About Us
Our practice is owned and operated by Dr Peter Wishart, Dr Sam Morgan and Dr Bess Morgan, with Bess joining the management team in late 2024. Peter, Sam and Bess are passionate about providing high quality service to the animals and people of Longford, as well as across the Northern Midlands and surrounds of Launceston. They are well supported by Dr Carol Dowty, Dr Helen Law, Dr Sarah White, Dr Mark Dunkley, Dr Lauren McFadyen and Dr Jade Franklin. Our amazing vets provide a combined experience of well-over 50 years working in rural mixed-animal practice - and with backup when needed (i.e. we may be busy on other calls!) from Launceston's Animal Emergency Hospital, we offer full 24-hour emergency services for all creatures great and small!
Dr Peter Wishart
Peter spent his early years in the town of Tatura in northern Victoria, where his father was a partner in a large mixed-animal veterinary practice. When going out on calls with his father, farmers would often ask whether he was going to be a vet like his Dad. The answer was always ‘no’ (!) but by the time he got to the point of making decisions about what he wanted to do with his life, Peter ended up enrolling in Veterinary Science. Since making that decision, he hasn’t looked back! Graduating from the University of Melbourne in 2011, Peter took his first job at Scottsdale Veterinary Services in north-east Tasmania, where he was exposed to a large caseload of different animal species. This job enabled him to develop a wide variety of skills, from caesarians on dogs to ultrasound pregnancy diagnosis in cattle, as well as horse dentals and everything in between! Peter enjoys the challenges of mixed-animal practice, and is always working to improve his skills and knowledge. He is an accredited Countdown Mastitis Advisor, has done further training in equine dentistry, and is also an Australian Cattle Veterinarians (ACV) accredited Bull Tester. In his spare time, Peter greatly enjoys spending time with his wife and three young children. He is an avid gardener and relishes going bushwalking and taking time out reading.
Dr Sam Morgan
Sam grew up in northern Tasmania, and lived on King Island during his early high school years. After finishing school in Launceston, he spent time working and mustering cattle in the Northern Territory before returning to study a Bachelor of Science in Hobart. Following completion of this degree, Sam was keen to spend some time away from computers (!) and took a job at a beef and lamb feedlot in western NSW. It was there he became interested in veterinary science and bovine (cattle) medicine, and enrolled in a post-graduate veterinary degree at the University of Melbourne. In 2014, Sam was awarded the Australian Veterinary Association's Don Kerr Student Award for excellence in cattle medicine. Sam first worked as a veterinarian at Scottsdale Veterinary Services, receiving an excellent breadth of experience in all facets of rural veterinary practice, especially equine and bovine medicine. Prior to moving to Longford, Sam worked at Guyra District Veterinary Services in NSW where there are more beef studs per hectare than anywhere else in Australia, and gained excellent experience in beef stud practice.
Sam particularly likes being a mixed-animal practitioner, and providing an essential service to his rural community. He enjoys working his Australian Stock Horses, bushwalking, fishing and rock climbing, and spending time with his family.
Dr BESS Morgan
Bess grew up in country Tasmania and, after completing high school, she headed north for two years to work as a station hand in the Northern Territory. Bess then went on to study a Bachelor of Animal Science with Honours at Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga. Her thesis looked at the influence on conception rates of grazing ewes on lucerne at their time of joining, furthering her interest in animal health - she then studied a Bachelor of Veterinary Science at James Cook University in Townsville. In 2018, Bess was awarded the Excellence in Veterinary Pharmacology Prize in recognition of her outstanding academic results. She moved south again after graduating and gained good mixed-practice experience, with a particular focus on equine medicine and surgery, while working at Station Street Veterinary Clinic in Koo Wee Rup, Victoria. We were very pleased to welcome Bess to our team at the end of 2019, along with her faithful dog and friend, Ollie. She is enjoying more horse riding and spending time with her family back in Tasmania (Bess is Sam's sister). She has also been triathlon training - you may see her (and Ollie) running or cycling around Longford!
Dr CAROL DOWTY
Carol originally hails from the United States of America, having grown up in California. However, while a Yankee by birth, she has now been in Australia for more than 10 years (and counting)! Carol moved to Australia to commence a Bachelor of Veterinary Science at the University of Sydney - she decided she wanted to be a vet after working as a Veterinary Nurse for nearly 10 years! During her studies, Carol also worked as a Veterinary Nurse in Sydney (and won the University of Sydney's 2012 International House Idol competition). After graduating, Carol headed north to work in a rural mixed-animal practice located in Dungog, NSW. Carol has found working as a true mixed-animal practice veterinarian a real joy - no day is ever the same; she can get her hands dirty; have a lot of fun; and really become a part of the rural community. On deciding she wanted to further expand her horizons, Carol was thrilled to find we were advertising for a veterinarian - and we were equally thrilled when she joined our team in early 2020. When not working or playing fetch with her cat, Nashville, you might find Carol on the rugby pitch - or even enjoying a cheeky night of karaoke at the pub!
Dr Helen Law
Helen has always wanted to be a vet, and completed her veterinary studies at the University of Sydney... in the same cohort as Carol! On graduating in 2016, there was never any doubt Helen would choose to work in rural practice. She moved to the central tablelands of NSW, working at a mixed-animal practice with branches in both Oberon and Hartley. Helen treated a wide range of animals there, including dogs, cats, cows, horses, sheep, goats, and even the occasional buffalo and camel! Oberon helped prepare Helen for our Tassie winters - at 1,100m elevation, she experienced multiple snowfalls each year. She also acquired her canine sidekick, Lester, in Oberon. He is a lanky, floppy-eared cattle dog x legend (!) who shares her passions for food, hiking and beaches. Helen grew up on the south coast of NSW, and particularly loves swimming and spending time near the ocean. She was lured from the mainland by Carol's hype for her new clinic and island home. Having moved to join us in Tasmania during a pandemic and travel lockdowns, Helen has enjoyed getting to know the locals (both human and animal) - and is regularly off exploring somewhere new, with Lester in tow!
Dr Sarah White
Sarah joined our practice in early 2023, after moving from working at Scottsdale Veterinary Services. Sarah originally hails from a sheep and beef property near a town called Coolah in New South Wales, and graduated from Charles Sturt University in 2020. She has spent time working as a station hand - and has loads of experience in stock work, fencing and general farm maintenance. Sarah is now a passionate mixed-practice veterinarian with a particular focus on production animals. Along with Sam and Peter, Sarah is an Approved Veterinarian for the Tasmanian Ovine Brucellosis-Free Accreditation Scheme, and she is a trained Tasmanian expert in Tas Farm Innovation Hub containment feeding nutrition, annual health management and drought lotting design and setup. In her spare time (!) Sarah is also currently completing a course in ruminant nutrition at the University of Sydney.
Dr Mark Dunkley
Mark graduated from the University of Queensland at the end of 2023 with a passion for all aspects of rural mixed-veterinary medicine. He joined our practice at the start of 2024, and has quickly settled in to the role of a mixed-practice veterinarian. Mark worked as a builder's labourer while studying at university, and his practical and hardworking skills are a true asset to our team! Mark gained experience in many different rural practices across Australia throughout his degree, and has joined us as a highly capable graduate. He has a particular interest in cattle medicine and surgery. With family already in Tasmania, Mark and his wife are relishing getting to know their new home. He particularly enjoys trail running and mountain-biking in our great outdoors, especially at the popular Blue Derby Mountain Bike Trails.
Dr lauren McFadyen
Lauren joined us at the same time as Mark, but would have already been familiar to some clients - as she completed placements with us during her veterinary studies! We were therefore thrilled when she decided to start her career as a veterinarian with us on receiving her Bachelor of Veterinary Science in 2023. Lauren grew up in the Hobart area and had always had planned to get involved in the animal industry. Initially her plan in primary school was to become the classic 'zoo keeper' (!) but eventually Lauren’s love of animals and science merged into a passion for veterinary science. Lauren spent some time after school completing an Animal Studies Certificate at Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary just outside Hobart, and then, before she knew it, graduated with Distinction as a veterinarian from James Cook University. She promptly moved back to Tasmania to join our team! Lauren loves spending time with her family and friends, and experimenting in the kitchen with new recipes.
Dr JADE FRANKLIN
Jade graduated from the University of Melbourne in 2007, and started her career in a rural mixed-practice in northern Victoria before joining the Scone Equine Hospital in NSW as a Stud Veterinarian. In 2011, she moved to the UK to work in mixed and equine practices in Devon, Yorkshire and Scotland, eventually heading up the Equine Department of a mixed practice in the south of England. Jade then returned to Tasmania to be closer to family, and spent a number of years working at Longford Equine Clinic before joining our team. She enjoys all aspects of equine practice but has a particular interest in equine reproduction and stud medicine. In her spare time, Jade enjoys hiking, surfing and cooking.
Meet Our Wonderful Nurses
Our nursing team has grown since Peter and Sam purchased the business at the end of June 2018. Maddi and Monique remain with the practice, and were soon joined by Tara, Lucy and Kristin. More recently, Amy and Lauren have become further fantastic additions to our team! Collectively we provide well over 50 years' vet nursing experience. Our caring, compassionate and practical nursing team is committed to providing the best of services to you and your pets or stock.
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