Judith Williams (Best ’39) was a pioneer in radiography. In 1963, she was awarded Fellowship of the Australian Institute of Radiography for her research paper Planning for the Changing Face of Radiography which took some 18 months to complete.

She trained at the Melbourne Radiological Clinic and the Melbourne Technical College (now RMIT) attaining the status of Senior Radiographer, a position she held until 1949. For the next four years she was a Senior Radiographer at the X-ray department of University College, London, UK.

On her return to Australia, Judith established the X-ray department at the Footscray and District Hospital (now the Western General Hospital) and was there until 1957, after which she went back to London and worked in a private radiological practice in Wimpole Street, London, until 1961. Returning to Melbourne, Judith worked at Peter McCallum Cancer Institute until retiring in 1988 to continue looking after her invalid husband. For 16 of the 27 years working at Peter McCallum Cancer Institute, Judith was Charge Radiographer.

A career highlight was receiving the Philip Stanford Prize for her presentation of her paper called Radiography of the Nasopharynx in a Radiotherapy Establishment at the Australian Institute of Radiography conference in Tasmania, in 1969.

Judith brought balance to her early working life through playing hockey and was part of the Victorian State Hockey team from 1947 to 1948. She travelled the world extensively and enjoyed spending time with her family and friends.

Judith passed away in Melbourne in 2015.

Updated January 2016