Our Doctors
Meet your doctors
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Dr Les Roberts-Thomson
MBBS, FRACGP, FACRRM, DRANZCOG (Adv.), DTM&H
Dr Les Roberts-Thomson grew up on a potato farm in Tasmania, and did most of his training in North Queensland, before moving to Moruya in 2004. Along the way, he has done some work in Papua New Guinea and Ethiopia. Apart from work, he enjoys cricket, cycling and the snow.
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Dr Neil Starmer
MBBS (UNSW), MPH & TM (JCU), FRACGP
Dr Neil Starmer graduated in medicine from UNSW in 1989 and plotted his escape from Sydney soon after. Neil has worked in hospitals and general practice in Sydney, the Central Coast, the Gulf of Carpentaria, Townsville and Darwin as well as on Royal Australian Navy ships and bases. Neil completed his General Practice training and a Masters in Public Health and Tropical Medicine while serving with the Royal Australian Navy. Neil left full time service with the RAN in 1999 to join the Queen Street Medical Practice as a partner and remains in the Navy Reserves. Neil chose to be a General Practitioner to provide continuing, comprehensive and coordinated health care to people in their own community. Neil appreciates the completeness of care that can be provided through working in both the general practice and Moruya Hospital. Neil has an additional interest in drug and alcohol medicine and is an accredited methadone prescriber. Neil is married with two children and enjoys being a part of the Eurobodalla community. Neil participates in a wide range of pursuits; his ideal day involves one major and two minor activities. His recreational interests include remaining fit, sailing, gardening and telemark skiing.
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Dr Ali Lavender
MBBS (London), FRACGP, DRCOG, DFFP
I qualified in 1992 from St Thomas's, London and then worked in the South of England before moving to Australia with my family in 2005. I enjoy the outdoor lifestyle here, especially bushwalking, camping and swimming in the ocean.My medical interests are paediatrics, women's health and I am a Specialist HIV prescriber.
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Dr Judith Toman
MBBS (Qld), BSc, FRACGP, FACRRM, FARGP,MPH, Dip Paeds, DRANZCOG (Advanced)
I graduated from the University of Queensland in 2000 after my first degree in Science from the Australian National University. I then worked at Nambour, Sydney Children’s, Wollongong and Shoalhaven Hospitals before I settled in Moruya in 2005. I am a VMO at Moruya Hospital in obstetrics and on the general ward, as well as providing general practice services in Moruya, Tuross Head and Broulee. My areas of interest are women's health and paediatrics, and I have a Diploma in Child Health and the Advanced Diploma of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. I also work with training GP registrars and medical students, and am passionate about medical teaching and training. I am a Senior Lecturer and the Academic Coordinator in the Eurobodalla for the ANU Faculty of Medicine. In this role I facilitate training the next generation of doctors, with a particular focus on the medical students who chose to live and study in our area for the third year of their medical studies.
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Dr Marie Bond
MBBS, M.Ed, B.Sc, B.Ed, FACRRM
My professional interests include emergency medicine and general practice for all ages groups, and all backgrounds. It is this variety of medical and surgical issues that makes it interesting. Further, it is the mix that is the Eurodoballa community that I enjoy meeting in my work as a rural GP.
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Dr Brenton Cole
MBBS, DCH
Brenton studied at the University of Wollongong and graduated in 2011. He completed post graduate training at Wollongong and Shoalhaven hospitals. Brenton is interested in paediatrics and has completed the diploma of childrens health. His other interest is in obstetrics and in 2015 he moved to Moruya to complete the advanced diploma of obstetrics. Brenton is working at QSMC Moruya and on Fridays at Broulee. He is now a VMO/Obstetrician at Moruya District Hospital.
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Dr Lisa Hyde
MBBS (Sydney), FRACGP, DRANZCOG (Adv.)
Originally from the Hunter Valley, my first jobs after graduation were at Gosford and Newcastle hospitals. I then moved overseas and after completing a paediatric residency in the USA, I went to Southern Africa, where I lived and worked for over five years. It was then time to return to Australia and our family moved to the South Coast in 2011. I thoroughly enjoy being a rural GP and I have a special interest in women’s health, paediatrics and indigenous health. I am a member of the Obstetrics team at Moruya Hospital.
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Dr Emily Goodwin
BAppSc ForSc; MBBS
It was over ten years ago that I was first introduced by my partner to the hidden-jewel that is the South Coast. I fell in love. Years later, after completing my internship in Brisbane, I was fortunate enough to be accepted as a Resident at Moruya District Hospital. It was here I first had the pleasure of working with Judy, Les and Neil. I have been a GP registrar for two years now, and am very excited to join the Queen Street Team. When I'm not working you might find me watching cricket in the summer, NRL in the winter, fishing on Coila or frolicking in my garden.
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Dr Eliza Baker
BMed/MD, FRACGP, DCH
I graduated from UNSW Medicine in 2015 and have since completed my General Practice training in Moruya in 2020. I’m excited to get back to work after a year off with my lovely daughter. I have an interest in sexual health, HIV medicine, palliative care and women’s health. -
Dr Shenoa Holliday
B Ap Sci Physiotherapy, MBBS Uni Newcastle, DRANZCOG Advanced, FRACGP _____________________________________________________________________I graduated from the University of Newcastle in July 2012. Following my first two years as a junior doctor in Albury, I spent four years working in Obstetrics & Gynaecology in Launceston, Western Australia, Gosford and Orange and hold an Advanced Diploma in Obstetrics. In 2021 I completed my GP registrar training and am now a Fellow of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners.
I am with the Queen Street Medical team as a GP registrar and am also delivering babies at Moruya Hospital. I also have an interest in Paediatrics including all other aspects of General Practice - always aiming to be providing holistic, comprehensive and compassionate care to our community. When not at work I enjoy going for walks, reading and spending time with my furr-babies, George and Charlotte. -
Dr Nadira Khan
MBBS DCH
I joined Queen Street Medical Centre as a General Practice Registrar from a desire for a closer sense of community. I am passionate about my career and cherish the continuity of care of my patients. I completed my post-graduation in Bangladesh and hold full general registration with the General Medical Councils in the UK and Bangladesh, and full general registration here in Australia. I have also completed a Diploma in Child Health from the University of Sydney. The majority of my training has been in Sydney hospital emergency departments in the western suburbs of Campbelltown, Blacktown and Mount Druitt. I have experience in treating menopausal symptoms associated with hormonal imbalance and was previously working at a Women's Health Clinic in Sydney. My area of interests are Emergency Medicine, Paediatrics, women’s health, and preventative medicine. I love to travel and spend time with my friends and family. I enjoy socialising and love to practice Calligraphy or make crafts in my spare time.
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Dr Polina Smerdova
MBBS
I graduated from the North-Western State Medical University, one of the major Russian universities for medical studies, in 2011. Following a comprehensive postgraduate training program in leading hospitals, I went on to specialise in General Practice with special interests in Neurology, Mental Health and Musculoskeletal Medicine. For me, being a GP means everyday empathetic engagement with patients and finding professional fulfilment in tackling a wide interdisciplinary range of physical and mental health issues. I am happy and proud to offer my skills (but hopefully not my exceptional skills in managing frostbite!), experience and dedication to the South Coast community. When not being a doctor (though one never actually stops), I’m a keen traveller and enjoy bushwalking, bicycle riding and snowboarding. -
Dr Bronwyn Henderson
MBBS, MPhil, BHSc, BSc
I grew up in Batemans Bay and moved to Auckland in my early 20s to work in microscopy and then started as a front-line ambulance paramedic. I am ever motivated to learn and so returned to Aussie to study medicine in 2010. I graduated from the University of Wollongong Graduate School of Medicine in 2014 and have enjoyed working in the Illawarra, Eurobodalla and the Wingecarribee shires; mostly in emergency medicine. I love being able to help people in medicine by ascertaining their need and explaining their options. Being back in the South Coast as a Doctor in the General Practice and the Emergency Department is such a great place to help my kin. -
Dr Neil Mackay
MBBS
After graduating from the University of Tasmania in 2013 I worked for two years in Launceston before heading up to the Sunshine Coast and Cairns in Queensland where I lived and worked for four years while training in orthopaedics. Early in 2020 I began my general practice training in Pambula on the far South Coast and in February 2021, joined the Queen Street Medical team here in Moruya where I'll complete my final six-month semester of GP training, and plan settle down permanently with my young family. I enjoy general practice because of the continuity of patient care and the diversity of patients I treat. I have a broad scope of practice and my special interest areas are in musculoskeletal, sports medicine and men’s health. I love all things sports-related as well as spending as much time at the beach as possible. -
Dietitian Carole Richards
I have been a dietitian for more than 30 years and remain fascinated by the role that diet can play in our overall health.After graduating from Deakin and Sydney Universities, I worked at various hospitals in the ACT, Diabetes ACT, University of Canberra and in private practice. I also completed post graduate study in Sports Nutrition and Diabetes Management. In 2011, I moved to the Eurobodalla seeking a life closer to the sea and without Canberra winters. Working with the QSMC team is a privilege. I enjoy being involved with clients as they make incremental diet and lifestyle adjustments to maximise their health. In particular for the prevention and management of Type 2 Diabetes. The QSMC Exercise & Diet Diabetes Group, currently in remission, has been a wonderful project that I hope can be started again later in 2020.My special interests include treatment of Diabetes, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Diverticular Disease, FODMAP sensitivity, Osteoporosis, weight management, heart conditions and healthy eating at all stages of life.In my spare time, I am a mother of 4, step mother of 4 and grandmother of 7 and partner of Graham. I love cooking healthy meals for friends and extended family, experimenting with new recipes, growing vegetables, keeping fit, sewing and singing. -
Dr Tim Shepherd
MBBS (Monash), DRCOG, FACRRM
Thirty two years ago I began my GP career here at QSMC. In the early days I was a Visiting Medical Officer at Moruya Hospital - Obstetrician, Anaesthetist, rural GP, father of 4 and in some spare time a volunteer doc overseas. I love the longevity of all our team in our practice - its evolution of new people and the development of our new surgery. I am still surfing, kayaking, photographing, hiking, travelling - and happily married. I am a grandfather of 2 - fantastic!
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Dr Phil Crawford
MBBS Uni Tas, FACRRM
I arrived in Moruya as fourth year med student and enamoured with the medicine and the area, I returned after graduation to practise with Dr Chris Fenn for 13 years. Using all those learned and enhanced skills, what followed was almost 20 years in medicine in mainly West Africa including Nigeria, Angola, Namibia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo - and throughout Indonesia - developing complex care and preventive processes for diseases such as Malaria, TB, HIV and even Ebola and providing hands on medical care for the local community. I also worked in Shanghai, Solomon Islands and Samoa. During the last eight years, I consulted on Spine conditions at a neurosurgical clinic in Hobart as well as assisting in spine and brain surgery. I am now back on the South Coast as a GP here at Queen Street Medical in my ‘home’ town. -
Dr Daniel Mealey
MBBS (Melb) Bach Biomed Sci (Grif) ACEM (Cert)
I graduated in Medicine from the University of Melbourne in 2011 under scholarship with the Australian Army, after completing a Biomedical Science degree. With a strong interest in humanitarian and emergency medicine, I found myself in Afghanistan, UAE, Sri Lanka and the Northern Territory providing medical support in war zones, as well as after natural disasters and in Indigenous communities. I really enjoy providing medical support to rural football clubs, and I'm looking forward to our local footy season starting! I am now completing my GP registrar training with this supportive and experienced team at Queen Street. Pictured is my rescue puppy Daisy - a country girl rescued from a hard life in Moree. Animal Welfare League introduced us on Channel 10's Season 1 premiere of "The Dog House."
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If you’re eligible for the free flu shot – please book online
We are now receiving weekly deliveries of flu vaccine from government – so if you’re eligible to receive a free (gov-funded) flu shot, please click on one of the BOOK A FLU VAX buttons to see clinic dates and make your appointment. Please do not call us. Click on Read more for links and more info.
Peak demand for GP appointments – please remain polite when seeking our assistance
Our apologies if you’re having trouble booking an appointment with your usual doctor, or if you’ve had one or two changes to your appointment with your doctor we apologise. Some of our doctors have been unable to attend due to personal illness or members of their family have been unwell – as you can appreciate, sometimes this happens on the day and we have to contact you at short notice.
Thank you for your polite understanding – our reception team are doing their very best to re-schedule your appointment as soon as possible for you.
Unfortunately we are all feeling the effects of this COVID pandemic – please rest assured our practice team is observing all COVID quarantine and testing protocols. Please remember to wear your mask when attending our practices – this is a mandatory NSW Health requirement.
Who should have a 4th COVID booster shot?
From April, a 4th winter COVID-19 vaccination is recommended for people in the following groups who are at greatest risk of severe illness from COVID-19, 4 months since their first booster dose:
- 65 years and over
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people 50 years and over
- Residents of aged care and disabilities care facilities
- People aged 16 years and older with severe immunocompromise (if you are unsure please ask your doctor)
All COVID-19 vaccines – available now
We have these COVID-19 vaccines ready for you and your family. Please book your vaccination online or ask your doctor at your next consultation.
Astrazeneca (18 years plus), Pfizer (12 years plus), Moderna (6 years plus), Paediatric Pfizer (5-11 yr olds)
The Novavax vaccine is expected to arrive soon.
Reminder: Have you had your booster shot? Continue reading for more booster info.
Dr Phil returns to this place he calls “home”
We are delighted to welcome home our “very own” Dr Phil – many will remember him well from the early days of this practice in Vulcan Street. Here is an interesting snapshot of Dr Phil Crawford’s medical journey to all corners of the globe since his post graduate years practicing in Moruya. Dr Crawford’s focus is seeing patients who have urgent or on the day health needs…
How to use a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT)
Watch this short video for the right way to do your RAT Test.
For learning about how to manage COVID-19 at home click on the read more link below.
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Making an appointment
Phone: Our phones are open from 8.30am – 4.45pm Monday to Friday. Click here to call one of our practices
Online: Book your appointment online anytime from the Home or Meet your doctors page.
Cancellations and fees: Please contact us at least 24 hours prior to change/cancel your appointment. Patients failing to cancel/attend their appointment incur a $50 or $65 fee.
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New Patients
We welcome new patients and their families. Please phone us to discuss and book your first appointment as important information is required. Be sure to read more for full details.
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On-the-Day appointments
On-the-day appointments times are set aside each day for patients with urgent or serious problems when access to a doctor is essential.
Living Well
Rethinking persistent pain and where to find help.
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What are the types of lower back pain and when to seek help?
Living with asthma? Learn how to use your inhalers
Why have a Home Medicines Review?
Living well and taking care with your medicines –
Taking prescribed meds? Take this quick quiz!