Queensland town ups salary offer to $680,000 in second bid to find a GP

Wednesday, 19 March 2025 15:10

A small, outback town is on the hunt for a GP once again, two years after its campaign to recruit a doctor went viral.

A small, outback Queensland town is on the hunt for a GP once again, two years after its campaign to recruit a doctor went viral.

The farming and mining town of Julia Creek, 600 kilometres from Townsville, made headlines in October 2022 when it offered up a lucrative salary of $500,000, plus a rent-free home, for a GP to take up residence there.

The campaign was a hit, and succeeded in attracting a GP to fill the role.

The main street of Julia Creek, which has a population of 500.

However, two years on, the doctor is moving on and Julia Creek is on the hunt for a doctor again.

This time, the town is upping its offer, putting together an eye-watering base salary package of up to $680,000, including allowances for a house and car.

The remuneration package on offer is more than double the average annual salary for GP jobs in Brisbane, which range from $260,000 to $280,000, according to employment website Seek.

Julia Creek, which describes itself as "a small town with a huge heart", is home to roughly 500 residents, with double that number living in the greater McKinlay shire.

As well as the attractive salary, the job offers lifestyle benefits too, the advertisement for the senior medical officer states.

"No traffic jams or long commute here – simply black soil plains, blue sky and burnt orange sunsets," the ad extols.

The town has a small, six-bed day hospital staffed by registered nurses and health workers, which can provide low-level care, as well as temporary care for patients needing to be transferred in an emergency.

Without a doctor in town, residents would need to travel 147km to Richmond.