Charles Osborn was born on 10 July 1897 at Boort, Victoria, Australia. He was the son of Harwood Henry Osborn, a doctor, and his wife Edith Annie, a teacher. He was educated at the Melbourne Church of England Grammar School and the University of Melbourne where he qualified MB BS in 1918. Having obtained his Fellowship of the College in 1924 and his FRACS in 1927, he served as honorary surgeon to the Royal Children's Hospital from 1927 to 1937 and the Orthopaedic Hospital, Frankston, Victoria from 1933 to 1937. He was a member of the faculty of medicine of the University of Melbourne from 1949 to 1953, Dean of St Vincent's Hospital clinical school in the same period, a member of the Court of Examiners in surgery and a member of the Council of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons and chairman of the State Committee from 1956 to 1958. During the second world war he served as a Lieutenant-Colonel in the 8th Division, Australian Imperial Force and Officer in Charge of the surgical division, 13th Australian General Hospital. He was senior surgeon to the AIF POW Camp, Singapore. He had two sons by his first wife, Lucy and, after her death, he married Elizabeth in 1956. His main hobbies were golf, fishing and boating, and woodwork. He died on 27 December 1982 in Melbourne.