse section by John Patten. Frost was elected president of the Dubbo association, with George Carr the local secretary and Ferguson the organizing secretary.

By 1950 Frost had moved to Condobolin and lived on the mission station. At the town's Methodist Church on 1 July 1950 he married a widow Marcie Bright, née Briar, who was also of mixed descent; they were to remain childless. In 1953 he was employed as a slaughterman by one of the local butchers, and was regarded as a regular, dependable and willing worker. That year he leased a block of land from the Condobolin Municipal Council and was endeavouring to build a house and to take up market gardening. His plans were delayed by a hernia operation. From 1958, although described as an invalid pensioner, he remained active. He was an eloquent writer, possibly due to his attendance in 1961 and 1964 at the summer school run by the Australian Board of Missions at Tranby Aboriginal Co-operative College. With seemingly endless energy, he applied in 1968 for government assistance to build a boomerang factory. The dream did not eventuate, but he was regarded as a skilled craftsman of Aboriginal ornaments.

Survived by his wife, Frost died on 9 October 1971 at his Condobolin home and was buried with Presbyterian forms in the Methodist section of the local cemetery.