BUSINESSMAN Ron Walker, who saved Walwa’s medical centre from closing, was still offering help for the service two weeks before his death.
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The ex-Australian Grand Prix boss died, after a fight with cancer, in Melbourne on Tuesday at the age of 78.
But Walwa Bush Nursing Centre chief executive Sandi Grieve said when she spoke to Mr Walker on the phone two weeks ago he was more interested in the Upper Murray health service than talking about his wellbeing.
“He asked whether we needed anything, he was ever generous, and I enquired after his health and he insisted all was well, so to have heard overnight that he had died was a shock,” Ms Grieve said.
Mr Walker saved the then Walwa Bush Nursing Hospital from closing by donating $150,000 in June 2002 and returned in 2006 to open the newly named and revitalised bush nursing centre.
“That $150,000 gave us the breathing space to start a new service,” Ms Grieve said.
“There’s a very real possibility without that we would have no service at all and as a result of that have no town because of a lack of medical services.
“It’s probable we would have seen the death of Walwa, that’s not an understatement.”
Andrew Urquhart, who was chairman of the hospital board in those years, said Mr Walker’s help “opened doors to talk to politicians and bureaucrats”.
“He had a massive presence and he said what he meant,” Mr Urquhart said.
“You knew what he stood for and there was no mucking about.
“He was good to deal with.”
Mr Urquhart noted it was Mr Walker’s wife Barbara, who had suffered chronic pain, that originally inspired the former Melbourne lord mayor to help Walwa.
“She said ‘Ronny you get up there and you save that hospital’,” Mr Urquhart recalled Mrs Walker saying after an article about the plight of the hospital appeared in the Melbourne press.
The Walkers officially opened the medical centre in 2006, following a $2.1 million redevelopment which involved $480,000 in donations and $800,000 from the Victorian government.
Mr Walker donated a further $20,000 for equipment at the time and spoke of his delight at its revival.
"The community deserves this centre and it has been a pleasure to watch it being rebuilt," Mr Walker told an audience of 200.
"I congratulate the community on their efforts and am delighted to see their hard work come to fruition."
Mr Walker was diagnosed with melanoma in 2011 and in 2015 convinced then federal health minister Sussan Ley to put his $150,000-a-year cancer drug on the pharmaceutical benefits scheme.
