Dr Bill Boyd Retires After Three Decades Of Care

Obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Bill Boyd has retired after more than 30 years of delivering babies at Mater Private Hospital Mackay.

Born and raised in Scotland, Dr Boyd’s journey to Mackay began when he married his Australian wife Julie, then a student midwife in Scotland.

The couple moved to Australia in 1982 and headed to Mackay four years later.

“My first job in Australia took us to Weipa, where I was the Medical Superintendent, before moving to Adelaide, where I worked at the Queen Victoria Hospital,” Dr Boyd said.
 
The couple liked Adelaide, but Dr Boyd did not enjoy the cold.

“I love warm weather and as luck would have it, during winter in Adelaide, I saw an ad for a job at Mackay Base Hospital, mentioning the Whitsunday Islands” he said.

“I applied for the job and was granted an interview. Despite Julie still being keen to settle in Brisbane, we decided to give the interview a go, and of course, I got the job.

“Julie said we’d give the place a year’s trial, that was in 1986!”

Dr Boyd later moved into private practice and started caring for women and babies at Mater Private Hospital Mackay, while Ms Boyd served the community as a local councillor and then mayor for more than a decade.

“We worked as a team and were able to manage busy professional lives, while raising our children,” he said.

As well as loving the warm climate, the Boyds also loved the warmth of the people.

“Julie and I are both social people, who found we fitted neatly into the social life of Mackay,” he said.

“They were good people, working hard, bringing up their children.”

Dr Boyd helped those families to grow, delivering multiple generations of babies while caring for the gynaecological health of the women of Mackay.

At the same time, he diligently embraced advances in technology and techniques.
 
“There have been quantum leaps in the quality of imaging, particularly ultrasound and MRI, which have taken away a lot of guess work, helping us to keep babies and mothers safe,” he said.

“The number one advance in gynaecology during my career has been the development of the Human Papillomavirus Vaccine, which will eventually make cervical cancer a rarity.”
Dr Boyd also championed the professionalism of his colleagues in Mackay and North Queensland during his time as President of the Australian Medical Association Queensland.  
 
Mater Private Hospital Mackay General Manager Karen Wade said Dr Boyd’s commitment to his patients, his profession, his colleagues and his community were clear as his tenure at Mater ended.

“Dr Boyd leaves a legacy of top tier patient-centered obstetric and gynaecological care here,” Ms Wade said.

“He also leaves Mater Private Hospital Mackay patients in the care of an accomplished generation of obstetricians and gynaecologists who are well established and respected.”

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Mater Mackay doctor Bill Boyd retires after 30 years of dedicated service. Photo supplied

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