Bush & Southern Hawkes Bay Districts Veterinary Club

Bush and Southern Hawkes Bay Vet Club has been in the Tararua since the 1940’s. Originally, the employed Vets practiced “out of the boot of their car” in an area from Norsewood to Eketahuna.  In the 1980’s the Vet Club became a ‘contract’ practice whereby the Veterinarians took a contract with the Vet Club to provide Veterinary services in the area.

The vet clubs were set up initially to ensure that there were veterinarians in the regions to provide veterinary service for a growing pastoral farming industry.  The vet club remains the owner of the land and buildings and maintains a relationship with the veterinary businesses to ensure farmer needs are still met.

The Current Executive is as Follows:

Chair                                   David Hunt

Deputy Chair                    Andrew Day

Committee:                      Simon Walker

                                             Cole Simmons 

                                             Sarah Gibbs  

                                             Sandra Cordell

Secretary:                         Sam Ellingham

Club Member Benefits

The Vet Club focus is to advocate for farmer needs but it also provides

  • Funding for projects
  • Funding and resources for clinical trials 
  • Annual Tertiary Scholarships. 

Vet Club Members also receive discounts off veterinary services throughout the year. Membership is a small fee added to their account annually. Anyone who is interested in becoming a member can contact Ali McAnulty, Dannevirke Practice Manager (06) 374 7021.

Scholarships 

For over 20 years a discretionary study grant has been available from the Vet Club to a 4th year Massey University veterinary student.  The grant was set up to stimulate an awareness and interest in rural large animal practice. 

Mixed Practice Veterinarian, Nicole Lansdown was our 2017 study grant recipient.

Nicole originally from Dannevirke, now works at Vet Services Waipukurau. Here is what she had to say about the Vet Club Study Grant.

“The Bush and Southern Hawkes Bay Study Grant has been invaluable to me during my final year of veterinary study. It has allowed me to see practice around the country, and meant I have been able to see a variety of practice and management types. This has enabled me to make decisions about the direction I will choose over the next few years, and the different options available in veterinary science. Thank you to Bush and Southern Hawkes Bay Vet Club again for the opportunities they have provided.”