Associate Professor Anthony Dowling grew up as ‘just another bush kid’.

His family property, Merritop is 120 kilometres northwest of Hay, and 40 kilome tres north of Oxley.

Their family connection on Merritop continues, with Anthony’s older brother Daniel and sister-in-law Natalie now running the property.

Anthony’s father, Ted, was a soldier settler.

Ted drew the block in a post-World War II ballot.

Ted’s original one-room tin hut still stands on the family property.

The other soldier settlers in the area were neighbours John McKeon at Kitcho, and Bill Goulding at Curragh.

Anthony’s mother, Faye, came from Swan Hill where her father, Keith Dunoon owned the chemist.

Faye studied pharmacy, and Merritop’s pan try was always stocked with interesting potions and ointments.

Anthony’s childhood revolved around all things associated with an isolated Merino sheep property.

His fondest memories include draining the airstrips after rain with the station hand Claude Woods (Gubba Woods’ great uncle), who worked with Ted for over 40 years.

Once drains were dug, Claude walked around the house paddock to check the rams.

Anthony and his siblings, Daniel and Sally would follow, looking at animal tracks, skid ding on clay pans, looking at the vegetation springing to life, and smelling the bush smells.

Often, they would be covered in mud and Faye would hose them down before they were allowed inside.

Fox whistling with Claude was another memorable childhood activity.

“Claude would make fox whistles out of Log Cabin Tobacco tin lids and choose a hiding spot near a swamp or up a black box tree,” Anthony recalled.

“It was always exciting watching the foxes run through the bushes before being shot.”

Correspondence schooling started in a Merritop bedroom converted to a school room. “Mum found teaching two children hard enough, so when it came my turn to start school, the Tarwong Subsidised School was born,” Anthony said.

“There, a governess schooled the Dowling and Schiller families.

“The school was in the dining quarters of the Tarwong shearing shed, owned by the Schillers.

“Claude and Mum would drive us children to school.

"I was there for five years with my good friend and fellow classmate Louise Schiller (Hurst).

“In grade four, I would drive the Datsun ute to and from school.”

In 1977 the school closed, and Louise and Damien Shiller, and Anthony boarded at Claughton House for Year six to attend St Mary’s in Hay. Boarding at Ted’s old school, Assumption College, Kilmore, followed for the next six years.

“Dad would often fly Daniel and I in the family Cessna to Moama to catch the bus back to Kilmore,” Anthony said.

Mail runs were twice a week. “I still remember opening the old blue mail bag at Merritop to receive the offer to study medicine at the University of Melbourne,” he recalled.

Notably, St Mary’s classmate John Johnston also started medicine the same year.

Meanwhile, Sally was in Sydney studying Wool and Pastoral Sciences at the University of NSW, now working in Hay at Local Land Services as a Senior Land Services Officer.

Six years later, Anthony graduated and commenced work as a doctor at St Vincent’s Hospital in Melbourne.

Over the next few years, he spent time working in Swan Hill, Shepparton and Warrnambool.

After four years of hard work and passing his physician exams, he spent another three years of specialist training before becoming a Medical Oncologist; a physician specialising in the medical treatments of cancer.

He married Karen Sims in 1994 and they moved to Toronto, Canada so Anthony could develop international experience.

Whilst there he completed a Clinical Epidemiology qualification at the University of Toronto.

Almost three happy years were spent in Toronto, which included the welcome births of Ruby and Angus.

Clinical research was undertaken, and manuscripts published.

The academic endeavours formed the foundation of his Doctor of Medical Sciences thesis.

Anthony returned to St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne in 1999 as a Medical Oncologist and 26 years later remains there.

For many years he was a visiting Medical Oncologist for Echuca and Shepparton and came across several Riverina families who required treatment.

Anthony specialises in genitourinary cancers, particularly prostate cancer, and brain cancers.

He is still actively involved in clinical research and teaches medical students, interns, and physician trainees.

He is a Clinical Associate Professor from the University of Melbourne. Anthony enjoys returning to the Hay area to catch up with family and friends.

Hiking, kayaking and photography, especially of birds, are favourite pastimes.

He admires the prodigious photography talent of Margie McClelland and Alix McFarland and enjoys seeing what they post on social media.

Anthony and Sally have kayaked many kilometres along the Murrumbidgee and Lachlan rivers along with lakes in the Hay, Booligal and Balranald areas.

Sea kayaking in Tasmania, the Ningaloo reef at Exmouth and around Komodo Island in Indonesia have also been ticked off the bucket list.

Getting out of the city and off the beaten track to trek in remote places is also a favourite pastime, with destinations including Madagascar, Mongolia, Borneo, Bhutan, New Zealand, Scotland and Kokoda.

While in Australia trek highlights include Lara Pinta, the Bungle Bungles, Jatbula, Kakadu, Overland Track, and Victorian High Country, along with solo hikes such as the Great South West Walk near Portland and Wilson Promontory.

And he has white water rafted some of Australia’s great rivers such as the Franklin, Snowy and Mitchell.

Anthony’s message to readers is not to for get to look after your body and mind.

“Just as a car needs a service, so does your body,” he said.

“Women must find time to attend mammograms and PAP smears. “Likewise, regular skin checks are critical for everyone, as is doing the poo test (faecal occult blood (FOB)) that comes in the mail once you turn 50.

“The chance of being cured of your cancer is very much dependent on it being detected as early as possible.

“Don’t ignore early warning signs and do the screening tests. Equally important is dental hygiene and blood pressure checks along with maintaining a healthy diet, healthy weight, and exercising regularly.

“Men must also have regular check-ups including blood pressure and the water works. If it’s taking you a long time to pass urine, it’s time to tell your doctor about it.”

Additionally, Anthony encourages the kids of the area to dream big. “Just because you grow up in a remote area, doesn’t mean you can’t achieve,” he said.

“Like most things in life, you need to work hard to achieve your goals.

“You will likely need to leave the area to at tend university and to gain experience, but there is more flexibility these days due to online courses.

“I wish all you bush kids all the very best.”