Dr Brian Bowring

I started in Year 4 at Barrack St coming from St Josephs in Macquarie St, and finished HSC (Year 12) in 1971. 

Both my Father Randal and Uncle Albert Bowring , and Brother Patrick (Dec) attended St Virgils for the school years.

After leaving St Virgils, I started Medicine at the University of Tasmania in 1972, mainly due to peers from St Virgils doing the same, and having a high enough score to do so as well, as well as  a love of Biology and Life Sciences, and graduated MBBS in 1979.

I have practiced as a full time GP in George Town since 1984. The practice services a population of 6,000 in one of the states most socioeconomically challenged areas, providing 24 hour emergency on call, and supports the adjacent 15 bed hospital, and local 50 bed nursing home.

I love my absolute waterfront Tamar riverside block, that has views to the low head lighthouse from all min windows and the 400 acres of conservation covenant land on Tassies' north coast, just  35 minutes away , that is surrounded by 1200 other conservation acres, a farm and a large Coastal reserve (Double Sandy Point).

So with two high achieving sons , somewhat unlucky,  for the state they are based on the Mainland , and a Child Health Nursing Wife, and  Sandy the Golden Retriever, what more could one want!

The Citation for the award is:

"For significant service to medicine in rural and regional areas, and as a general practitioner"

Achievements:

Chair, Rural Health Education Foundation) 2002-2010: Board member for 12 years & Representative, National Rural Health Alliance (NRHA), 3 years.

Current Board member of the Tasmanian Medical Board of the  Medical Board of Australia.

A Founding Director of the National Prescribing Service 1998-200

Former Chair GP North  (Division of General Practice, Northern Tasmania)

Deputy Chair ,Rural Health Workforce Australia 2001-2003

Company Medical Officer Tasmanian Electro Metallurgical Company for 29 Years.

Previous Award

Centennial Medal 2001 

One of my proudest achievements is seeing the not for profit, Rural Health Education Foundation (The health education lifeline to the bush) blossom to have 700 dedicated Satellite dishes on health facilities in rural and remote Australia and having programs available to web stream on the website, as well a live webcasts of many programs, and in the last year has established the Rural Health Channel a Free to Air Digital satellite TV channel, for those in rural and remote Australia who get TV via satellite not via a TV aerial. This has a reach of 50,000 health professionals.