Katherine’s Young Person of the Year says award is for all vets in Top End

Dr Rupert Trembath may have been the sole recipient of Katherine’s young person of the year award, but he considers the recognition a reflection of the entire veterinary profession in the Northern Territory.

“It was nice to be recognised by the community of Katherine, if not a little embarrassing,” he shared.

“It’s a great feeling knowing that your clients are backing you and they appreciate what you do but as far as the industry goes, I'm just another mixed practice vet. There's plenty out there doing the same thing as me and I think we all deserve the recognition in our communities for what we do. Veterinarians are very important members of the community and provide a service that communities couldn't go without.”

Born in Katherine, Dr Trembath has fond recollections of following his father around to veterinary jobs as a child, with many memories of jumping in a plane together to go help on a case.

  ^{Dr Rupert Trembath and father, Dr Peter Trembath}  

“My father, Peter Trembath, has been a vet up here for 35 years. He’d do anything and everything that he could for any patient anywhere in the territory and then come back to the clinic and do anything and everything back in the clinic. I've had a pretty good mentor who's obviously taught me a lot and showed me what's possible in the industry for mixed practice vets.

“I'm just sort of stepping in, going into cattle stations and just doing what vets all across Australia do. I probably travel larger distances and maybe some larger mob sizes, but I’m just doing what I can out and about on stations.”

^{Wife, Sally and Dr Trembath flying across the NT}   

To better serve the region, Rupert earned his private pilot’s license in 2022. He has been recognised by the Katherine Town Council for his dedication, particularly for performing pregnancy testing on over 400,000 cattle over the past four years.

“We cover anywhere in the territory really, down to Alice Springs across to some of the remote islands off the north-east coast of the territory and sometimes to WA, so flying is extremely important. It saves, saves a lot of long hours on rough dirt roads,” he said.

^{Sun rises over a full set of yards just north of the Tanami desert}

^{Pregnancy Testing at cattle station to the West of Katherine}

Although Rupert considers himself a mixed practice vet, he has a particular focus on Reproduction, Surgery and all Equine work. However, his day-to-day is often just as varied, dealing with everything from cows to toy poodles.

“The clientele that we see in the Northern Territory is extremely widespread. People in remote places still have dogs, sometimes even designer breeds,” he said.

“I can fly out, do a day or 2 of cattle work, get back to the clinic and be doing anything from small animal orthopaedics to Artificially inseminating horses. The mix is great and so good for your skills and continued learning.

“It’s a great place for young vets to go but also for all experience levels because you definitely get a wide variety in your caseload. Mixed practice gives me all the challenges that I need.”

^{Rupert and Peter Trembath performing a cryptorchid castration}

Rupert added that young rural vets in particular have the chance to pursue their interests early on in their careers, whether it's in orthopaedic surgery, equine reproduction, Small animal surgery/medicine or radiography.

“I think we do get more of a chance to pursue interests of ours when in our early stages. The vets get to do a lot of surgeries and probably manage a lot of medical cases and a lot of reproductive cases that at times some clinics may see less of because there is easier access to specialist services. Don't get me wrong, where there's access to specialists that should be taken up, but obviously that can’t always happen up here.”

In addition to the hands-on experience, the travel across the Territory provides young vets with a unique opportunity to explore remote areas and meet people they wouldn’t otherwise have the chance to.

“Up here you get to go to remote cattle stations, meet people that you would never meet otherwise and see special places out in remote areas, and at the same time enjoy work from clinical practice to cattle.

“I can’t see myself working anywhere else.”