Main photo credit: Helen Fairnie – Dr Helen Fairnie and Dr Brian McErlean.
Today Michele and I have the honour of showcasing an interview with Dr Helen Fairnie, someone who has been a great influence in my (Emma’s) career since we re-started the Vets in Public Health Special Interest Group (AVPH SIG) of the AVA together around 2007 – Helen is a huge contributor to our profession and is someone I personally find very inspiring… Emma
- Hi Helen – What are you working on at the moment?
Working on at the moment? I am officially retired, however: a b** book on women vets- trying to get it published; the Wellness Centre at AVA Conference; stress and suicide in veterinarians; Rotarian secretary (I used to run an Arts Market for Rotary once a month but found it hard to get volunteers); 100 Women- a philanthropic giving circle of 100 women supporting projects involving women- we try to give 3 grants of $40,000 each year. Saving African Rhinos from poaching. Am on subcommittee of this and also lead safaris to Zimbabwe. I am also supervising two students from Georgetown University who want exposure to Aborigines. I will mark their assignments.
Photo left: 2016, With colleagues at the Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust and Sanctuary
Photo right: 2016, with a village leader at Kariba Village.
2. What drives you?
I have always been driven to help my colleagues. I remember being cross when Doug Blood, our former Dean at Melbourne, wrote me a reference which said I was more interested in people than animals. Consequently I have an interest in preventing injury, disease and stress in veterinarians. Also reducing suicide in veterinarians.
3. What have been the major transitions in your path?
Getting married to Ian Fairnie
Running a veterinary practice in Northam WA and having two children. I found I couldn’t cope with son #2 who screamed. Had to close the practice down. Probably had a nervous breakdown because I had little contact with veterinary colleagues. Ian sent me off to a Practitioners Branch meeting while he would babysit. We were 1 1/2 hours from Perth. First meeting there were about 20 vets there and me, the only woman. If I recollect, it was the Annual General Meeting and they dobbed me in a secretary. I was such a mess I didn’t say no. Came home and told Ian I would call them and decline but he (the bully) wouldn’t let me. After a couple of years, I became President of Perth Branch. That got me onto the Divisional Committee of AVA. I became secretary and then President which put me onto AVA Council and ultimately I became President of the AVA National body. I was the first female president of the AVA.
I did a Master of Philosophy at Murdoch and got a job at Curtin (then WAIT) and was there for 31 years. I because involved with international students and recruited from Asia mainly. Led study tours for 10 years to every Asian country you can think of. Ultimately I did a PhD on Stress, Suicide and Disease etc. at Curtin.
4. What goals are you working towards?
My main goal is to publish the bloody book on women vets, stop vets killing themselves, stop rhino killing and have a long rest.
5. What advice would you provide a younger you?
Advice for a younger me: Don’t bite off too much. Take it easy. Probably wouldn’t change much. I blame my husband for my AVA activities.
Photo Courtesy of Helen Fairnie: Comment –“this is me and Mike Bond receiving a kangaroo from Perth Zoo to send to Russia as a gift for the previous World Veterinary Congress. We ran the XXII in Perth. Mike Bond was Secretary and I was Vice Chair.”
Thanks for your time today Helen.
…ends….