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Chris Gould has dedicated 23 years of his life to the Walgett community, managing the town’s pathology laboratory and ensuring doctors get vital results when they are needed.
Chris Gould’s pathology career has taken him around the world, but he says he’s been proud to call Walgett home for the past 23 years and will continue to do so.
The 73-year-old former Walgett lab manager for NSW Health Pathology officially retired in March 2023 and says he’s looking forward to having more time with his wife and two sons, particularly being able to watch his 16-year-old son Sean play rugby league.
His pathology career saw him managing a laboratory at John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle, as well as working for 10 years in Canada, before he moved to Walgett.
“I’m very proud of my role as a NATA (National Association of Testing Authorities) assessor over the past two decades, which required a lot of training and travel,” Chris said.
“That’s been very rewarding.”
As the only scientist at the Walgett lab until 2017, Chris was regularly on call and required to go into the hospital at all hours.
“When I started here in 2000 it was like an experiment, we needed a proper pathology department,” he said.
“I only came for a year, and here I am 23 years later!”
He thanked his wife, Marla, who works at the Walgett laboratory as a technical assistant, for all her support over the years.
Chris met Marla in the Philippines and says it was a culture shock moving to a remote location like Walgett, but she has embraced the region and the work in pathology.
Chris is planning to take his family to Sweden soon on a trip that had to be delayed due to COVID-19 restrictions.
He says he hopes his legacy will be the creation of a quality pathology service serving the Walgett and surrounding communities of Lightning Ridge, Collarenebri and Goodooga, and improving the health outcomes for regional people.
Congratulations on your well-earned retirement and we wish you all the best Chris and family!
