In 1985 the Benevolent Society of New South Wales and the medical staff of the Royal Hospital for Women decided to establish a multi-disciplinary Gynaecological Cancer Centre at the Royal Hospital for Women. They recruited an Australian, Professor Neville Hacker, then Director of Gynaecological Oncology at the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA), to head the Centre. The Centre opened in November 1986.

In order to raise funds for research, Mr Fred Millar, then Chairman of TNT, was invited by the Benevolent Society to form a fundraising committee. Mr Millar assembled a number of prominent business and community leaders, and a total of about $750,000 was raised, which was used to establish a research laboratory in the Royal Hospital for Women.

Following a very generous donation by Brian and Fay McGuigan in memory of their daughter Vanessa, the laboratory was named the Vanessa McGuigan Research Laboratory.

When Mr Millar retired in 1991, the Chair of the fundraising committee was taken by Mr Brian McGuigan, Managing Director of McGuigan Wines. During Brian's tenure, Mrs Vivian Greig, Principle of Harmony Marketing, and wife of former English cricket captain and Channel 9 commentator Tony Greig, suggested the name GO Fund. This name was endorsed by one of the energetic members of the committee, Karen Ehrlich, a brilliant young lawyer, who unfortunately had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer and who subsequently died of the disease. The Karen Campaign is now named in her memory.

In 1997 the Royal Hospital for Women moved from Paddington, where it was administered by the Benevolent Society, to the campus of the Prince of Wales and Sydney Children's Hospitals at Randwick.

The Royal Hospital for Women Foundation was established in 1994 with the launch of a $10 Million Capital Campaign to help fund the building works of the ‘new’ RHW at Randwick. Today, the Foundation continues to raise funds for research, education and vital medical equipment. The GO Fund is a sub-entity of the Royal Hospital for Women Foundation.

Brian McGuigan retired as Chairman in 1998, and the leadership role was taken over by Mrs Vivian Greig.

Mr Steve Eckowitz, took over when Vivian retired to raise her young family. Mr Eckowitz whose wife passed away from ovarian cancer had previously been a major benefactor of the Gynaecological Cancer Centre. Through his generosity, the Centre houses a wonderful collection of artworks. Mr Eckowitz was Chairman from 2000-2006. The current Chairman Mr Aleco Vrisakis is a commercial lawyer and former partner at Blake Dawson Waldron.

back to top