Augustus Taylor Rowe was born at Heart's Content in 1920, the son of Allan and Eugene Rowe. He was educated at Heart's Content School, Memorial University College and the University of London, England. He is married to Beatrice Rowe.

Dr. Rowe served in World War II as warrant officer in the Royal Artillery and as assistant liaison officer, Newfoundland forces. After the War he attended the University of London's medical school (St. Mary's Hospital). He later took postgraduate training in obstetrics and gynaecology in England and at the University of Toronto.

Dr. Rowe began a general practice in Carbonear in 1954. He was a founding member of the Carbonear Community Hospital, and was its medical director from 1957 to 1971. Dr. Rowe played a major role in trying to get support for a new hospital to serve the Conception Bay North area. He had supported Mr. Clarke in 1966 and appeared on television saying that "a vote for Clarke was a vote for the new hospital." However it was widely known at the time that Mr. Smallwood's Liberals were in trouble and that a "good candidate" could defeat him. A consensus at the time was that if Dr. Rowe ran, he would win because he knew everyone in the district "inside and out."

Reflecting on his loss George Clarke speculated that the major reason for his loss was the anti - Smallwood feeling coupled with what he termed the "Halfway House Motel Ltd" episode. It seems that Clarke had fought long and hard to have the assets and liabilities of the Halfway House taken over by government. When this was done, the board of directors of the hotel were responsible for $1 million in debts to their various creditors. All but one of these directors were working for the Progressive Conservative Party. The major shareholder of the company was Frank D. Moores who would go on to become Premier of the province, and Dr. Rowe would become his Minister of Health.

The election of September 1971 was very close. The Progressive Conservatives had 21 seats, the Liberal Party had 20 seats and there was one member from the New Labrador Party. Eventually another election was called to take place on March 24, 1972. At that time Dr. Rowe was challenged by Mr. Walter C. Milley. The result of the election was Rowe 2 020 votes, Milley 1 398 votes. The final standings were Progressive Conservative 33 seats and the Liberal Party 9 seats. The Harbour Lodge Motel Ltd. became the Harbour Lodge, a home for physical and mentally disabled people throughout the region.

In 1975 Dr. Rowe was appointed to the department of family practice in Memorial University's faculty of medicine and was head of the department from 1978 to 1985. Rowe served as president of the Newfoundland Medical Association and was its representative to the Canadian Medical Association's national executive and to the Council on Community Health Care. He was a member of the board of directors of the Canadian Association of Gerontology in the 1970s, and was director of the Newfoundland Tuberculosis Association and president of the Carbonear branches of the Kiwanis Club and the Canadian Red Cross. From 1980 to 1981 he was a member of the Royal Commission on Forest Protection and Management.
Dr. Rowe did not seek re-election in the election that was held on September 16, 1975.