Carriage 1960s Lab Assistant (semen collector) - Sydney University. Shunted into undergraduate studenthood - 1967 to PhD 1975. Lecturer and researcher - Murdoch University - 1975-1979. Used a special skill – identify and handle mammalian embryos. Locomotive 1980-1984 Set up IVF at RNSHospital – Sydney. Steamed ahead telling Drs and patients what to do. 1984-87 Branch line to Los Angeles - Chief Engineer at private clinic. Ran out of steam and returned to RNSH as 2 IC. Carriage 1987 onwards. Chugged along as directed. Gave a talk here, presented data there. Sat on SIRT committee. First class seat on the Privatization Express to North Shore ART. Then IVF Australia. Track change with shunting onto RTAC as Ticket Inspector (not Station Master). Caboose 2002-2004 New IVF line requiring track work at Fertility First. Decoupled to RTAC line then decommissioned.

Petra Wale is a clinical embryologist with deep expertise in best-practice embryology, IVF laboratory management, and quality control. She has led IVF laboratories of all sizes across Australia and the U.S., implemented advanced technologies such as time-lapse imaging, and trained staff in blastocyst biopsy under an NHMRC licence. Petra holds a PhD from the University of Melbourne, where her research into the effects of oxygen on embryo development was recognised with multiple grants and awards. A published researcher, her work focuses on improving laboratory practices to enhance patient outcomes. As President of the Fertility Society of Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ), Petra has championed inclusive access to fertility care, advocating for the definition of infertility to reflect the needs of all individuals—regardless of relationship status, sexual orientation, or gender identity. She led the development of a 10-year Fertility Roadmap that calls for a National Fertility Plan, a centralised donor database, and policies to improve access and affordability of care. Most recently, she signed the Tokyo Declaration on behalf of FSANZ—a global commitment that affirms the family as the fundamental unit of society and sets out universal principles to protect the rights and wellbeing of all individuals seeking fertility care, as well as children born through assisted reproduction.