Peter Keith
After graduating from UNSW in 1968 I did my residencies at POW , PHH , RHW and Crown St. Hospitals in Sydney. I married Margaret in 1970. In 1972 we did 3 terms of missionary training at St Andrew’s Hall in Melbourne and went to Tanzania in 1973.
Two of our three boys were born in Tanzania, where we served from 1973 to 1979, working in two Anglican church hospitals. Apart from general hospital and obstetric work. I helped train village health workers. Brian Adams from our year also served in Tanzania at much the same time - in leprosy work.
We had hoped to return to Tanzania in 1980 after doing a Tropical Medicine Diploma in Liverpool, UK but for various reasons weren’t able to.
In 1981 I was invited to join a Christian general practice in Wagga, and we have spent all our subsequent years here.
In 1993 I became the first part-time Executive Director/Coordinator of the new Wagga Wagga and District Division of General Practice and did that for 4 years . These Divisions across Australia from those challenging early days helped change the shape of General Practice quite considerably. Divisions all went through many changes of name and size, currently they are larger units called Primary Health Networks.
I retired from general practice in 2014. I still do interviews for incoming GP Registrar trainees, and still do audits of the local After Hours Cooperative clinic.
I have been a Rotarian for 33 years, and have served in various capacities, Secretary twice and President once. Membership is a major issue with increasing age of members, like so many volunteer organisations.
For the last 23 years I have presented a monthly classical music program on Community Radio and more recently World Music and Movie and easy-listening music . I like all forms of Classical music. We enjoy attending Metropolitan Opera Live-in-HD screenings at our Wagga Forum 6 cinemas.
I serve on a Mental Health Clubhouse model community board, but with all the NDIS reforms going on many ineligible, but still needy clients have been left somewhat stranded. Much advocacy has been required.
I have remained active and committed in the Anglican Church, and have chaired our South Wagga parish for some years.
I enjoy gardening both at home (corner nature strip) and church grounds.
My wife of 48 years works retired as a palliative care community nurse 4 years ago.
She has sung with the Wagga Cantilena Singers for many years.
Our 3 sons are scattered in England, Canada and Wagga, but we have acquired our first 2 granddaughters this year (2018).
We are thankful for good health, good friends, and good community life. Regional cities have much to offer.
Updated 18/10/2020
I no longer do GP Registrar training interviews.
I still do 6 monthly auditing of medical notes from the Wagga Wagga GP Afterhours Clinic.
I am Vice President of Sunflower House, a now stand-alone Mental Health Community resource and meeting place, for needy community members. Adequate Government funding support, NDIS support through a majority of members, keeping clients out of acute facilities, and maintaining good staff are the main challenges.
I am a strong lay leader and advocate at South Wagga Anglican Church, and maintain a thoughtful and practical Christian faith and practice, despite virulent attacks on people of genuine faith and conviction and opposition from many quarters.
Our family details are unchanged. Our youngest son has come through lots of struggles and now lives singly at Nambucca Heads. We have not been able to visit the older two sons and their families in Canada and England since 2019 due to Covid-19 restrictions. We had to cancel a planned 50th Wedding Anniversary celebration this May 2020 in Croatia, but had a quiet celebration in Wagga.
Politically I remain centrist and moderate. I cannot abide the extremes of Right and Left in the media and many organisations. I support sensible climate change action. Medically and theologically I am opposed to Voluntary Assisted Dying, and extreme Abortion and Gender Fluidity views. I remain an active member of the Christian Medical and Dental Fellowship of Australia. I value the Sydney Morning Herald, the ABC -vital for regional and rural Australia-, Media Watch, Qand A,and even the courageous Guardian for daring to stand up to some of the extremes that abound.
I continue to love gardening; Community Radio; Classical, World, Movie and Evergreen middle-of-road Music.
I use Faceboook very economically, watch few videos and little TV, but like the Internet selectively.
One of my new challenges this year is being President of Kooringal Rotary Club for a second time, in a difficult Covid-19 season and the reality of decline Rotary and many Volunteer and Community Service organisations in the West. To be relevant, attract and retain new members we need to reshape and change. Fund raising has been notably affected, and it goes down the line.
I continue to enjoy good health, for which I thank God.