By: Laura Bennett
As far as professions go, being a flying doctor and providing essential healthcare and emergency services to remote and rural patients is an incredibly unique one.
For Elizabeth Green, life as a remote area doctor in the late ’80s and early ’90s was anything but predictable.
“A typical day would never end up typical,” Elizabeth said.
“Uncertainty and topsy turvy-ness [was normal].”
From hospital rounds in Kalgoorlie to urgent flights deep into the Western Desert, Elizabeth’s stories are a testament to the grit, grace, and quiet strength underpinning rural healthcare in Australia.
“A radio call might come from 1,300 kilometres away—a child with a fever, coughing, unwell,” Elizabeth said.
“You had to listen, give advice, and sometimes decide on the spot if you needed to fly out with a nurse.
“Often, I did.
Elizabeth’s resilience was shaped in childhood — raised in remote parts of WA where her father served with Bush Church Aid.
“My dad was a priest, my mum a teacher,” Elizabeth said.
“They gave everything.”
“I didn’t realise how much they sacrificed until much later.”
In her book No Time for Makeup, Elizabeth reflects on these roots and how they fed her sense of calling as a paediatrician.
“Children trust,” Elizabeth said.
“They’re honest.
“And in Kalgoorlie, they could get so sick so fast [but] bounce back too.”
Over time, Elizabeth’s focus shifted to supporting children with anxiety and depression. “There’s been a tsunami of mental health needs in families,” Elizabeth said.
“We need to go back to basics—presence, kindness, being in the moment.”
Now retired from clinical practice, Elizabeth remains deeply motivated by hope.
“I believe in a God who brings light,” Elizabeth said.
“My parents would say, ‘all this will pass’, and I believe that.
“That keeps me going.
“And maybe someone listening will think, ‘I can bring hope to someone too.’”
Elizabeth Green’s book No Time for Makeup is out now.
Article supplied with thanks to Hope Media.
Feature image: Publicity Image
About the Author: Laura Bennett is a media professional, broadcaster and writer from Sydney, Australia.
