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.