Dr Brian Bowring AM FRACGP 

Brian Bowring started in Year 4 at Barrack Street coming from St Joseph's in Macquarie Street, and finished HSC (Year 12) in 1972. His father Randal, his uncle Albert Bowring and his brother Patrick also attended St Virgil’s.

Brian was awarded Commonwealth Senior Secondary Scholarship and was the joint winner of the Biology Prize in his final year.

After leaving the College, Brian commenced his studies in Medicine at the University of Tasmania , ‘mainly due to peers from St Virgil’s doing the same, and having a high enough score to do so as well, as well as  a love of Biology and Life Sciences’. He graduated MBBS in 1979.

In March Brian retired as a Principal / Partner, General Practitioner from the George Town Medical Centre after 45 years of caring for this community. He had also served as Company Medical Officer to TEMCO now Liberty Bell Bay, a major industrial employer. 

During his career, Brian and his work partner (who has also been awarded an AM) did extensive work in GP education, working in GP Support organisations and with rural and remote health workforce education Australia wide. He was fortunate enough to be awarded the Centenary Medal in 2001 for 'Service to the community through the development and support of rural medicine in Tasmania' and in June 2013 he was the recipient of the AM (Member of the General Division of the Order of Australia) for 'Significant service to Medicine in rural and regional areas, and as a general practitioner'. 

Brian’s sporting involvements were curtailed due to ongoing complications from a fractured femur he suffered at Fern Tree on the first day of the 1967 bush fires. However, much later he did manage the Cradle Mountain to Lake Sinclair run in under 12 hours and completed two Full Australian Ironman Triathlons in 1993 and 1995 with a personal best of 12 hours 12 minutes. 

Brian missed a lot of school between 1967-69 but pushed onto Year 10. He went on to repeat Year 10 and gained a bit of a spark for learning - which was important as medicine is lifelong learning. A lesson for students is that 'it is never too late to reset goals and directions'. 

Brian is now happily retired with his wife of 47 years Helen. They have two very successful sons. They have a 450 acre coastal property in the mid north near Weymouth, abutting the Little Pipers River / Worewoter. They have a Conservation Covenant in perpetuity over the property and spend about half their time caring for this with traditional burning techniques, weed control and documenting birds/animal and plants especially native orchids. 

He has retired happy that his medical practice of 45 years is in good hands and has a good number of doctors but there are never enough as is the experience in most rural towns.