Dr Robyn Dalley has decided to retire after an impressive 45 year medical career, most of which was spent living and serving in the Gerringong community. 

Her dedication to medicine and the community is evident, and her tenure has been full of rich and rewarding experiences that reflect her commitment to the area and its people. Dr Dalley reflects on a past photograph from 65 years ago, before she moved to the area of her diving in Gerringong Boat Harbour. 

Connected to the area and the outdoors, Dr Dalley decided to make Gerringong her home and has been here ever since. She grew up in rural NSW and has always embraced rural living, her journey to medicine began from a young age. 

When Dr Dalley was younger, she felt inspired by her two aunts who worked as nurses. They helped to cultivate an interest in medicine and care work from early on but Dalley retains that becoming a doctor is ‘in your genes.’ Dedication, passion and hard work are all crucial aspects to making it through the extensive training required.  

Dr Dalley has always worn many different hats as a doctor, a wife, and a mother, she has volunteered her time, been active in rotary clubs and her community. She recalls the day she helped deliver a colleague's baby in the back of an ambulance, and another time she unexpectedly had to perform a home birth among the long list of career highlights. 

She has been involved in health education programs, community groups, and various volunteer initiatives. Above all, Dalley is particularly proud about opening Gerringong Medical Centre. The practice opened on the first day of lockdown in 2020 with the support of the Gerringong area. Throughout the years, Dr Dalley has witnessed the development of her Gerringong medical practice. 

Dr Dalley has seen her 20-year-long vision come together and grow from a practice with two doctors, a secretary and no nurses to the thriving medical practice it is today. Now able to accommodate six doctors, four nurses, and four secretaries, the practice is also a training location for future doctors. Dr Dalley considers training the next generation of doctors to be a vital part of her role and she has enjoyed that aspect of her career throughout.  

As she steps into retirement Dr Dalley reiterates the need to address the pressing healthcare needs of the community, particularly the challenges posed by an ageing population and the growing concerns of mental health and substance abuse. 

Dr Dalley offers advice to the next generation of doctors, encouraging them to recognise the privilege of being part of people’s lives, the clinical intrigue and the flexibility that rural medicine allows. Dr Dalley hopes the community remembers her as a doctor who listened, respected and encouraged active participation in their own health journey. 

Dr Dalley regards her career as extremely rewarding and says it has been a privilege to be a part of her patient’s lives. She holds a huge appreciation for her exceptional staff and the people who have supported her along the way.

“Getting to know people from the cradle to the grave and travelling the extreme highs and lows with them is very rewarding,” says Dr Dalley. 

As Dr Dalley transitions into retirement, the community remains grateful for her exceptional care, dedication and lasting impact. She plans to travel and delve into some outdoor adventures, and embracing down to earth rural living. The legacy she leaves behind will undoubtedly endure in the hearts of those she served and the community she enriched.