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Dr. David Rolla Cooke OAM. Photos courtesy of The North-West Star, 16 January 1970
Mount Isa - Dr. David Cooke turns dentist.
Dr. David Rolla Cooke OAM. 7 June 2020 - Dr. David Rolla Cooke was recognised in
Mother and minutes-old baby waiting in a ward for Dr. Cooke’s visit.
Dr Cooke, known to us as a “pilot who practices medicine”, recalls a variety of cases in remote parts of Australia.
Queen's Birthday honours for
In one day, he might pull out
service to medicine and
an aching tooth, deliver a
aviation.
baby, circumcise a young
Dr. Cooke started out as a pilot and then went into medicine. He gave up flying and studied medicine at
In another ward, Dr. David Cooke performs a delicate nose surgery.
Aborigine, operate on a dog
“I would perform routine clinics and the occasional emergency evacuation. You fly into somewhere and
with a broken leg and supply
sew someone up or
umpteen doses of Sabin
set their fracture. You
vaccine.
had to do everything by eyeball and by feel
Sydney University for six
Dr Cooke still flies his plane to
years.
practice in South West Rocks
— we diagnosed and
on the Mid North Coast. He
treated the heart
“I realised that as a doctor I could always fly but as a pilot I couldn’t do medicine.” He has been a GP for 55 years and doctor with the Royal Flying Doctor Service and aviation member of HDFC.
has no intention of retiring from his medical practices in Port Macquarie and nearby
attacks without any cardiographs, set
South West Rocks, which takes
fractures without x-
him only 11 minutes in the air.
rays in those days."
Congratulations David and we thank you for looking after us. Propwash July 2020 | hdfc.com.au