Helen Purdam -
Veterinarian & co-Director of Hall Veterinary Surgery
Veterinarian & co-Director of Hall Veterinary Surgery
I remember wanting to be a vet at about age 5, shortly after dropping the idea of owning a lollie shop. My love of being with animals grew by spending weekends on a friend's horse and cattle stud for the next 15 years.I graduated from University of Queensland in 1980 and worked my first year in a mixed practice in the Lockyer Valley (Queensland). As the first female vet to work there and looking sixteen at the time, I remember a lot of disbelieving farmers' faces.
In 1982 I moved to Hall on an invitation to locum in Jan Spate's practice in her absence for three years. When Jan returned with her toddler, we agreed that I could continue practice up the road.
In 1987 we bought our present location. At this stage the first of our two sons, Glen, joined us, with Joseph arriving three years later. By this stage, my dear and supportive husband became house daddy and took over the role of book-keeper and maintenance man for the surgery, which still keeps him busy.
Many clients will remember those humble beginnings, working out of the back of the house. Several incarnations of purpose-built surgery later, we now enjoy working from a beautiful building.
Over the years, I've participated in distance education in medicine and surgery, and also qualified in veterinary acupuncture.I'm most blessed to share the practice with three other vets and six nurses who are a wonderfully competent and fun team. As the practice has grown, management has taken more of my time, and these people really make it an enjoyable task.
We have had a continual procession of stray cats through our home. Our grand old Batman lived to 21 before passing on. Mittens (pictured), is a flighty creature who must have eaten several coiled springs. Still kitten-like in her mature years, the princess is quite miffed at the appearance of another princess, Bindi the Whippet, who outclasses Mittens in the coiled-springs stakes!
I love bushwalking, and have dragged my husband Andrew and my occasionally reluctant children over Tasmania, South Island New Zealand and Nepal. (You can visit Andrew's personal website for more about our trips).I find veterinary practice is immensely rewarding and challenging and gain great joy from the company of animals and the people who care for them.
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