Our History

The Centre started as the Social and Preventive Cardiology Research Centre of the National Heart Foundation in 1989 and became an independent public benevolent charitable institution in 1993, under the foundation Chairman, Dr Alan Goble and the foundation Director, Dr Marian Worcester.

Dr Alan Goble MD, FRCP, FRACP, FCSANZ (1925-2012)

Dr Goble was a practising cardiologist for over 40 years and is widely considered to be the pioneer of cardiac rehabilitation in Australia. He studied medicine at The University of Melbourne and cardiology in Melbourne, London and New York, and as a teacher of medical and other health professionals, he was held in high regard.

After 15 years as the first appointed cardiologist at The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Dr Goble left to set up a new department at the Austin Hospital where he became Director of Cardiac Services. He held a number of senior roles in the cardiology field: President of the Cardiac Society Australia and New Zealand, a Member of the Scientific Board of the International Society of Cardiology and Chairman of its Council on Rehabilitation and Secondary Prevention, and a Member of the Expert Advisory Panel on Cardiovascular Diseases of the World Health Organisation. For many years, he was a Director of the National and Victorian Boards of the National Heart Foundation and Chair of various committees. Dr Goble was the first person to be awarded the Distinguished Service Award by the Australian Cardiovascular Health and Rehabilitation Association. He was Cardiology Consultant at the Heart Research Centre and an adviser to the Board of Directors.

Dr Marian Worcester PhD, FCSANZ

Dr Marian Worcester PhD, MA, BA, FCSANZ has been an active researcher in the field of cardiovascular disease since 1977 and became Foundation Director of the Heart Research Centre in 1989. During the 1980s, she managed the Austin Hospital Cardiac Rehabilitation Trial, which demonstrated that cardiac rehabilitation programs based upon moderate intensity exercise were as effective as the more expensive high intensity exercise programs. She was active in developing cardiac rehabilitation in Australia and several Asian countries and conducted training programs for cardiac rehabilitation professionals in Pakistan, Iran, Thailand, Hong Kong, Malaysia and the Philippines. In 1988 she initiated the formation of the Australian Cardiovascular Health and Rehabilitation Association (ACRA) and received ACRA’s Distinguished Service Award in 2000. With Dr Goble, she co-authored the WHO-endorsed Best Practice Guidelines for Cardiac Rehabilitation and Secondary Prevention, published in 1999.