Raised on his parent's cattle property in southern NSW, a life in farming seemed written in stone for a young Don Bowley.
"I always thought I'd just go on to own the farm. I worked as a labourer and then did some truck driving," he says.
When he left school, the last thing on the young grazier's mind was a career in medicine.
More than three decades later, Dr Don Bowley OAM is one of the most renowned medical professionals in outback Queensland.
His work with the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) has earned him several awards, none more dearer he will tell you than the respect and adoration of the remote communities he has served.
After officially retiring from the RFDS last week, Dr Don reflected on his 26-year-adventure in the bush.
Station hand to medical student
It wasn't until a nurse he had been dating at the time suggested a career in health, that a young Don even considered a life off the land.
"She said 'Well, you care about people, have you thought about doing nursing or paramedics?' and I was attracted to that concept."
He went on to become a nurse before being accepted to study medicine.
"I didn't have amazing marks but I got offered a third-round place, so it was pretty lucky really," he said.
After several hospital stints in regional NSW, Dr Don landed in the rural city of Mount Isa, Queensland, in November 1996.
His love of the red-dirt country and outback spirit sparked a passion for working in the bush that would see him serve remote communities as the Mount Isa RFDS Medical Officer for the rest of his career.
Whether it was delivering a baby beside a river, or intubating a patient atop a pool table in a remote pub, Dr Don's medical genius and charisma has touched the lives of communities spanning 550,000 kilometres across outback Queensland — that's an area larger than England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland combined.
"I just think that, the more remote you go, the more welcoming people are," he said.
"The beauty of my role was that I got to see the people I served grow — from the cradle and to the grave. I got to become their friend and see their lives unfold.
"Hopefully, I made a little difference in those lives: that is a very special privilege."
Indigenous health the 'shame' of Australia
Reflecting on the improvements achieved in remote healthcare, Dr Don said that while some progress had been made, there was a long way to go when it came to caring for Indigenous residents.
"The shame of our nation is that the health of our Indigenous people, particularly in remote areas, remains significantly poorer than non-Indigenous communities," he said.
"We can proudly say we have improved things.
"But when you look at the situation overall, what tended to happen is health outcomes for non-Indigenous people in remote communities improved quicker than Indigenous health outcomes," he said.
'A true outback legend'
In 2011, Dr Don was recognised as the Queensland Local Hero in the Australian of the Year Awards.
A year later he received the Medal of the Order of Australia for his service to medicine.
As he hung up his wings this year, locals paid tribute to the man who saved their lives.
"Dr Don, you are a true outback legend. Thank you for the years of service in north-west Queensland. You are a hero who has saved many lives. You will be greatly missed by all," said Mount Isa local Marlene Bennett.
"Dr Don you are an extraordinary man. When you downed wheels it felt like the cavalry thundering to our aid. You will be missed by the communities and remote nurses that you have supported so well," said local Justine Collins.
"Dr Don … a true hero! So many owe their lives to his expert knowledge. Myself included," said Susan Stafford.
As for the future, Dr Don has no plans to exit the industry just yet.
"I'm not yet sure what I will do next but I'm excited for what is on the horizon." he said.
"Maybe I'll write a book," he laughed.
