An Enduring Passion for Paediatric Radiology

Abstract

Dr. Valerie Mayne was a pioneering force in Australian radiology. Her career spanned more than five decades and paralleled the transformation of medical imaging. Beginning in the era of plain films, fluoroscopy, and handwritten reports, she witnessed and helped shape the evolution of radiology through ultrasound, CT, MRI, and digital imaging.

Val graduated from the University of Melbourne in 1961, one of just 12 women in her class. After completing her residency in Ballarat (1962–1963), she began her 4-year radiology training at St. Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, on the completion of which she was appointed to the Radiology Department at Melbourne's Royal Children's Hospital (RCH), where her career flourished.

From 1972 to 1976, Val served as Deputy Director of Radiology at RCH, becoming the first woman appointed Director in 1976. She held this role until 1981 and was instrumental in introducing ultrasonography to the Department, earning her Diploma in Medical Ultrasound in 1980. Val's focus later turned to skeletal dysplasia, an area in which she became an internationally recognised expert. Initially working closely with Professor David Danks and geneticist Dr. John Rogers, she co-founded the RCH bone dysplasia X-ray library, a resource that supported research and diagnosis for decades. Val's exceptional expertise in the radiological diagnosis of rachitic bone disease and bone dysplasias was widely recognised throughout her career. In more recent years, she worked closely with Professor Ravi Savarirayan, clinical geneticist and Group Leader of Skeletal Biology and Disease at Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, until her retirement in 2021; her publications in this area spanned a period of four decades, and her contributions in this field continued well into her 80s.

Val also held senior positions at Nepean Hospital, including Director of Medical Imaging (1998–2003) and Area Director for the Wentworth Area Health Service. She was instrumental in establishing Nepean's first MRI unit during this period.

At 67, Val returned to Melbourne—not to retire, but to continue her clinical and academic work at Monash Medical Centre and RCH. She officially retired from RCH in 2021 at the age of 85 years, concluding a remarkable 55-year career.

Val was a founding member of the Australian Society of Paediatric Imaging and, in 2010, was awarded Life Membership of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists in recognition of her immense contributions to radiology, education, and research. In 2014, she received the Elizabeth Turner Medal, the highest peer accolade at RCH, for exceptional clinical care.

Known for her candour, intellect, and compassion, Val mentored generations of radiologists. She was unflinching in her opinions but always acted with integrity, warmth, and charm. Her legacy lives on in the many she taught and inspired.

Born in the mid-1930s, Val was a devoted wife and mother of four—Justin, Andrew, David, and Stephanie, her daughter following her into the imaging field as a radiographer. Remarkably, after giving birth to her first child in 1969, she returned to full-time work just 2 weeks later. Her dedication to both family and profession never wavered.

Val's values of resilience, generosity, and determination shone throughout her life. Even as she faced serious health challenges in later years, she remained quietly courageous, enduring with the same grit that defined her professional life. Her absence has been deeply felt by all who knew and respected her.

Val lived a life of service to medicine, to her family, and to her colleagues. Her work, especially in skeletal dysplasia, will resonate for years to come.

We remember Val with profound admiration and gratitude. We honour her legacy and give thanks for the extraordinary life of a remarkable woman (Figure 1).

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.