The salary donation scheme has survived many corporate reorganisations and name changes and after more than 20 years it still provides substantial funds to our research. Bill did not get to see the laboratories but he died knowing he had raised sufficient funds to establish the research laboratories.

Bill was awarded the British Empire medal in recognition of this achievement.

The laboratories were opened by Mrs Noelene Walsh on the 4th December 1980.

Bill Walsh was in his mid-thirties, with a wife and two young daughters when he was diagnosed as having cancer.

This was in the seventies when little could be done about his form of cancer. He was a man with a social conscience who realised there were no cancer research facilities on the Royal North Shore Hospital campus where he was being treated.

Bill convinced his work mates in what was then the NSW Electricity Commission to donate a small part of each pay into a trust fund and with their help, he organised many fundraising activities, the biggest being an art union.