When Dr Rick Newton, a lover of classical music, and wife Barbara, an opera-singing nurse, first arrived in the small, dusty corner of the Parkes Shire from the Sydney suburb of Gladesville - they were here because Tullamore desperately needed a doctor.

Little did they realise all the activity, the vibrancy, camaraderie and resilience that existed beneath its sleepy disguise.

The couple came to Tullamore to serve the community for two years but they quickly became a part of it and stayed for 27.

The now 74-year-old is retiring as the town's doctor, his last day at the Tullamore Medical Centre within the Tullamore Multipurpose Service is 18 December.

A farewell for both the doctor and Barbara has been organised for this Saturday, 13 December at 5pm at the Tullamore Bowling Club and anyone, such as former patients are welcome to attend to say goodbye and share stories and memories.

Once Dr Newton hangs up his stethoscope, the couple will move to Nelson Bay to be closer to family and their children.

"I'm just a bloke trying to do his best for the town," he said as he reflected on his time in Tullamore.

While Dr Newton is modest about his role and the difference he's made to the lives of so many local families - and being that source of stability when times felt so unstable; he has Tullamore to thank for bringing out the best in him.

Dr Newton was seeking adventure, he was seeking purpose and fulfilment, and he wanted a change 27 years ago.

But he said none of it would have been possible if Barbara never was able to connect with the Tullamore community.

And it's what he believes is a vital aspect when it comes to attracting the next generation of doctors and their families to rural areas.

Dr Newton has been on four different medical boards and part of the Rural Doctors Network for four years, trying to attract more doctors and said areas and programs needed to appeal to the partners, that was key.

"How we (doctors) are able to stay out here is because of partners," he said.

"Barbara and I have both had something that has kept us satisfied, we've had so much to do.

"Barbara has just as an important part in the community as I have."

Dr Rick Newton’s second home - Tullamore MPS and Medical Centre, with wife Barbara.
How it began

Dr Newton was a high school teacher for five years when he and Barbara first married.

He spent two years teaching at the monastery in Galong near Young and said the two of them had always wanted to return to a rural area.

When he had enough of teaching, he turned his interests to nursing at first but was talked out of it by Barbara who was a nurse and knew how hard the industry was.

She suggested medicine.

"If you've ever been in front of 30 Year 9 boys on a Friday afternoon during a double period of science, you know that medicine would be so much easier," Dr Newton laughed.

He became a GP in Gladesville and recalls the phone call he received about a little town in rural NSW called Tullamore who had been without a doctor for 18 months.

Dr Newton was also a medical advisor at that time with the Health Insurance Commission, now known as Medicare.

When he was looking at data in Sydney, he saw doctors in rural areas were working very long hours and he trekked out to investigate it.

And he learnt something.

"I noticed they were having much more fun than I was," Dr Newton laughed.

"Their jobs were more interesting and more fulfilling, that gave me insight into working in a rural area.

"We thought we'd come out (to Tullamore) and give it two years but the community has welcomed us and hasn't taken us for granted," he said.

"And now as I'm retiring and we're leaving, they've been very positive, even if they're going to be left in the lurch."

Among Dr Newton's highlights over his almost three decades is of course the variety that comes with the job of a rural doctor - from working in ED to palliative care and looking after people in their final days, to walking the hospital halls and providing acute care.

"You wouldn't get to do [that] in Sydney," he said.

He's not an obstetrician but he's delivered three babies.

"That's the working life that's been very exciting for me."

Before coming to Tullamore he was learning the cello, studying two master degrees and English 1 at the University of New England.

"Since I've been here I haven't opened a book," Dr Newton said.

Except of course to keep up with his GP qualifications and registration.

He also supervised and mentored four overseas training doctors over 12 years, who all needed their Australian registration, through the Remote Vocational Training Scheme. Three were based in Trundle and one in Tottenham.

On call 24/7 for 18 years

As with any job, it did come with its set of challenges.

Dr Newton is from that - disappearing - generation of doctors who worked very long hours, in all areas and was always on call.

He admitted he burnt out after being on call 24/7 for 18 years - some occasions he'd be gone for hours on end - and had actually retired in 2016.

But three months later, when he saw his presence was still needed, he started helping out with a virtual doctors service and telehealth.

He's been doing that since - working two days in Tullamore and two days in Tottenham.

"Now we have it here in the shire - it provides 24/7 service for when doctors are away from a town," Dr Newton said.

"That's all I do now.

"That's the way of the future, young doctors don't want to work 24/7 anymore."

These have both been among the most significant changes for Dr Newton.

"The next generation of doctors and their work-life balance has changed and I really admire that," he said.

"I was asked what advice I have for younger doctors but - I wish they were giving me advice.

"They've got it right, the world will keep revolving, they have to have a life.

"I've really had a wonderful career, but looking back, I do regret not having more time with my children.

"And that was when we were in Sydney, they're much longer hours in rural areas."

Dr Newton recalls when Cobar lost their doctor prior to him deciding if Tullamore was for him and Barbara.

He admitted he was shocked that a doctor would choose to leave a rural town but the advice he received from his soon-to-be colleague Dr Mark Gray in Trundle changed his future.

"He told me 'if you can give them a little of your time, they will be grateful for that'," he said.

"And he said 'when it's time for you to leave then it's your time'.

"That's what did it for me.

"But it's time for me to retire."

Dr Newton said what has kept him and Barbara here is being part of a small community.

"There's no hidden agenda, people tell you exactly how they feel, they're honest - it's refreshing," he smiled.

"We don't notice it so much anymore because we're part of it."

Dr Newton is also grateful he's been able to farm while he's been out here, when they had 3000 acres - something his 16-year-old self dreamed of after work experience on a dairy farm.

"I never thought I'd ever have cattle," he said.

"I've ploughed, sowed and harvested... I've made a lot of mistakes but I've learnt a lot."

He even wrote a book about it, self published in 2019 called 'Tree Change - An Innocent's progress', containing a series of short true stories with fictional characters based on Rick's experiences on the farm.

He sold 2000 copies.

"That was a bit of a highlight," he said.

Passionate about their community

While Tullamore is losing its doctor, it's also losing one of its biggest advocates in Barbara.

She was a director of nursing at an aged care facility before they moved to Tullamore and she was even an opera singer for four years in the 80s, having successfully auditioned with the Australian Opera.

She was full-time chorus and did a lot of understudy.

Barbara fit right into the Tullamore community when she arrived.

"One thing I noticed when I came here was that I was really impressed with the women, because they were so involved in their community," she said.

"We came out during harvest and I watched these women working 24/7.

"Anything that was needed they provided, they provided the food, runs into town, whatever they were needed for.

"They were so involved and so resilient, they are such an entity to themselves. I've just always admired that."

There was also a 21-bed aged care facility in Tullamore when Barbara arrived and when it was needed, she stepped in as interim director for a short time.

"Having worked in a few big places in Sydney with 70 residents, it's how aged care facilities should be and the community built it," she said.

Barbara became a member of the Community Consultative Committee and was later asked to stand on Parkes Shire Council.

"I didn't realise I would be there for 17 years," she said.

"To be the first female on the council executive was really amazing and a real privilege."

Barbara said her council duties, while on a broader scale, provided her that avenue to be able to do things for her town.

She retired from council in 2021 and stepped into helping the Project Sprouts initiative in Parkes, which aims to address children's developmental health in rural NSW through early intervention - something which she said she's been extremely proud to be involved in.

"I attended a Country Mayors Association meeting and the Royal Far West presented its Invisible Children report," Barbara said.

"We had a community meeting and from that we developed a working party.

"Through Project Sprouts we've been able to bring more awareness in preschools, that's really exciting."

Barbara reflected on her time here.

"Since I've been here, we've been through two good mouse plagues - that's something I never thought I'd ever experience," she laughed.

"A grass hopper plague, so bad they blocked the engine one time and stalled the ute. Dust storms and living through the drought.

"I sang at the Dish on its 50th anniversary and both Rick and I have been presidents of our bowling club.

"What we also love is having our grandchildren - and our children - visit out here because they can do things out here they can't do in the city," Barbara said.

The couple have grandchildren living in Sydney and London, with visits to be a lot easier from Nelson Bay, especially being closer to an international airport.

No slowing down in retirement

"I think we'll cope well," Dr Newton said.

They plan to travel around Australia and see more of our own backyard with Tullamore acting as a base and rest stop when they need it.

Dr Newton is going back to learn the piano, while Barbara wants to learn French and try her hand at golf.

The couple both enjoy classical music so attending more concerts is most certainly in their future.

Though their music appreciation has broadened thanks to Tullamore folk.

"We would never have known who Shania Twain was if we stayed in Gladesville," she laughed.

The couple would like to say a big thank you for the support from all the nursing and surgery staff at Tullamore MPS, and to the Tullamore community, throughout their time here.