Dr Anne Parker OAM awarded for serving as country GP for more than 40 years

Living in the country was always a dream for the general practitioner who grew up in the city, and has since worked in Africa, central QLD, the Rockhamptons, country NSW, the Northern Territory and the Highlands.

She co-founded the Walker St General Practice in Bowral in 1992 and considered her patients like they were a part of her family.

Since leaving the practice, Dr Parker OAM flies in and out of the Northern Territory for weeks at a time to work at a remote clinic, and offers telehealth services for these patients when she is in the Highlands.

With more than 40 years servicing people in regional areas as a GP under her belt, she received a Rural Medical Service Award by the NSW Rural Doctors Network on November 25.

The not-for-profit, non-government organisation aims to improve the health and wellbeing of people in remote, rural, regional and disadvantaged Aboriginal communities in NSW and the ACT.

While she was "flummoxed" when she found out, the GP said meeting different people and building rapport with them were the highlights of her career.

"It's all about relationships - you and your patients get to know each other," she said.

"It's not ticking boxes and not knowing everything but caring enough to find out."

Dr Parker OAM has also served as the visiting medical officer at Bowral and District Hospital and the Southern Highlands Private Hospital, the deputy chair and chair at the Southern Highlands Division of General Practice and a clinical senior lecturer and coordinator at the University of Wollongong.

She also received a Medal of the Order of Australia in 2020 in the late Queen Elizabeth II's birthday honour list.

"I'm grateful I've had a career in the country, I'm grateful for Bowral and my patients," she said.