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You can ask questions or suggest a new subject for discussion. I will consider adding it at my first chance. It is not for appointments.That needs the phone..

        Carol Reilly and Dr.Jim Reilly(B.V.Sc.,M.R.C.V.S.)started Forth Valley Vet Clinic in 1990 on their smallfarm at the rural village of Forth near Devonport, Tasmania. Jim tells his version of the story:

      "Before coming here I`d been in many jobs all over Australia. I started out as a Northern Territory veterinary officer in the late 1960`s. "The Katherine" was interesting in those times. A few hundred people and a dirt main street. Flying around to jobs in an old fabriccovered Auster in top end thunderstorms was good fun, though a little dangerous at times. It taught me how to fly safely in really adverse conditions. I loved it.

      I married a local school teacher and started a family, (not in that order). Because I was young and didn`t know a good thing when I had it, I went south and started a one man mixed practice at Port Fairy, Victoria. I was there for 7 years, becoming unmarried as you often did in solo hard vet practices. After a few locums I went back to the federal government in meat hygiene.

      In that job I was transferred all around Australia while I was trying to start a second ``situation`` with Carol (including her three that came with the meal deal). The meat job transfers finally took us back to Katherine NT and we stayed there for 4 years. In 1980 Carol had seen enough of heat and flies and rum and an absentee husband who would fly anything, anywhere in any time off.

      Rather than be left at the Top End alone I applied to Canberra to be sent to this sceptred isle for another try at civilization. In January 1980 we all saw the mountains of Tasmania through the mist from the bows of The Empress of Australia (seven of us by now) and I decided that this shall (must) be our home. Too many schools, too many new starts. Buying a small farm on the Forth River flats we first grew fresh vegetables for Coles and Woolworths for 8 years expanding rapidly until the 24% interest rates of the 80`s brought us down so we started all over. I was not watching the ball, broke but not bankrupt.

      I taught in a school of agriculture for two years but the wages barely paid the outstanding debts to the bank. Never being one to easily toe an autocratic line and probably not a good employee anyway, at Carol`s suggestion I opened up the cupboard in the shed (The same one as we were living in. Shed that is, not cupboard but about the same size). I took out the old vet equipment and dusted it off. Could I be a real vet again?

      The NEIS scheme helped us with the beginnings of our current business. My hay shed became the beginning of the clinic in 1990 and with the help of some good friends we built a house and rebuilt a life. One of my sons, Michael, graduated as a vet in 2001 and worked with me for 4 years until buying the neighbouring practice at Sheffield in 2005. The rest of the family has flown and are all doing well."