For 30 years, Dr Adrian Allen has looked after the region’s sick. This year, he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for his service to medicine and the community of Walcha.
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“I accept it gratefully, and am very thankful for the life I’ve had, and continue to have in Walcha,” Dr Allen said. “It’s been challenging, but very rewarding.”
"That's a proud moment for Walcha, and a proud moment for him," mayor Eric Noakes said. "He's worked hard for Walcha over the years. Small-town rural doctors are very committed people, and he's done a great job."
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Dr Allen and his wife Ayllie moved to town in 1988. He has been both GP and (until 2017) visiting medical officer for the region.
Country medicine, he said, allows GPs to practice independently, and offers a wider range of cases than a city.
Dr Allen established one of the first accredited practices in the New England / Tamworth area, in 1999.
He helped to create the Walcha Multipurpose Service (WPS), replacing the old hospital in 2007.
The WPS – created with input from staff, clinicians, and the Walcha Health Committee – took a lot of drive and planning to set up, but Dr Allen said the town can be proud of an excellent facility for out- and in-patients.
He has been involved with the Apsley Riverview Hostel – providing residential care – since its inception in 1992, another “marvellous asset for the town”.
Walcha, Dr Allen said, is a very embracing community. He and his wife have made great friends, who provide an outlet from the constancy of medicine. “Otherwise, we wouldn’t still be here after all this time!”
His wife Ayllie has been a wonderful support, both as the “engine room” of the practice, keeping it going, and at home in private life.
“Without her, I wouldn’t have been able to do the sort of job I’ve been doing here!”