After more than 50 years in medicine, Canberra GP Dr Cameron Webber has retired from full-time practice, just helping out here and there at his surgery in Barton as it looks for more doctors.
He and his wife Joanna, a midwife and nurse and later practice manager, have always been a team and she is also retiring from the Barton General Practice, which they built from just two doctors to a peak of 13 medicos.
Dr Webber said turning 70 last year had persuaded him to take the step towards retirement. His patients have meant everything.
"Oh, well they're part of me," he said.
"They are a very important part of my life. My life is defined by my practice here in south Canberra."
Dr Webber said the decision to retire wasn't easy.
"It's been confronting. It's been hard," he said.
"There are new and younger doctors there. It's been my life but I have to adjust. There's a lot to do (like) get my knee fixed."
He started in medicine as a student 52 years ago, ultimately graduating from the University of NSW in 1976. He was often asked why he remained in general practice and didn't specialise.
"I haven't had a boring life," he said. "It's been incredibly varied."
Dr Webber "might have" treated a prime minister or two in his career. And he advised White House doctors during many US presidential visits to Canberra, always with Joanna as part of his team.
The Webbers met in a labour ward during his secondment to King's College, London.
She was from Malaysia, he was from Australia, the senior midwife was from Ghana, the senior registrar was from the United States and the patient was from Bangladesh. It sounds like the introduction to a joke, but it was the beginning of a great love. Although not straight away.
"Oh, no, no. We had a disagreement," Dr Webber said, with a chuckle.
They married in London in 1980 before returning to Australia to work briefly in rural practice.
The couple moved to Canberra in 1982, he starting work at a general practice in Franklin Street in Manuka.
"Over the years, we've had six addresses, frequent moves," he said.
"We were in Murray Crescent at two addresses for quite a while, Endeavour House, Kingston."
Mrs Webber also worked at the old Woden Valley Hospital as a midwife and neonatal nurse before joining her husband in the practice. They have always done surgical procedures together.
"You don't talk. You automatically know. I feel incredibly comfortable when Joanna's doing it with me," he said.
Dr Webber received the medal of the Order of Australia in 2008 for his service to medicine, for fundraising for various causes and for his contribution to education through the ANU Medical School.
With the Canberra Medical Society, in his spare time he travelled to remote Aboriginal communities to treat patients and fundraise for facilities, from a swimming pool to a kidney dialysis centre.
He is also a former chair of the John Curtin Medical Research Foundation.
Dr Webber said he always tried to be an advocate for his patients and fight for their best care.
To "be available and listen".
He and Mrs Webber hope to spend more time with their three children and one-granddaughter and do more travelling.
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