Bre thanks Dr Rawson for 40 years of service
Eye surgeon Dr Richard Rawson has devoted 40 years of his life to the people of the Outback, and says if he had his time over again, he wouldn’t change a thing.
As he celebrated his 40 years of service on Friday, Dr Rawson recalled a lifetime of Outback experiences, including sleeping by the side of a railway track, being flown in some rickety aircraft, and being trained by the fearsome eye doctor, Fred Hollows.
“I’ve been attending to the people of Brewarrina since 1982 when I came out with Dr Neville Banks,” Dr Rawson said.
“I’d been to Bourke as a trainee eye doctor with Fred Hollows and Bre needed someone, and I’ve been coming here from Sydney four times a year ever since.
“The people of Bre are great and I have enjoyed it every time. It’s great to catch up with familiar faces - and it’s sad to lose some, but they’re a great mob and a great community.
“I am a member of the Outback Eye Service team, through the Prince of Wales Hospital, but I am a private practitioner, so I tag along.
“It used to be on my own initiative, and I was flown out by a separate service through the Western Area Health Service.
Read more local news in the printed edition of The Western Herald.
To subscribe call (02) 6872 2333 today and receive The Western Herald in your letterbox next week!