Paul Carter

I was born in Warwickshire in central England in 1946. I spent my early years in the small village of Tile Hill near Coventry. As a lad I enjoyed walking to the smithy at the end of the road to see the heavy horses being shod. Later I moved to Coventry for reasons of schooling and attended King Henry VIII school - founded in 1545. I then secured a place in medical school at age 16 – but was too young to be admitted, so spent a year helping with a project of shoreline marine biology at Fowey in Cornwall. I commenced at Guy’s Hospital in south London in 1964. I graduated with MB BS in 1970. I did various residencies and then commenced training in pathology. I attained a Fellowship and doctorate (MD) in 1976. That same year I was offered the chance to have a 6 months teaching post at the University of Melbourne and jumped at it for several reasons:

1. Not happy with the NHS

2. Never really felt that I fitted in in England - my medical school was extremely ‘toffee-nosed’ and I came from the wrong side of the tracks

I loved Australia. At the end of the six months, I did something very naughty: I simply didn’t go home and, until it was all sorted out a couple of years later. I was a visa overstayer. Rest assured I am now a legal resident.

After ten years in Australia, with my marriage coming unglued, I decided that I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life living in suburbia and earning my living by looking down a microscope. I decided to move to the country. After looking around for quite a while I bought a 400-acre property in the Macedon Ranges in central Victoria. A wonderful place of hills and forests and bubbling creeks and views forever. I thought it beautiful the first time I set eyes on it and I feel just the same today thirty two years later.

I hadn’t done much general practice before and when I joined the local practice in Romsey and Lancefield I was pushed in at the deep end.

The work was exciting, busy and the sharpest learning curve of my life.

For the next twelve or thirteen years, I had little to think about apart from looking after the farm and the practice. For much of that time, my only companion was Hardy my dog - with whom I had many philosophical conversations sorting out the problems of the word. “Tales of a country doctor” deasl with many of the stories and events of those years including the death of Hardy and my chance meeting with Helen. It also deals with my involvement with the community and the wonderful characters I have met along the way.

I met Helen on a blind date set up by a friend - apparently I was being a pain up the arse about being lonely and way too picky in terms of the stream of lovely ladies who were shepherded in my direction by one and all.

Helen was like the farm- I have loved her from the moment I first saw her and I feel exactly the same way today. We were a bit old fashioned in that we ‘courted for the better part of a year, then got married and then moved in together. Helen is a city girl. She said she would give the farm a one year’s trial and is still here.

We both have children from our first marriages, who in turn have produced the wonderful total of eleven delightful and totally perfect grandchildren.

Along the way, I am humbled to have been recognised for the effort I have put in looking after the local population over the years

2011 Rural Doctors Awards Outstanding service to community.

2013 Rural Doctors Awards Victorian Rural Practice of the year.

2014 National Day of Thanksgiving Award

For service to community

2015 Romsey – Lancefield RSL Certificate of appreciation

For outstanding and tireless work

2015 Royal Australian College of General Practitioners

GP of the month (June) For contributions to rural practice

My personal interests include

Spending time with my wife and 11 grandchildren

Opera - I am an opera tragic

Portraiture Over the last 20 years I have completed 150 or so portraits – mostly in oils. I have entered the Australian national portrait competition annually for the last 10 years. I have never been a finalist but I have made the ‘semi-final’ for the last 8 years.

Making Furniture Especially from timbers found/ harvested on the farm

Writing especially about all the wonderful patients and local characters. I have currently finished two books and about two thirds of the way through the third. The stories are sad, happy, bizarre and downright unbelievable. I don’t need to go into them – thay are all in the books.

Farming and animal husbandry

Finally

I am now retired and enjoying a leisurely life playing chess, painting, writing and enjoying Helen's wonderful cooking.

Oh !!

I nearly forgot to also mention that I am charming, extremely witty and devastatingly handsome