A new campaign is feeding our frontline health heroes, offering a way for the community to bolster our local health response to COVID-19.

Mater Foundation is driving a call to arms for the community to show their support for frontline health workers who are working tirelessly during the nation’s Omicron surge.

Back up the Frontline is a campaign aimed at easing the load for healthcare heroes by providing ready-made, healthy meals to more than 6000 frontline workers across Queensland.

Mater Foundation Executive Director Andrew Thomas said every $50 donation to Back up the Frontline would be doubled to provide a $100 Youfoodz voucher.

“Right now, frontline health workers are physically and emotionally exhausted; they need all the love, energy and support we can muster,” he said.

“The current Omicron surge is seeing a significant increase in hospitalisations and frontline health workers are caring for the community in difficult and demanding conditions.

“Providing a healthy, cooked meal at the end of a gruelling, extended shift in full PPE may not make their work any easier at the moment, but it will lighten the load for them when they finally make it home.”

Mater Public Hospital Emergency Department nurse Lisa Lawrence said it’s a daunting time to be a frontline health worker.

“It’s a rollercoaster,” she said.

“They’re long days and very busy.

“You get very run down. You see a lot of things. It’s not an easy job.

“The big thing with nurses is we help other people, but we forget to help ourselves. We get burnt out – and that’s even without a pandemic.

“Having ready-made meals will make life just that little bit easier for frontline workers like me and those with families at home – little kids, teenagers and husbands.

“It’s a little peace of mind after a long day. It takes a little bit of the home pressure off.”

Clinical nurse Chantel loves her job but said the pandemic has tested everyone in Emergency.

“We’re not drinking enough water and when you get home your lips are dry and you feel exhausted from wearing the PPE all day," Chantel said.

“But my colleagues make it easier, particularly on the hard days.”

Donate to Back up the Frontline at www.backupthefrontline.com.au.

Clinical nurse Chantel said the pandemic has tested everyone working in Emergency. Images supplied: Mater Hospital

Support a frontline health hero by donating to the Mater Foundation’s Back up the Frontline food campaign

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Mrs Maggie Tracey takes up duties as Proserpine’s first official Postmistress

From 1896 until 1904, shopkeeper, Jonathan Jupp, operated an unofficial post office with telegraph facilities from his general store in Main Street. The area was then known as Lower Proserpine. The “Port Denison Times” (March 1904) stated that “a site for a Post and Telegraph Office in Proserpine had been purchased and tenders were open for the erection of this building.”

Enter Mrs Maggie Tracey (nee Hall-Scott) of Bowen.

Maggie had assisted her husband, George Tracey, in his position as Postmaster at Croydon and then later at Springsure. It was there that George contracted pneumonia and died in 1901. Having been left with three small children, the youngest born just six weeks after his father’s death, Maggie chose to return to her relatives in Bowen.

Because of her proficiency as a telegraphist in sending morse-code messages, she was offered the new position of Postmistress at Proserpine. The offer also included a residence allowing Maggie to support her family independently. The post office entry was on the side at the back of the building and the residence at the front. It was reported in the “Port Denison Times” (August 2, 1904) that “The new Proserpine Post and Telegraph Office is finished and Mrs Tracey will leave Bowen to take charge on Wednesday inst.”  

When the official post office opened, the “Lower” was dropped from Proserpine’s name. The office was the agency for the Queensland Government Savings Bank and also opened every Saturday night especially so that the sugar mill workers could bank and withdraw their pay. This was the only banking facility in town until 1907 when the Bank of New South Wales opened.  

The mail coach arrived in Proserpine on Tuesday and Saturday evenings from Bowen and returned on Thursday and Monday Mornings. (“Proserpine History by Post” - “Proserpine Guardian” December 27 1968) It was not until 1941 that a letter delivery service was first sought. By this stage, the post office had reached official Grade 3 status. “It was proposed to deliver mail by a telegraph messenger at first pending appointment of a postman. … It was a morning delivery which was considered adequate for quite some time as the mail trains arrived in time for all mail to be delivered in the morning run.” (“Guardian” Dec 27, 1968.)

In 1909, Maggie left her position with the post office after marrying Frank Gataker, a sugar cane inspector, the previous year. She was presented with a silver salver in recognition of her services. Upon her departure, Mr J Cameron took over the position as Postmaster.

Maggie and her family moved to Kingaroy. Later, she returned to Bowen and tried a number of farming ventures during the 30s and 40s. During this time, she acted as a judge at the Proserpine Show.  Maggie died in Bowen in 1958.

Story and photo courtesy Proserpine Historical Museum.

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For over six months New Life Church has been running regular Sunday services from the school hall at Whitsunday Christian College, connecting with the community and inspiring many people to join its vibrant church.

“We’ve been facing COVID together with everybody,” said Pastor Andrew Clout.

“We’ve made God accessible, and our message is quite real – as we emerge from the pandemic, we want to be part of the solution for people.”

A contemporary style of service, the church offers a modern and meaningful way to worship which attracts a congregation of all ages, who enjoy the live band playing moving songs and the informative preaching from Pastor Clout.

This year, New Life Church is looking forward to hosting some family fun days with jumping castles, food offerings and visiting speakers.

Linked with the New Life Church in Mackay, they are able to get access to high-profile speakers who attend both Mackay and the Whitsundays.

In the coming months they are looking forward to welcoming inspirational speaker, Shane Willard, who is a well-known American Bible teacher.

New Life is also planning a series of multi-cultural food nights showcasing some cuisine from around the world, including from their Filipino and South African church community.

In addition, the second annual Camp Unshakeable is due to take place mid-year.

Last year, the event attracted over 130 youngsters who all enjoyed connecting with mentors and learning about positive believes and relationships.

This year, it is hoped the event will get even bigger.

If you would like to be part of this forward-thinking and dynamic church, then simply like their Facebook page - NewLife Whitsundays - to keep up to date with the events.

If you wish to attend a weekly service, head down to the Whitsunday Christian College at 5pm each Sunday.

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The Whitsundays is on-track to become a thriving hub of marine farming thanks to two new Aquaculture campuses that have are due to be complete by the end of the year.

The $3.4 million Bowen Aquaculture Centre of Excellence will be located at the Bowen Campus and the $2 million Whitsunday Aquaculture Centre will be located in Cannonvale.

The architectural design plans are finalised in readiness for tender release and construction will commence next month.

Upon completion the campuses will boast a Smart Centre with data analysation and computerised training technologies, a Mixed Reality Virtual Room with training in advanced technology for the emerging industry needs and a Science Laboratory for data, sampling and analysis where the students can interact directly with the data gathered.

There will also be a general workshop and garage space with large work benches and an Aquaculture Shed with tanks will be housed to demonstrate the process of fish farming.

The Bowen campus will have some additional features including a Farmbot with a focus on robotics, nutrition, soil science, biology and coding.

There will also be a Growpod monitoring a stable growing environment to produce a wide

range of horticultural and agricultural products in all climates.

Our region is known nationally as the food bowl of the state and these two campuses are set to train future leaders in a new and emerging industry that will see aquaculture practices take centre stage.

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The Whitsunday Suicide Prevention Network (WSPN) has been recognised on a national scale thanks to the dedicated work of its President and Chair, Ron Petterson, who has been nominated for an Impact Award.

For the past six years Mr Petterson has been a passionate advocate for changing the stigma surrounding suicide through his tireless work with non-for-profit foundation WSPN.

Organising numerous community events to raise money for different suicide awareness initiatives, Ron Petterson, alongside treasurer Paul Burke and other volunteers, have brought suicide into the conversation within our region.

From the hugely successful Queen Tribute Night at the Airlie Beach Hotel to fashion shows, men’s groups and family sporting events, Ron and the team ensure they are regularly front of mind and an active part of our lives.

“When we first started sponsoring events, we were told we couldn’t put our logo up because it had the word ‘suicide’ in it,” said Mr Petterson.

“Now we’ve come such a long way and you can even see our logo on the back of a bus!

“Making suicide a comfortable topic for people to talk about is what makes people feel comfortable to talk about it when they really need help.”

WSPN use all the money raised to actively help members of the community that are impacted by suicide or mental health issues.

There is a weekly breathing class held in Cannonvale which helps people relax and nurture their bodies and minds.

There is also funding for post-vention counselling, support for families impacted and suicide intervention training programs.

In 2018, the Whitsundays became the first place outside of a large city to host the annual Wesley Life Force National Conference thanks to the networking skills of WSPN.

“It really does take a team and family support,” said Ron when asked about his nomination.

“You can’t do these things without the people behind you, and I would like to thank my wife, Kellie and the kids, as well as everyone who has been part of WSPN over the years – it’s a community effort.”

Ron Petterson giving a speech at a fundraising event

Treasurer of WSPN Paul Burke, Ron Petterson and Member for Whitsunday Amanda Camm MP

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Residents will be pleased to see work start on a deep-clean of Airlie Beach main street next week, polishing the pavements to bring a shine back to the faded streetscape.

A $20 million main street upgrade transformed Airlie Beach into the modern family-friendly village back in 2013 and understandably over the years general wear and tear has created a need for a refresh.

Councillor Jan Clifford said that the grey tiles that line the street are very porous, soaking up everything from kebab stains to ingrained dirt and she is looking forward to seeing a sturdier sealant placed on them.

“Council is trying to fix a historical problem,” she said.

“We have engaged a contractor to deep clean and the re-seal the street and I am really looking forward to it.”

Most mornings at about 5am the street scrubber attends to the street and removes litter and surface grime with ease. This hasn’t, however, prevented more ingrained dirt from causing stains which have been impossible to remove until now.

“Once the deep clean and re-sealing has taken place, this will make it a lot easier for our street scrubber,” said Cr Clifford.

“Work was postponed until after Australia Day and the school holidays so not to disrupt unnecessarily, but now we are ready to go!”

Caption: Airlie Beach main street

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“Mental health is the single biggest health issue facing young Australians and the Whitsundays region is no different,” North Queensland Primary Health Network (NQPHN) CEO Robin Whyte said on the opening of Proserpine’s new mental health service on Monday.

Located on Proserpine’s Main Street, the headspace Whitsundays building is a new ‘satellite centre’ operating under the headspace Mackay banner and commissioned by NQPHN, removing the need for Whitsunday residents to have to travel down to the Sugar City or up to Townsville for mental health services.

Headspace is the national Youth Mental Health Foundation which provides early intervention mental health services for 12- to 25-year-olds, each year helping thousands of young people access services like counselling in 140 communities across Australia.

The centre will provide free, confidential health services with a key focus on mental health, alcohol and other drugs, education and employment support and physical and sexual health.

Member for Dawson George Christensen MP, Whitsunday Regional Council Mayor Andrew Willcox, and Regional Health Minister the Honourable Dr. David Gillespie MP visited the centre on its opening day.

Mayor Andrew Willcox reflected on years past in Proserpine when there were an unfortunate number of suicides within a short period of time.

“I contacted the federal member and said, what can we do about this, and to be standing here today is a really good result,” Mayor Willcox said.

“I encourage anybody, if they’re struggling or someone they know is struggling, come down and have a yarn to the clinicians, because a problem shared is a problem halved.”

Dr Gillespie travelled from NSW to see the opening and said that ensuring young Australians can access the mental health care they need is a priority, especially in the wake of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

Young Australians needing support can access free services through their local headspace or online through eheadspace headspace.org.au/eheadspace.

The Proserpine headspace will operate on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, with walk-ins encouraged.

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It takes great bravery to stand up to a big corporation when you know something is wrong, especially one you work for, but that’s exactly what Peter Russel did back in 1961.

Holding a senior position with James Hardie, one the world’s largest building companies, Mr Russell began suspecting that asbestos was killing people and, worse than that, the company he worked for was covering it up.

“It was very well hidden,” recounts Mr Russell.

“And it would have been easy not to step forward, but I thought – this is murder, and I am not prepared to be an accomplice.”

Saying goodbye to a company where he had worked for 22 years, Mr Russell became one of the original whistle blowers, an expert witness at more than 50 asbestos cases.

His actions allowed the families of those effected by asbestos related health issues to receive the compensation they deserved and also helped change the laws to prevent future deaths.

Mr Russell also featured in a book entitled Killer Company which exposed the damage caused by James Hardie.

“Some people were aware I could have been a target, advising me to be careful in case I had an accident,” said Mr Russell.

“But I wasn’t worried because I had a prominent position in the company, and I was cheeky!”

Now 92-years-old, Mr Russell remains sharp and quick-witted, sharing his story as if it were yesterday.

He remembers leaving Sydney after resigning from his job at James Hardies, sacrificing his entire career to help speak-up against the injustice that was taking place.

It was 1970 and Mr Russell and his wife, Velma, had four children aged between six and 14 years.

The family owned their house out-right and had no debt and Mr Russell commends them for all being ‘flexible’ when he asked them to travel up the highway in their caravan to Cook Town where he had heard of a potential business opportunity on a cashew plantation.

The family decided to leave the plantation after six months and travelled down to Bowen, making a life here in the Whitsundays.

“I’ve always flown by the seat of my pants!” he said.

“And I’ve had a very interesting life.”

An entrepreneur at heart, when they arrived in Bowen, he bought two houses and a toy shop which he operated and then sold.

Deciding to venture south, Mr Russell purchased a 160-acre property in Airlie Beach, site un-seen, where he was hoping to place a fence and farm cattle.

When he arrived at the property, however, he realised it wasn’t the flat land he had been expecting, in fact it was hilly terrain.

Never to be beaten, Mr Russell simply subdivided the land into 18 five acre lots which he then sold.

One day soon afterwards, he picked up a Canadian hitch hiker who was about to sail around the Whitsundays on a charter boat and after a conversation in the car, Mr Russell was convinced to join his companion on the sailing adventure.

On the jetty when he was farewelling his wife, Mr Russell mentioned that they were looking for a house and the skipper of the charter boat informed him he had one for sale.

By the time the boat returned, Mr Russell had bought the house.

Unfortunately, at the same time the real estate had already found a buyer who had cash ready, so Mr Russell lost the house - but in a twist of fate, the skipper managed to convince him to buy the charter boat instead!

Now the proud owner of a trimaran called Trinity, one of only three charter boats operating from Airlie Beach at the time, Mr Russell became a skipper, taking 22 people around the Whitsundays.

He operated the boat business for seven years.

Now retired and living in Bowen with his wife, Velma, who is turning 90 this week, Mr Russell is content to have lived a wonderful life and says he has a ‘lucky family’.

When asked about his OAM he said this:

“It wasn’t something I was striving for, and it was very out of the blue!”

“It does give me great satisfaction to some extent - the decision I made was pretty difficult – I had to give away an interesting career, but I knew that I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I hadn’t brought it to a head.”

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Loved and respected by all that meet her, Dr Deborah Simmons has been a Rural Generalist at Proserpine Hospital for the past seven years and received a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) on Australia Day for her service to rural communities.

This is a huge achievement for any individual and even more so for Dr Simmons who, by the age of just 15, had lost both her parents and was taken in by another family.

At this early age, she had to leave school to pursue full-time employment, working as a barmaid and checkout chick.

She became manager of a coffee shop soon after and it was then that she began to wonder whether this was as far as life would take her.

At 20, Dr Simmons decided to go back to school to become a nurse and studied the equivalent of year 11 and 12.

She quickly realised that her academic results not only qualified her for nursing but would enable her to study a degree in medicine.

Completing her doctorate, she took a fellowship and became an anaesthetist for liver transplants and dedicated her life to the fast-paced world of large-scale hospital life.  

Then, 10 years ago, when her husband thought she could be burning out, the couple decided to move to the Whitsundays and shortly afterwards Dr Simmons took on some work as a locum at the Proserpine Hospital.

Falling in love with the rural environment where everyone works together across multiple platforms, she asked if there was a position as an anaesthetist but unfortunately there were none.

This, however, prompted Dr Simmons to follow a new career path as a Rural Generalist, a field where she now thrives.

“It’s the best step I’ve ever made,” she said.

“I never felt quite fulfilled [as an anaesthetist] and now that I am a rural generalist I feel incredibly fulfilled – I can help everyone who comes in.”

Dr Simmons has since excelled in the field, writing a course for the Australian College for Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) which is now used around the nation, as well as being awarded an ACRRM Distinguished Service Award in 2020.

On a local level, she has been a pivotal presence in many trauma events at the Proserpine Hospital, taking on triage responsibilities as the team leader in the bus crash on Shute Harbour Road in 2016, which claimed one life and saw nine people admitted into the hospital.

When speaking of her OAM, Dr Simmons remarked that she was humbled and said that she did not feel any more deserving than any other rural generalist.

Caption: Dr Deborah Simmons

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The $7.5 million reservoirs that will provide our region with increased water security and provision for the future growth of the area are due to become operational from April.

The concrete on the two Cannon Valley reservoirs was poured in December and it is expected the first will become active in April with the second due to follow at the end of May.

Capital Works Project Manager for Whitsunday Regional Council, Malcom Broidy, said that this will mean we are not so vulnerable during disaster season.

“If we had a major cyclone and lost that one reservoir it would become extremely difficult to maintain water supply to the community,” he said.

“The immediate impact of the additional reservoirs is that we have more security for our region.”

The current reservoir in Cannon Valley was damaged in the 2017 Cyclone Debbie and once the others are operational it will allow maintenance crew to repair the structure.

Over the next few weeks, the wall panels to the two new reservoirs will be set into place.

Using a post-transition system, 4x12 metre panels will be cast, concrete will be poured into the curved slabs which will then be stitched together to form the wall.

After this, the roof will be put into place.

The project is jointly funded by the government and Whitsunday Regional Council and delivered by LEED Engineering and Construction pty ltd.

An aerial photo of the Cannon Valley Reservoir

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Every member of the Collinsville, Bowen and Proserpine hospital team received an Australia Day Mayoral Award to acknowledge their dedicated service throughout the unprecedented challenges of the COVID pandemic.

Mayor Andrew Willcox took the time to recognise healthcare workers for ensuring the community had access to excellent health care while working in difficult circumstances, commending staff for their dedication that has ensured services continued in extreme circumstances.

Nurse Unit Manager Lisa Milne and Medical Superintendent Dr Shaun Grimes accepted the award on behalf of the hospital staff, congratulating everyone for their efforts.

“What an amazing family of superheroes you all are. Day after day you show up smiling and committed to serve our community,” Dr Grimes said.

“Thank you to you all, for the roles each of you has played in getting us through these last two years and will continue to play in the coming years.”

He also acknowledged how deeply he appreciated receiving a thank you from the Mayor, and passed the sentiment onto the rest of the team.

“A thank you given freely and with sincerity means so much – it’s free to give but its value should never be underestimated - share your thanks and your masked smile,” he said.

“Every day we are thankful to each and every one of you for your commitment to service and for your commitment to each other as one health service family.

“One day soon we will again be able to share a barbecue lunch and celebrate with each other!”

“What an amazing family of superheroes you all are. Day after day you show up smiling and committed to serve our community,” – Shaun Grimes

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Boasting record numbers of flights over the school holiday period and now shipping live seafood directly to the Sydney Markets, our regional airport is punching well above its weight and quickly becoming known as one of the busiest regional airports in Australia.

During the month of December 37,000 people passed through Whitsunday Coast Airport and, at its busiest, 10 flights a day were landing on the tarmac, an impressive 70 flights a week.

Chief Operating Officer Aviation and Tourism, Craig Turner, said that the load capacity of each flight has been around 75 per cent and that he expects this high demand to continue over the coming months.

“In February there are normally 20 flights arriving per week, but we are expecting 50 flights per week throughout the month,” he said.

“March and the lead into Easter indicates that the next six months will also be really strong which will be great for our region.”

In addition to the domestic travellers arriving at the airport, Mr Turner said that following a newspaper article published last year, he had several producers call him directly and ask about the live exports.

“The article written in Whitsunday Life Newspaper last year generated huge interest and I had several calls from interested producers wanting to understand more about it,” he said.

“We are hoping to send more produce from the Whitsundays soon – this means mud crabs caught here in the Whitsundays at 10am can be on a flight by 1pm and out to the Sydney Markets by 5pm –they are fresher for the customer and our producers can command a better price.”

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The Whitsundays could soon see the implementation of many conservation projects that will improve water quality and overall reef health thanks to $1 billion worth of funding for Great Barrier Reef which was announced by the federal government last week.

The funding is part of the Reef 2050 Plan and will be rolled out steadily over a nine-year period.

The announcement is extremely timely as the government are submitting a report to UNESCO this week, detailing how they will protect the Great Barrier Reef and avoid it being placed on the ‘In Danger’ list.

At the end of last year, UNESCO gave the government one last chance to avoid this categorisation and it is expected they will be sending out scientists to sit down with marine parks people in the next few months to make their decision.

Many people have called the government funding a ‘golden band-aid’ that does not address the real problem of global warming and, Tony Fontes, reef spokesperson for the Whitsunday Conservation Council agrees.

“No-one is going to say this is a bad thing – it is a very good thing!” he said.

“We have significant water quality issues here in the Whitsundays and crown of thorns is an issue, so it certainly ticks many of the boxes – but all the money in the world would not mitigate the impacts of global warming on the reef.”

Mr Fontes went on to explain that global warming is currently at 1.2 degrees and if it gets to 1.5 degrees it would be at the higher end of what the reef can tolerate.

“We have the next 10 years to do something about this and we are wasting it,” he said.

On a positive note, he recognises that the funding will definitely see the implementation of vital projects to help Natural Resource Management (NRM) groups like Reef Catchments and Land Care initiate projects that will improve the health of the reef.

“Funding will support scientists, farmers and traditional owners, backing in very latest marine science while building resilience and reducing threats from pollution in our oceans and predators such as the Crown of Thorns starfish,” said Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

“We are backing the health of the reef and the economic future of tourism operators, hospitality providers and Queensland communities that are at the heart of the reef economy.”

Diver attaching live coral fragments to Reef - just one of many projects that may get further funding. Photo by Tony Fontes

Coral bleaching

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Southerners on a sea change are moving to the Whitsundays in droves, buying up houses and, as a result, rentals are either scarce or the prices are skyrocketing, leaving many Airlie Beach locals struggling to find suitable accommodation.

Three of Emma De-Lisle’s six years in Airlie Beach were spent in the same rental apartment in Cannonvale until six months ago when the property sold.

She looked for housing for almost five months, finding either that the choices were well out of her budget, or that the homes were “almost derelict.”

The housing situation in the Whitsundays had Emma looking at the prospect of sleeping in her car with her two daughters aged 18 months and four years.

Emma received the notice to leave on the December 23 and was given eight weeks to vacate.

“I had applied for, I don’t know how many properties and most of them were run down and they still wanted $420 a week,” Emma said.

“Even then, I wasn’t getting any responses from agents or anyone.”

Emma said she thinks that out of towners were coming and offering well over and above, or paying six months in advance, which she said she’s not in the position to do.

“I was just being priced right out,” she said.

In desperation, she took to Facebook in a last-ditch effort to find a place for her and her two daughters and the community soon took charge.

“I posted and Ben and Shannon reached out and said they might be able to help me out,” Emma said.

The couple offered Emma and her daughters suitable accommodation and she is due to move in this month.

“I can’t thank the community enough – that’s just what the community up here is all about – I had so many people come out and offer me things after that post.”

Airlie Beach has lost a significant number of its rental properties to purchases, creating a tight rental market.

Natalie Stuchbree, Senior Property Manager of Taylors Property Specialists said that many people in the area have been struggling to find rentals and that with the price of properties going up over the last two years, especially over the last 12 months, it has been a challenging time for many residents.

“Usually, what we would see is the number of rental properties increase, but they’re maintaining somewhat of a status quo,” she said.

Loved and respected by all that meet her, Dr Deborah Simmons has been a Rural Generalist at Proserpine Hospital for the past seven years and received a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) on Australia Day for her service to rural communities.

This is a huge achievement for any individual and even more so for Dr Simmons who, by the age of just 15, had lost both her parents and was taken in by another family.

At this early age, she had to leave school to pursue full-time employment, working as a barmaid and checkout chick.

She became manager of a coffee shop soon after and it was then that she began to wonder whether this was as far as life would take her.

At 20, Dr Simmons decided to go back to school to become a nurse and studied the equivalent of year 11 and 12.

She quickly realised that her academic results not only qualified her for nursing but would enable her to study a degree in medicine.

Completing her doctorate, she took a fellowship and became an anaesthetist for liver transplants and dedicated her life to the fast-paced world of large-scale hospital life.  

Then, 10 years ago, when her husband thought she could be burning out, the couple decided to move to the Whitsundays and shortly afterwards Dr Simmons took on some work as a locum at the Proserpine Hospital.

Falling in love with the rural environment where everyone works together across multiple platforms, she asked if there was a position as an anaesthetist but unfortunately there were none.

This, however, prompted Dr Simmons to follow a new career path as a Rural Generalist, a field where she now thrives.

“It’s the best step I’ve ever made,” she said.

“I never felt quite fulfilled [as an anaesthetist] and now that I am a rural generalist I feel incredibly fulfilled – I can help everyone who comes in.”

Dr Simmons has since excelled in the field, writing a course for the Australian College for Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) which is now used around the nation, as well as being awarded an ACRRM Distinguished Service Award in 2020.

On a local level, she has been a pivotal presence in many trauma events at the Proserpine Hospital, taking on triage responsibilities as the team leader in the bus crash on Shute Harbour Road in 2016, which claimed one life and saw nine people admitted into the hospital.

When speaking of her OAM, Dr Simmons remarked that she was humbled and said that she did not feel any more deserving than any other rural generalist.

Dr Deborah Simmons

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