Bruce was born in Melbourne. He served in the British Army before starting in politics. He fought in World War I, and in 1917 was badly injured while fighting in France. Returning home, he soon became involved in recruiting people for the Army. In 1918, however, he got involved in politics and was elected to the House of Representatives as the member for Flinders, which is near Melbourne. He was appointed Treasurer (finance minister) in 1921.