Dr. William Walker OAM trained in medicine in Sydney, later travelling to the UK to gain his FRACS. He worked in Newcastle, New South Wales as a Plastic Surgeon, specialising in cleft palate surgery and breast surgery. After retirement, Dr. Walker undertook charity surgery in the third world under the auspices of Rotary and other organisations. His wife, a trained nurse, accompanied him along with his assistant, Nurse Lyn Thorpe, OAM.

Dr. Walker's interests included swimming, hockey, golf, windsurfing, flying, amateur theatricals and others. Throughout his long medical career, Bill Walker, maintained his fitness by ocean swimming, playing hockey, and golf. After joining a swimming club in his eighties, he took up competitive swimming in local and overseas Masters competitions, representing Australia and winning many gold medals.