2024 AVA Fellow Award: Dr Diane Ryan

When Dr Diane Ryan was told she was receiving a Fellow Award at the 2024 AVA Awards, she couldn’t quite believe it.

“It was definitely a surprise,” she reflected.

“As far as I am concerned, I was just doing what I normally do. Just going about my business.”

It doesn’t take long to realise, what Dr Ryan considers an ordinary career, is actually considered quite extraordinary to those around her.

The Fellow Award recognises members who have contributed in many capacities to the Australian Veterinary Association (AVA), including the Board, Group Committees and working groups or represented the AVA in external working groups.

Dr Ryan has been associated with the AVA for 37 years and across her 34-year working career, has had 33 jobs. Her unwavering determination to better the veterinary profession has seen her take on multiple responsibilities at once, using her expertise with government to provide strong advocacy for veterinarians.

“If there was something new going on, I would put my hand up for it.”

Currently an Executive Committee member with Australian Veterinarians in Public Health (AVPH), Diane was a founding member of the Sheep, Camelid and Goat Veterinarians (SCGV) Group, has previously been on Australian Cattle Veterinarians (ACV) Group as their animal welfare officer, and has been a longstanding member of the Highlands Branch in NSW.

She served on the Executive Committee of the NSW Division from 2017 and took on the President role in 2019, before ill health forced her to step aside in 2023.

“I became President during the COVID-19 pandemic. We had bushfires, we had floods, we had almost every disaster while I was President,” she said.

“I joined the COVID Concierge Group. If there was a public health order that came out from the Department of Health that would have impacted the way that vets could move across a local government area, or across any area within New South Wales, we could discuss it, negotiate it, and then change it.”

She was the first woman on the Harness Racing NSW Board and the Australian Harness Racing Council and has since been inducted into the NSW Harness Racing Hall of Fame.

“These were my afternoon jobs,” she laughed.

“I was still doing my day job with the Department of Primary Industries at the same time.”

Dr Ryan joined the NSW Department of Primary Industries/NSW Agriculture in 1984 as a Veterinary Research Officer in the Mastitis Section at Glenfield Research Station, progressing to Dairy Livestock Officer (1992-2002) and Senior Veterinary Officer (2002-2016), and took on many diverse roles including work in dairy, biochemistry and clinical pathology, animal welfare and nutrition.

“I was one of the founding members of the national mastitis control program, ‘Countdown Downunder’, and the milk quality program. I was the state coordinator for goat and alpaca health, Executive Officer on the Animal Welfare Advisory Council and gave training in personal biosecurity to veterinarians.

When looking back on her impressive career, Dr Ryan brushes off the accolades in her typically modest style. However, she did admit that she never would have achieved what she did, without being involved in the AVA.

“I changed legislation and racing and breeding practices in the Harness Racing Industry, both in this State and Australasia (and New Zealand) but I am not a horse vet.  I relied on my colleagues in the EVA for their technical and practical experience. I was ringmaster for developing Biosecurity practices for protection against Hendra, with the assistance of some clever veterinary interns working with equine practitioners and medical hospital technicians.

“The Medical Gas issue, which threatened the viability of most NSW veterinary hospitals, was tackled by gathering technical expertise from the SIGs and the Division and 'mouthpieces' who could explain the ramifications of the legislative change with real life examples.  I just annoyed the Chief of Staff of various politicians to keep the momentum going towards a positive solution for vets. My knowledge about the use of medical gases and collection of waste anaesthesia gases was developed by listening to discussion during the planning of our defence. Without the AVA, where could you get so many experts in one place?”

If you know someone who has contributed to the veterinary profession in a way that deserves to be recognised, consider nominating them for an AVA Award. Nominations for the 2025 Awards are opening soon.