Marie Sadka (better known as Mercy Sadka) was born in Singapore on 22 July 1923, daughter of Sassoon Samuel and Sarah Sadka. Her antecedents were from Mesopotamia. Mercy was educated in Singapore at Raffles Girls School and subsequently at Cheltenham Ladies College in England. She obtained her medical degree at Oxford University. Later she joined her family in Perth where she worked at Royal Perth Hospital as a resident medical officer and registrar. Her post-graduate training in neurology was at Queen Square in London where she worked with Christopher Earl and others, and then at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston with Raymond Adams, Miller Fisher and Robert Schwab. Raymond Adams was to remain a lifelong close friend and mentor. She was admired by her colleagues and appointed to a position as staff neurologist with duties in electroencephalography when she also entered into private practice, which she carried on for about 25 years.

She was highly influential in the early development of the clinical neurosciences in Western Australia. She encouraged neurological trainees and provided comprehensive advice in all aspects of their training. She would note the requirements of Perth neurology and use every influence to fulfill them. She was a remarkable woman, passionate about matters which she considered to be important and fearless in her condemnation of anyone or any plan which might frustrate the achievement of her goals.

Her mentor, the late Professor Eric Saint (qv2), provided her with the so-called “Hemiplegic Unit” at the Shenton Park Annex of Royal Perth Hospital. She had obtained expertise in the field of stroke during her post-graduate training at the Massachusetts General Hospital under the tutelage of Dr Fisher. Dr Sadka developed this department into a model neurological rehabilitation unit and gathered around her a group of dedicated therapists and nurses who worked with her harmoniously over many years. Her leadership was strong and served to provide the unit with a high degree of stability over three decades. She foresaw the need for neurologists to be responsible for the rehabilitation of their own disabled patients rather than to leave it to generalist rehabilitation specialists. It was difficult for her to convince her colleagues about this in the earlier days because the responsibilities in acute neurology and neurophysiology were often overwhelming. In some ways she was ahead of her time, but she saw her ideas come to fruition, even before her retirement, by the strong commitment to neurological rehabilitation within her own hospital as the natural consequence of the establishment of stroke units throughout Australia.

She was greatly influential in the development of clinical neurophysiology in Western Australia, being the first trained electroencephalographer and ensuring the development of this specialty in both adult and paediatric fields. She also ensured the development of electromyography and strongly supported the development of paediatric neurology.

The specialty of neuropathology has been a jewel in the crown of the neurosciences in Western Australia and this was in no small measure due to her earlier influence in promoting neuromuscular research in the Department of Pathology at Royal Perth Hospital and her subsequent strong support for the creation of a personal chair of neuropathology in Western Australia.

As a young neurologist she had a very fine reputation as a teacher. She was very articulate and showed a high degree of clinical acumen such that her post-graduate tutorials were always heavily attended. She published several papers in local and international journals, and a booklet: Stroke disability, whose responsibility? (Canberra, ACROD 1980).

Mercy never held high office on hospital committees. It was her fate to work by lobbying influential people, such as Sir George Bedbrook and Professor Eric Saint, and other leaders in the medical community. She would prefer to keep fighting for what she felt was right rather than compromise for it, was not in her nature to be simply pragmatic.

The earlier development of adult and paediatric neurology, neurophysiology and neuropathology as well as neurological rehabilitation were her greatest passions, but she also had a deep commitment to social issues. She had a strong social conscience and was passionate about matters concerning the environment. She would always have strong opinions regarding Australian and State politics and would be highly incensed over matters she considered to be unfair or unjust. She was not intimidated by anyone to whom she would take issue, and often wrote strong letters of concern to them. Another consuming interest was her love of Australian Rules football and her long-term membership and vice-patronage of the East Perth Football Club. She was always mindful of her Jewish heritage.

It was not easy to get close to Mercy Sadka because even her close associates, and those who admired, respected and loved her, would not be spared her chidings and at times condemnations for actions of which she disapproved. Yet this prickly exterior simply was the armour of a very caring inner person, which was recognised by those closest to her. There was an attraction to her because she would always champion a cause for those whom she supported. She was a very sensible clinician and a good judge of people, possibly because of her understanding of human nature.

She was the first female neurologist in Australia and though highly respected in the Australian scene, where she was influential in the field of neurological rehabilitation, her power base was in Western Australia. She never sought personal fortune or aggrandisement, but was deeply touched by her award of Officer of the Order of Australia in 1988, which made her feel that her efforts on behalf of others, especially in the field of neurological rehabilitation, were appreciated. Even with failing health in recent years she was a regular attendee at Grand Rounds and afterwards, at coffee, she would always display that spirit and intellect which was an inspiration to her colleagues. She died of a chronic respiratory illness at the age of 77 years on 28 January 2001. The uniqueness of her character in Western Australian neurology can never be replaced.