Roger Angove was a physician based in South Australia who had a special interest in thoracic medicine. He was born in Adelaide. His earliest schooling was carried out by his mother, a war widow who taught at St Peter’s College. Angove went on to study medicine at Adelaide University. In 1938 he was an RMO at Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH) and then enlisted in the RAAF, serving in Australia, UK and the Middle East. He attained the rank of squadron leader.
In 1946 he returned to the RAH as a medical registrar. After being admitted to the membership of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians he became resident physician at Broken Hill Hospital.
In 1947 he sailed as ship’s surgeon to London, where he attended postgraduate training. After passing his membership examinations of the College he was RMO at Harefield Chest Hospital and subsequently at the Brompton Hospital, London. Prior to returning to Australia, he was invited by the British Council to visit Scandinavia and report on the BCG vaccination programme.
In 1949 he returned to South Australia and began private practice, also joining the honorary ranks at the RAH - as clinical assistant, assistant physician and then physician. After the system of appointing honorary staff was exchanged for a system of inviting visiting physicians, he was appointed senior visiting medical specialist. Following his retirement in 1980 he was made an emeritus physician.
He was honorary secretary of the South Australian branch of the Australian Medical Association. He was especially interested in chest diseases and became president of the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand (1972 to 1974). He was also president of the South Australian Tuberculosis Society. He took a prominent part in the establishment of the thoracic medical unit at the RAH in 1972.
He was generous with his time and talents. For many years he was on the council of the Royal Flying Doctor Service, becoming vice president of the central section. He was foundation president of the Burnside Historical Society and a foundation member of the heritage and history committee at the RAH. He was a life member of the South Australian sections of the National Trust and of the Royal Zoological Society.
A family involvement in wine growing encouraged him to write a book on the subject. He was the inaugural president of the Save the Grange Vineyards Association. He was interested in bird-watching and was an active member of several ornithology associations. Other interests included fishing, field shooting and lawn bowls.
Angove is survived by his wife, Margaret Eleanor (née Formby). They married in 1951 and had four children.
David Dunn