Katherine Robertson, pictured in 1999, not long before her diagnosis with acute lymphocytic leukaemia.

Anne Robertson 

Anne Robertson was a refined lady, always impeccably presented, with a love for history and family. Anne had a love of the arts enjoying the theatre, Shakespeare and Jane Austen, and she spent much time travelling around UK and Europe.

Anne was also a highly qualified librarian with a strong interest in Australian history. She lived in London for a time and collected pieces for the Australian history collection within the State Library of NSW, eventually writing two books about these important pieces in our history.

Anne was also the keeper of the Robertson family history and it gave her great joy discovering many stories of past generations.

Anne had no children of her own but was deeply involved in the lives of her extended family. She shared many times at her cousin Paul & Lenore Robertson’s home. One of the big events was the Boxing Day lunch. It was only after about a decade of these lunches had passed that a different side of Anne’s personality came to the fore: she finally plucked up the nerve to ask “Would you mind if we turned on the cricket?” From that day on the television was kept on during lunch so that none of the action of the Boxing Day Test match was missed. The Robertsons even reached the point where the seating plan was set around Anne having a clear view of the screen!

Anne would bring chocolates for everyone to the family Christmas lunch. She would bring enough to last a year – a small example of her beautiful generosity. She was very family conscious, and was particularly fond of Katherine, her only niece.

Katherine Robertson (1973 – 2000)

Katherine Robertson was a highly gifted and hard working student, gaining a 99.9 TER in her Higher School Certificate through Kincoppal-Rose Bay School. She commenced a Science/Law degree at the University of Sydney, but went on to use her extraordinary mathematics ability — a tutor once described her solutions to mathematical problems as “elegant” — to become an actuary with Trowbridge (now Deloitte), Sydney.

She had a wicked sense of humour, was well-liked by her colleagues, and had many close friends from school and university. She enjoyed skiing, running triathlons, overseas travel, and music, often going to the opera with her Aunt Anne.

Anne and Katherine had a close relationship, unusual between a high-spirited youngster and a stereotypically auntish Aunt. They shared a love for the theatre, travel and family. Anne enjoyed taking Katherine to the opera to see works by many of the great composers: Puccini, Rossini, Mozart. Katherine was Anne’s only niece and Anne was proud to observe Katherine’s achievements in her studies, going from success to success.

Life changed suddenly for Katherine, though, when she showed some unusual symptoms of feinting and unexpected bruising. Investigation revealed a diagnosis of Acute Lymphocytic Leukaemia (ALL).

Katherine needed a bone marrow transplant, and the whole family (and others) were tested for compatibility as a donor. Katherine’s Aunt Anne desperately hoped she might be able to help by donating her stem cells for Katherine. Anne was found to be the best available match, and the donation proceeded. Anne found the process of donation daunting, but persisted gamely.

The transplant followed, and Katherine received excellent care at St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney, under the guidance of Dr Alan Concannon, with incredible support from the dedicated Clinical Nurse Specialists in the Haemataology Unit. Katherine spent time in and out hospital after the transplant, always surrounded by her loving family including parents Frank and Judith, and supportive friends. She even managed with their help to attend a few sessions of the Sydney Olympics. Sadly, despite this expert care, Katherine died at home in 2000 at the age of 26.

Anne’s bequest in memory of Katherine Robertson

Anne was devastated when the transplant failed. Unbeknownst to the family, Anne made the selfless decision to name Arrow the Bone Marrow Transplant Foundation as a beneficiary of her will. Anne Robertson died in 2023 and very generously left a bequest, donating the proceeds of her estate to Arrow of $3.5 million in legacy of her niece Katherine.

“Anne always found it difficult to spend money on herself. She would be delighted to have her donation going to the Foundation which was so close to Katherine’s heart” said Katherine’s parents, Frank and Judith.

Lenore Robertson said of the gift, “Anne’s love and sadness at losing Katherine is manifested in her bequest. It’s a fitting full stop to who she was.”

“It’s not surprising,” added Paul Robertson, “that Anne should leave her estate to Arrow. She saw throughout Katherine’s illness the impact a bone marrow transplant has not just on the patient, but on the whole family surrounding them. She was also aware of the team of people it takes to care for a patient like Katherine. It’s not just the haematologist, it’s the researcher, the nurses, all the other people working on the ward, the patient themselves of course, and also the family and friends surrounding that patient. She would say it’s not that Katherine has ALL. She is living with ALL. We are all of us living with it. There is an auxiliary impact on everyone living with the disease. Anne knew that and was in that position herself. That is what is appealing about Arrow – you focus not just on the patient, but on the wider community – everyone that is living and sharing in this chapter of this person’s life.'”

When we asked Paul, the executor of Anne’s estate, how Anne would want the money to be used he replied, “She would want to make sure that it has an impact and is a lasting legacy of Katherine. She would enjoy seeing it help people living with diseases treatable by stem cell transplant, and not just the patient, but everyone around the patient. She saw first-hand the impact of transplant on the whole family, and she saw the dedication of the entire treating team. She would be pleased to know that her gift was enabling Arrow to grow significantly. If it also encourages others to consider leaving a gift in their will, all the better.”

We are grateful to Anne Robertson and the entire Robertson family for their most generous gift to Arrow. This bequest will have a huge impact on future bone marrow and stem cell transplant patients and ensure the legacy of Katherine lives on.

If you would like to include Arrow in your will and leave a lasting legacy, please see our bequests page for further information.