CATHERINE Van Den Hurk, a longtime Midland GP known to her many patients as Dr Catherine Yap, was a dedicated and respected doctor for more than 50 years.
Born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 1944 and the eldest of four children, Dr Catherine pursued her ambitions overseas at the end of her secondary schooling, emigrating to Australia in 1963 to complete high school at MacRobertson Girls’ High School in Melbourne.
She studied medicine at Monash University and worked as a doctor up and down the east coast of Australia through to 1972, when she took a job in Perth.
It was here she met her husband, Bert Van Den Hurk, whom she married the same year.
Later in 1972 her daughter Johanna was born, and Dr Catherine returned to work as a locum, or temporary doctor, for various Perth medical practices three months later.
She continued this work for the next decade, tending patients with any malady they presented to her.
In 1982 Dr Catherine did a few months of locum work at St Andrew’s Medical in Midland, where she later became a junior doctor and started working full time.
Three years later she was offered a partnership position at St Andrews and continued working at the practice until her retirement.
St Andrew’s was open 24 hours, seven days a week, and the surgery’s practice manager Kylie Allen said Dr Catherine would often stay the night in the surgery if she was rostered on for long hours.
During this time, she was also on call for Swan District Hospital and multiple nursing homes in the area.
As years went by Dr Catherine reduced her workload to part time and retired in June of 2022.
Dr Catherine would go on to work 40 years as a practicing doctor at St Andrews, building a loyal list of patients who would recommend her to everyone.
Ms Allen said some families from the clinic had three generations who had all been treated by Dr Catherine.
“She was a big part of Midland, being a practicing GP for so many years. She was well-respected and so dedicated to her patients,” Ms Allen said.
“She was a well-loved, well-respected person in the community. She’ll be greatly missed.”
