Roe became a professor of history at the
University of Tasmania, retiring in 1996. He published several history books during his career, including
A Short History of Tasmania and
Australia, Britain and Migration 1915-1940. Roe's fields of research primarily focus on
Australian history,
British history,
North American history, historical archaeology, heritage and cultural conservation, and
industrial archaeology. His research objectives included understanding Australia's past, alongside expanding knowledge in psychology, history,
heritage,
human history, and archaeology. Roe was elected a Fellow of the
Australian Academy of the Humanities in 1977.
Research funded by grants Roe received five grants from the
University of Tasmania under his name. His funded projects include research on a wide range of Tasmanian individuals and history. From 1985 to 1987, he received a grant to research
Herbert William Gepp, an Australian
industrialist, his zinc company the
Electrolytic Zinc Company of Australasia, and the development and migration commission in the 1920s. In 1994, Professor Roe received a research grant for the publication of his book
Immigration policy and experience in Australia, 1915-1940, which was completed that year. In 1999, two grants were received for his research on the 1901 Australian General Election as well as research on notable Tasmanian
Jane Franklin's personal journals and correspondence. In 2003, a grant was given to finance the book project
Companion to Tasmanian History, a collaborative effort with the Centre for Tasmanian Historical Studies at the University of Tasmania. == Works ==