New Permanent GPs
We are very excited to welcome Dr Michelle Bonnici and Dr Kevin Walters to NIHRACS and to Norfolk Island. Appointments to see Dr Michelle or Dr Kevin can be made by calling the GP Clinic on 24134. Michelle and Kevin have kindly provided the following information and photo.
Dr Michelle Bonnici
MBChB, MWomHMed, FRNZCGP, FRACGP
Michelle was born and raised in central South Africa. She studied at the University of the Free State. She has worked as a general practitioner, a police surgeon and 10 years in the field of fertility and gynaecology before training in general practice. She has also studied psychology as an extramural student.
Michelle and her young family moved to New Zealand from South Africa in 1994 and she worked as a general practitioner and in urgent care in suburban Auckland for many years. She also led several quality projects in New Zealand in the field of general practice improvement and diabetes care in the rural area of Northland. She was served as the lead general practice representative on the bowel screening programme trial in NZ. She is an honorary senior lecturer at Auckland University and has been accredited to teach medical students and GP trainees.
In 2013 Kevin, Michelle and their family including 3 sons and 3 grandsons, moved to Australia where Michelle has worked as a general practitioner in NSW, Queensland and Tasmania with a special interest in women’s health. She completed her Masters degree from the University of NSW in Womens Health Medicine (with distinction) in 2016. Over the past year, she has worked on remote King Island in the Bass Strait with Kevin where she most enjoyed being a family practitioner in the small community.
Michelle enjoys nature and the outdoors, travelling, reading, boating, fishing and target shooting.
Dr Kevin Walters
BHB, MBChB, Dip Paeds, FRNZCGP, FRACGP
Kevin was born in England and grew up in New Zealand. He graduated from Auckland University and completed the General Practice Training Programme and a Diploma in Paediatrics in Whangarei, Northland, New Zealand. It was here that his love for rural general practice and urgent care began. Since then he has had an interesting and versatile career in rural Northland, suburban Auckland and more recently regional and remote Australia. He has a special interest in General Practice Management and Design and worked part time as a general practice consultant assisting New Zealand practices with process change. Six years ago, Kevin and Michelle moved to Australia and settled in regional NSW where they worked together in a large Superclinic. In the past 2 years they have worked in rural practices in Queensland and most recently spent a year on King Island. Tasmania
King Island is a remote farming community with a population similar to Norfolk Island. Kevin enjoyed caring for families in that setting, and actively being part of the community. He especially enjoyed the challenge of emergency medicine and covering the small island hospital. He has recently refreshed his early emergency, trauma and remote medicine experience. He also received formal training in taking x rays and ultrasound in remote settings. Kevin is also accredited to teach medical students and GP trainees, and has done so in both NSW and New Zealand.
Kevin and Michelle have 3 sons and 3 grandsons. Kevin has a love of the great outdoors which includes fishing, camping, diving, boating and clay pigeon shooting. He is interested in cooking and the production, growing, and history of food. He also enjoys engineering and likes restoring motorbikes and cars.