Naval career Frame joined the
Royal Australian Naval College, HMAS Creswell as a 16-year-old junior entry cadet
midshipman in January 1979. Later that year, he was assigned to the destroyer escort as a junior officer under training, where he earned his helmsman's certificate. He graduated from the RAN College in December 1983. Frame completed his studies in Chinese history and economics at the
University of New South Wales, graduating with Bachelor of Arts (Honours), and the inaugural W.J. Liu Memorial Prize for Excellence in Chinese Studies in 1984. Frame was the inaugural Summer Vacation Scholar at the
Australian War Memorial in 1985, then completed his training aboard and . He was then assigned to the shore establishment as an instructor. While there, he took on additional duty as director of the base's museum, also working as a consultant for the
Australian National Maritime Museum and studying for a Diploma in Education from the
University of Melbourne. Frame was appointed research officer to the
Chief of Naval Staff at Navy Office, Canberra in April 1988. Two years later he undertook study in military history at the
Australian Defence Force Academy leading to the award of a PhD in October 1991, taking as his thesis topic the
Melbourne-Voyager collision. He served as a staff officer at Headquarters,
Australian Defence Force, before completing full-time naval service in November 1992 and resigning his commission in 1997.
Clerical career Frame completed a
Master of Theology degree with a thesis entitled "The Delphic Sword: Reconciling Christianity and Military Service in Australia" in June 1993. He trained for the
priesthood in the
Anglican Church of Australia in the
Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn. He was
ordained in December 1993 and appointed curate of St John's Church in
Wagga Wagga and a visiting scholar at
Charles Sturt University. In November 1995, he was inducted as
rector of St James' Church, Binda. From 1996 to 1997, he took leave in England and completed a
Master of Arts (Honours) in applied theology at the
University of Kent in
Canterbury as the
Lucas Tooth Scholar and ministered in the United
Benefice of
Hever,
Four Elms and
Markbeech in the
Diocese of Rochester. He became rector of St Philip's Church,
Bungendore, in January 1999 and was appointed lecturer (half-time) in public theology at
St Mark's National Theological Centre in June 2000. He was also a visiting fellow in the School of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the Australian National University from 1999 to 2003. On 28 June 2001, he was consecrated a bishop and became the first full-time Anglican bishop to the
Australian Defence Force. He was the youngest Anglican bishop in Australia when consecrated and the fifth youngest in the nation's history. He was patron of the Armed Forces Federation of Australia (2002–06) and a member of the council of the Australian War Memorial (2004–07). He was judged the Inaugural Prime Minister's Prize for Australian History in 2007. Although approached to participate in several diocesan episcopal election processes, he never accepted candidacy.
Academic career Frame resigned as Anglican Bishop to the Australian Defence Force in November 2006 to become Director of St Mark's National Theological Centre at
Barton in
Canberra, the administrative headquarters of the School of Theology of
Charles Sturt University with the title of Professor. He was head of the CSU School of Theology from November 2006 to June 2008. He completed his directorship of St Mark's in January 2014. In July 2014, Frame was appointed Director of the Australian Centre for the Study of Armed Conflict and Society (ACSACS) at the University of New South Wales, Canberra, and commissioned to produce a 50th anniversary history of the relationship between the University and the Department of Defence. In July 2017, he was appointed the inaugural director of the Howard Library (located at Old Parliament House, Canberra) and the Public Leadership Research Group. He relinquished directorship of the Howard Library in June 2020. In July 2020, he was commissioned by the Chief of the Defence Force to produce a major study of allegations of misconduct by Australian Special Forces personnel in Afghanistan, 2005-2013. 'Veiled Valour' was published by UNSW Press in June 2022. Frame retired from UNSW Canberra in June 2023. ==Personal life==