1957-1960

During Joe’s illness Mary became aware of how dependent medical research was on funding to pursue solutions to medical problems.

Joe had intended to leave a substantial sum to the University of Western Australia’s Medical School but had not had time before his death to make this provision in his will. Soon after Joe’s passing, and with failing health of her own, Mary made a decision that would have an enduring impact on medical research in Western Australia – she renounced her interest in Joe’s will to establish the Raine Medical Research Foundation.

Mary’s heartfelt wish was for the funds from the foundation to contribute to finding a cure for the illness that claimed Joe’s life, sparing others from the same heartache. She combined her estate with Joe’s, formally establishing it through a Deed of Trust to the University of Western Australia, the only medical school at the time.

Mary also specifically asked that the funds were not used to establish any buildings in her or Joe’s honour, but that instead:

the “net income of the Fund shall be applied towards seeking, diagnosing and investigating the nature, origin and cause of disease in human beings, and the prevention, cure, alleviation and combating of such diseases”.

Mary Bertha Raine passed away on 3 February 1960. Her original bequest of £1 million in 1957 is equivalent to about £20 million today, or approximately $ AUD 40 million. It was the largest bequest to a university at the time.