I was fortunate to meet Catherine in London in 1999 when she was visiting Professor Gordon Williams. We passed a delightful evening together at Gordon’s home. As a fellow Australian I was so very proud of this pioneering woman and her husband who had selflessly dedicated their lives to making such a profound difference in the lives of the women of Ethiopia. Catherine was and will remain an inspiration and I hope that her dream of first world maternal and infant mortality and morbidity becomes a reality for her adopted home.