A very brief history of WAG
Sandy Bell was the first Specialist Anaesthetist in Wangaratta, and he was joined by Roger Barker in 1980 and Robin Sharp in 1986. By the late eighties, almost all anaesthesia in Wangaratta was being administered by specialists. With the death of Sandy in 1989, the idea of a cooperative group practice with adequate time from work was crystallized with the arrival of Des Burke and Mark Radnor to form an associateship that was to become the Wangaratta Anaesthetic Group.
With the opening of the private hospital in 1994, the office was opened at that site with Joan Wales as Practice Manager, and with Thea McCarthy joining the rooms staff some months later. Subsequently Kay Dickson, Kate Wyatt and Leanne Cruickshank have helped behind the WAG desk.
Peter Hebbard joined the group at that time associated with the expansion in work. Russell Bourne joined the group in 1997 and the office moved to a new site at the hub of the Private Hospital. Andrew Haughton joined the group in 2001 and Bill Hoffmann in 2002. Bill returned to Melbourne; he was replaced by Fraser Barry in 2006. Des Burke, Peter Hebbard and Mark Radnor have subsequently left the group. In late 2010 the group formalized its structure and moved into independent premises