He was born in Auckland on either 4[1] or 24[2][3] August 1904, a son of Annie and Charles Edward Rae. He attended the University of Auckland and became an accountant.[2]
He represented the Roskill electorate from 1949 to 1957, when he was defeated by Arthur Faulkner; and then the Eden electorate from 1960 to 1972, when he retired.[4]
He was a Minister of Housing under Keith Holyoake in 1957 and from 1960 to 1972.[5]