The origin of Radiology SA
Radiology SA, the diagnostic imaging practice, was formed in 2005 when some of the previous partners and younger radiologists of Perrett Medical Imaging were given the opportunity to buy back the rooms at Calvary Hospital, Memorial Hospital and Mayo House in North Adelaide following ACCC divestment instructions concerning the corporate merger of MIA and I-Med. This brought about a return to a doctor-led practice once more.
The Perrett practice had a history of service to the South Australian public for over 70 years.
It was commenced by Dr. John Christian Mayo at Shell House, 170 North Terrace, in the mid 1930s. He was one of a distinguished South Australian family. His sister Dr. Helen Mayo was a prominent practitioner in women's health and neonatal care, his brother, Professor Elton Mayo was a sociologist, and another Sir Herbert Mayo, a Supreme Court judge and President of the Law Council of Australia. All were grandchildren of George Mayo, a pioneer Surgeon who arrived in the Colony of South Australia in 1837. John graduated from the Adelaide University in 1913 and enlisted in the Army soon after, serving on the Western Front as a Medical Officer. After periods of General Practice at Lameroo, Moonta and Glen Osmond, he embarked on surgical training, being awarded his FRCS in 1921 and FRACS in 1924. He served as an Honorary Surgeon at the Adelaide Children's Hospital from 1928 to 1940, and Honorary Assistant Radiologist and Radiotherapist at the Royal Adelaide Hospital from 1933 until his death in 1955. He was a Foundation member of the College of Radiologists of Australia and New Zealand.
In 1947 Richard Burnard joined Mayo after war service in the Army, and he was followed by Ron Walker, a British Army Medical Officer who had been a POW in Singapore, and Fred Dibden, a Radiotherapist who had also served in the Army.
Lance Perrett, after training in London in Neuroradiology, became a partner in 1960, and was followed by Bill Aram who had WWII service, and Frank Harrison. The practice in this time had moved to the Memorial Hospital and Kingsmead at 78 Brougham Place, North Adelaide. The latter part of this decade saw great change with the building of rooms at 168 Ward Street, North Adelaide, a room at Woodforde, 164 Ward Street, the Marion Medical Centre and a move into the North Eastern Community Hospital.
Frank Harrison was greatly involved with these moves, and was the driving force in the development of the Partnership. Ron Andrew and Bill Hobbs joined the practice at this time of change. Both brought significant past General Practice experience to the group.
The 1970s was a period of great change. At this time and into the early 1980s, Roger Freeman, John Osborn, Gerald Davies, John Sheat, Bronte Hockley (a Vietnam veteran), Gerald Fon, John Reece, Chris Crane, Brian Parkinson and Owen Morgan joined the Practice. Rooms at the Northern Community Hospital, Prime House, Goodwood Road, and Calvary Hospital were opened. The first ultrasound scanner in the Practice, a ‘Diasonograph’ was installed at Calvary under the supervision of Bill Hobbs and John Sheat, and further expertise was brought with the arrival of Bronte Hockley.
In 1976, under the expert guidance of Lance Perrett, the first Whole Body CT Scanner in Private Practice in Australia, an EMI 5005, was installed at the Memorial Hospital rooms. In 1980, this was replaced with a GE 8800, and another GE 8800 was installed in tandem at Memorial in 1982.
During the 1980s rooms were opened at Port Adelaide, the Wakefield Street Hospital and Edwardstown. Moves were also made to the country with the provision of services at the Port Lincoln and Port Pirie Hospitals. Tim Geake and Rob Norman joined at this time.
In 1985 Nuclear Medicine was introduced into the Calvary rooms under the supervision of Joe Savage, Allan Wycherley, and Franz de Zwart, and later by Stefan Blehm, Tim Cain and Vivian Hall.
In 1989 new rooms were opened at Wakefield Street and Angus Robertson joined the Practice.
The 1990 amalgamation of the Practice with that of Tom Mestrov and John Chan in Whyalla/Port Augusta further established the presence in the Iron Triangle. The old rooms were eventually closed and the Practice sites were moved to the local hospitals. This major undertaking was supervised by Brian Parkinson.
It was at this time that Stefan Blehm and Charles Lott joined the Practice and Mammography was upgraded at Mayo House with John Sheat, Chris Crane and Gill Rush assuming the principal responsibility for this modality.
MRI was introduced into the Wakefield Street rooms in 1990, and a further scanner was installed at Memorial in 1995.
Some Partners spent considerable time in the development of Radiology in Australasia. Angus Robertson held the office of President of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists, John Osborn sat on the Economic Standing Committee for many years and others were Examiners for the Fellowship.
The business side of the Practice had outgrown the space in Mayo House, and the building at 51–54 Palmer Place, North Adelaide was purchased. Subsequently there was a further move to a site at the rear of Palmer Place, at 199 Ward Street. This building was named Harrison House in recognition of the enormous contribution made by Frank Harrison to the expansion of the Practice.
The Edwardstown rooms were closed in the mid 1990s. Lance Perrett, after making a highly distinguished contribution to the Practice retired, and Nindi Sandhu became the Senior Neuroradiologist.
In 1995 the Practice purchased the Radiology Practice serving Darwin and the top half of the Northern Territory. There were rooms in the Private and Public Hospitals and also in Casuarina, Darwin town, and Katherine. A huge effort was needed to stabilise the Practice and this was largely undertaken by Stefan Blehm, an American GI of the Vietnam War who undertook his basic and specialist medical training in Australia. His subsequent premature death was a great tragedy. Dan Madigan, Ross Keenan and Glen Drogemuller proceeded to contribute greatly to the success and establishment of these rooms. The training Radiology Registrar position at the Royal Darwin Hospital is now one of the most sought after in the South Australian Radiology training program.
The late 1990s saw Brian Roache join the Practice, followed by Rebecca Linke, Shaun Fowler, MaryAnn King, Ghee Chew and John Slavotinek and the closure of the Northern Community Hospital rooms.
With the onset of major changes in radiology throughout Australasia, the business of the Practice was sold to MIA in 2000, bringing to an end an extraordinary period in the lives of all Partners and staff. The development of the original Practice could not have happened without the loyal service of many people. Mention of a few of the chiefs should be made — Bob Allen, Derek Gilkes, Denis Almond, Gayle Brooks, Chris Brock, Trevor Rowe, Sue Tormey, Chris Beasley, Yvonne Johnston, Margaret Pearce and Jon Lennon-George. Throughout most of the life of practice the office staff was under the skilled and diplomatic guidance of Liz Henwood. She had joined the Practice when Dick Burnard was the Senior Partner. At the time of her retirement, she had served longer than any Partner. Many of the clerical staff gave long and loyal service — Lila Bulford, Anna Cali, Cheryl Carpenter, Carole Chesson, Anne Davidson, Judy Davies, Narelle Dunn, Angela Moyle, Marie O'Sullivan, Petrea Pachen, Michelle Rathjen, Lesley Robb, Val Saunders, Raelene Trestrail and Vicki Williams. Nursing staff with long and loyal service were Jan Angus, Pam Kershaw and Sally Pentland. The Practice accountants, John McLachlan and Andrew Nairn, were unstinting in their loyalty and provided guidance of the highest order. There were many suppliers to the Practice who were friends of the Partners and staff, and who always provided us with excellent service.
The Partners and Staff of Radiology SA look forward to following the example of solid professional service and medical imaging development set by those over the time since the establishment of the Practice by Dr. Mayo.
