Remembering Kay Van Norton Poche AO

Kay Van Norton Poche AO had tremendous spirit and determination to solve some of the most pressing issues of our time.

Kay has been an inspiration to us all and her loss will be felt deeply by the University of Sydney community and all those who walked alongside her.

Kay, with her husband Greg Poche AO, has achieved tremendous impact on the healthcare and research landscape in Australia, and beyond.

They have always shared a passion for supporting issues and causes unique to Australia, enhancing research capabilities to tackle the impossible through their philanthropy.

Kay and Greg have established multiple ‘firsts’, not only here at the University, but also through their transformative support of the Melanoma Institute Australia, their visionary contribution to advance cancer research at Royal North Shore Hospital and support for patients and their families navigating a cancer diagnosis at the Mater Hospital, as well as many other initiatives.

Countless patients have benefited from the life-saving research and clinical advances fuelled by Kay and Greg’s generosity.

At the University of Sydney, Kay and Greg established the very first Poche Centre for Indigenous Health, which has since grown into a national network connecting universities around Australia.

Through excellence in research, the Poche Centre aims to close the gap in life expectancy and other health outcomes with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Kay and Greg’s commitment to improving health and social justice outcomes, has provided a platform for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander academics to generate positive outcomes for the health of remote and local Indigenous communities.

Through their vision and foresight, we are working in genuine partnership with Indigenous communities to deliver research that drives transformational change in Australia’s healthcare practice and policy.

Kay has worked tirelessly to make a difference in the world, selflessly giving of her time and energy to her community.

She will be deeply missed by the entire University of Sydney community and our thoughts are with Greg and Kay’s family, friends and loved ones.

Her legacy lives on in the heart of our University and within the work of the Poche Centre team, as well as in the lives of all those who her generosity has touched.