Desperate for a doctor, the tiny outback town of Julia Creek, Australia, is offering a staggering AU$680,000 (USD 450,000) salary—more than double the average pay of Brisbane physicians. With just 500 residents, the town is sweetening the deal with free rent and a car, highlighting the growing healthcare crisis in rural Australia.
Remote location poses a significant challenge
Julia Creek’s struggle exemplifies the healthcare crisis facing Australia’s remote communities. Located in Queensland’s rugged outback, the town sits approximately 17 hours’ drive from Brisbane, the state capital, and seven hours from the nearest major city, Townsville.
This extreme isolation has left the community in a precarious position as their only doctor prepares to depart, potentially leaving residents without local medical care.
“The half-a-million dollar job that no one wants,” is how Dr. Adam Louws, the town’s current physician, describes the position—recalling how his mother-in-law forwarded him the advertisement using this phrase when he was considering the role in 2022.
Harsh climate and isolation balanced by unique lifestyle
The town’s extreme weather conditions and abundance of tropical insects present additional challenges for potential candidates. However, community leaders emphasize that these drawbacks are counterbalanced by the area’s wide-open spaces and peaceful rural lifestyle.
Dr. Louws, who relocated with his wife and four children in 2022, notes that practicing medicine in Julia Creek offered unexpected professional development opportunities.
“It might be a tough place to live in, but it is the perfect place for anyone who wants to experience a quieter life that is slow yet rewarding,” he said. The position forced him to develop medical skills for which he would typically refer patients to specialists in urban settings.
“You don’t have to live here forever”
Before Dr. Louws’ arrival, Julia Creek had gone approximately 15 years without a permanent physician, relying instead on visiting doctors who would stay temporarily. The community’s nearest hospital remains three hours away.
Janene Fegan, McKinlay Shire‘s mayor, who participated in the recruitment campaign that successfully hired Dr. Louws, is again leading efforts to find a replacement.
“Julia Creek has a very, very good lifestyle and a very safe lifestyle,” Mayor Fegan insists. “Yes, there is distance to travel at times, but how many people do you hear now wanting to escape from that and go off-grid?”
Her pitch to prospective doctors is straightforward: “Give it a shot. You don’t have to live here forever.”
As Australia continues to grapple with rural healthcare shortages, Julia Creek’s predicament and extraordinary salary offer highlight the growing disparity between urban and remote medical services—and the lengths some communities will go to bridge that gap.