The Australian emergency services community is mourning the loss of former Ambulance Victoria chief executive Professor Tony Walker, who has died after a long battle with bowel cancer.
Professor Walker, who led Ambulance Victoria from 2014 until stepping down in 2022, was widely respected as a compassionate leader whose career spanned decades of frontline service, innovation and advocacy for paramedics’ wellbeing.
His resignation four years ago came just months after he revealed his cancer diagnosis, saying the decision to leave the role had not been easy but that the time was right to focus on his health and his family.
“I love this organisation,” he said at the time, describing the difficult choice to step away after reflecting on what mattered most.
Walker began his career as a paramedic before rising through the ranks as a Mobile Intensive Care Ambulance (MICA) paramedic, general manager and eventually chief executive. Under his leadership, Ambulance Victoria underwent significant transformation, with a strong focus on improving patient outcomes and supporting the mental health of emergency workers.
Among the initiatives introduced during his tenure was the GoodSAM program, which alerts nearby trained responders to people suffering cardiac arrest, helping deliver life-saving CPR before paramedics arrive. He also championed Victoria’s first ambulance Peer Support Dog program and expanded mental health services for first responders.
His influence extended beyond Victoria through his role as chair of the Council of Ambulance Authorities, where he helped shape ambulance services across Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. He was awarded the Ambulance Service Medal for his outstanding contribution to the profession and, in 2019, was recognised as a finalist for the Australian Mental Health Prize for his work supporting paramedic wellbeing.
In more recent years, Professor Walker played a key role in developing Australia’s first Centre of Excellence for Paramedicine, working alongside the Victorian Government and Victoria University to help strengthen the future of the profession.
Paying tribute, current Ambulance Victoria chief executive Jordan Emery said Walker had left an “extraordinary legacy” and would be remembered not only for his achievements but for the genuine care he showed to patients and colleagues alike.
“He was a leader who genuinely cared about people and understood that behind every ambulance response was a patient needing care and a paramedic committed to making a difference,” Emery said.
“He never lost sight of the human side of this profession and that philosophy continues to influence our organisation today.”
Professor Walker is survived by his wife, Robyn, his children and the many colleagues whose lives and careers he helped shape during more than three decades in ambulance services.
Images: Ambulance Victoria
