Small Victorian Town Offers Perks to Attract New GP
27 Jan 2026
Birregurra, about 130 kilometres south-west of Melbourne and home to just 1,000 people, currently has only one GP, Dr Jared Kilday. For more than a year, he has been trying to recruit another doctor to share the workload at the Birregurra Medical Centre.
Now, the local community has stepped in, helping Dr Kilday come up with a creative package to lure a new GP. “I knew if I asked a few local businesses to help, they’d be on board,” he told newsGP. “Before I could even get the words out, they were asking, ‘what can we do?’”
The recruitment package now includes 12 months of hairdressing, Pilates and strength training, a free coffee every day, and a drinks package from the town’s brewery and distillery. The new GP would also receive honorary memberships to local football, netball, and cricket clubs.
Dr Kilday said the move reflects the unique rewards of rural medicine. “The people you treat are warm and respectful. They see you as more than a prescription pad – they want to know about you, your family, your interests,” he said. He added that without extra support, rural GPs can face burnout from carrying a town’s healthcare alone.
Other rural towns are also getting inventive to attract doctors. In Kerang, staff made a music video; in Goondiwindi, the local practice filmed its own recruitment clip; and Julia Creek’s ad campaign went viral last year.
RACGP Rural Chair Associate Professor Michael Clements said it’s encouraging to see communities backing their local doctors. “There’s more interest from doctors in training and IMGs, and communities thinking outside the box can really stand out,” he told newsGP.
(Source: newsGP)