Page 34 - RCPA Annual Report 2016-17

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Thomas Howard Godfrey Oettle
1927 – 2016
The youngest of seven children, Thomas Howard Godfrey Oettle was born in Port Elizabeth, South Africa but the family later moved to Pretoria. Always known as Godrey rather than Thomas, Godfrey nished his schooling at Pretoria Boys High School before studying medicine at the University of the Witwatersrand, in Johannesburg. Early in his medical training, Godfrey expressed doubts about the Plymouth Brethren which caused a rift with his parents who were devoted Plymouth Brethren members, although later reconciled.
After medical school Godfrey moved to the UK (1950), where he trained in gynaecology. From 1952 to 1960 he held various hospital posts working in casualty, gynaecology, obstetrics and aviation medicine in the Canadian Air Force in France with 1200 air crew under his care. During his time in the UK he met his rst wife, Pam (nee White) and started a family. In 1960 the family settled in Australia where Godfrey decided to change direction and studied forensic pathology. He took a six-week relief position at Sydney’s city morgue in George Street and felt this to be his area of work. He achieved
his FRCPA in August, 1975. In fact he stayed in the eld for the rest of his working life achieving the position of Director of the Division of Forensic Medicine in Glebe. His work involved a number of Australia’s most publicised murders, in particular the 1965 Bogle-Chandler murder mystery and assisted in the Azaria Chamberlain investigation. He also assisted in the work following the 1989 Newcastle earthquake.
Despite retiring in 1987, he remained as acting director due to staff shortages. Over the years he enjoyed an international reputation as a forensic pathologist and assisted other countries with forensic matters. Although totally immersed in his work, almost to the exclusion of his seven children, he still had many other interests, everything from boat building to music to gardens and was a collector of many and various items.
Always professionally curious, he was a colourful character eschewing modern technology for reports, favouring an old typewriter he used to personally type of reports. He did have a good sense of humour and made his opinions very clear. He and his third wife eventually retired to Queensland where he passed away in November 2016.
ANNUAL REPORT • 2016 - 2017