Vale Kay Ellen Van Norton Poche AO

The Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences pays its respect to Kay Van Norton Poche AO, one of Australia’s most benevolent philanthropists, who passed away earlier this month.

Mrs Kay Van Norton Poche AO (right) with former Chancellor Elizabeth Alexander AO at a ceremony honouring her as Fellow of the University of Melbourne.

Kay was bold in her vision and determination to improve the health and wellbeing of Indigenous Australians. Kay recognised the importance of self-determined Indigenous health leadership through higher education and her work enabled post-graduate achievement, research and community-engaged teaching to advance future workforce development and solutions to wicked health problems. Her impact is perhaps most profoundly felt though the establishment of the first Poche Centre for Indigenous Health in 2008 at the University of Sydney.

Kay understood that advances in Indigenous health required strong Indigenous leadership and Indigenous-led research and it was with this in mind that the Melbourne Poche Centre was developed in 2014, joining five other Poche Centres across the country. The central vision of the Melbourne Poche Centre is to accelerate the development of Indigenous leadership in Indigenous health, fostering the emergence of the next generation of Indigenous leaders. The Centre also has a strong focus on Indigenous PhD recruitment and support.

Indeed, thanks to the generosity of Kay and Greg Poche AO, the Melbourne Poche Centre has graduated over 40 Indigenous Health Leadership Fellows and attracted almost 30 PhD scholars. Among that cohort, 13 students have completed their PhD studies and seven are undertaking post-doctoral fellowships. Key to these successes was Kay’s vision of providing an academic environment in which Indigenous scholarship is valued and supported. Kay’s transformative gift and tireless efforts will have a profound and lasting impact on the future of Indigenous health and the academy in Australia.

In addition to her Indigenous Health-focused philanthropy, Kay also donated to numerous other causes, including the recently opened Manly Adolescent and Young Adult Hospice and a $40 million donation to the Melanoma Institute in Sydney, one of the largest philanthropic gifts in Australia’s history at the time.

In 2015 Kay and Greg were jointly awarded Fellows of the University of Melbourne in recognition of their outstanding and visionary contributions and in particular their ability to envision long-term gain and impact through the acceleration of existing expertise. In 2019 Kay’s service to the nation was further recognised when she was awarded an Officer of the Order of Australia medal.

Remembered for her sincerity and warmth, Kay’s legacy will be the foundation for stronger and healthier futures for Indigenous communities.

The Faculty extends its deepest respects and heartfelt sympathies to Mr Greg Poche AO, Kay's family and all those who knew her.