Since she was a young woman, Valra Spilsbury has been caring for creatures big and small.
"I've saved a few lives, I've delivered a few babies," the former nurse said.
Reflecting on her work in remote 1970s Queensland, when "boiling [her] own syringes and sharpening [her] own needles" was the norm, the 85-year-old says a lot has changed.
Her dedication to others through her profession and her work with injured wildlife has earned her several accolades.
She said that recognition paled in contrast to the memories and relationships she has formed along the way.
The community matriarch opened up about what life was like as the only nurse in her outback community and why she swapped out humans for the furry and feathered kind.
Always a country girl
Raised in the outer suburbs of Sydney, a young Val never felt comfortable among throngs of people and traffic.
"I was never fond of the city. Whenever I had a chance I would always escape to try and get away from it all – visit family up the coast of NSW."
So after acquiring her midwifery degree, it was a relief for Val when she was posted to the regional northern New South Wales town of Moree.
"I became the deputy matron at the 130-bed hospital there."
After meeting her husband Robert Spilsbury, the pair left the pristine plains of Moree and made for the red-dirt land of Mount Isa, in north-west Queensland, where Bob had gained work painting a local hotel.
But it was not until 1974 when Bob's work called the couple to the remote hamlet of Boulia that Val felt she had found a place to call home.
One-woman show
For the next 17 years, Val would work as the only permanent nurse servicing her region while also running a local store in partnership with Bob.
"It was just me and a wardsman at the clinic."
She said times were starkly different.
"When I first came out here it was a bit of a shock.
While the work was rewarding, the isolation was often keenly felt, Val said.
"It was challenging work, especially at two o'clock in the morning when you've done everything that you think you should do with the patient.
"It's the loneliness. You just need someone to talk to, [to] let you know if you've done everything right while you're waiting for the RFDS [Royal Flying Doctor Service] to arrive," she said.
Paws and claws
When the time came for Val to hang up her nursing tunics, her love of saving lives didn't stop there.
"My father always had animals. And when we came to Boulia and I worked at the clinic, we used to look after the big dogs and fix them up if they were injured".
Her dedication to her community didn't go unnoticed.
"A lady whose animals I'd looked after nominated me for Australian Citizen of the Year for Boulia, which I received for looking after people and their animals.
"After that, people just kept bringing me wildlife and that's how the sanctuary started off here," she said.
Although her life has since slowed down, Val's passion for the community she has called home for nearly 50 years is stronger than ever.
Beyond countless donations to community groups and event sponsorships, Val and Bob are renowned for hand-picking Christmas gifts for the children of Boulia each year.
Their service to their hometown won them the 2018 Australian of the Year Spirit of Boulia award.
"But for me it's always been about the people around us and the old friends you welcome back each year with the tourist season."
