Advertisement for $680,000 outback job leaves Aussies gobsmacked

An advertisement for a job in a remote Australian town has caught the attention of the country – with people floored by a single detail.

A single ad for a job located in a remote Aussie town has caught the attention of the nation, with a particular detail in the description leaving many gobsmacked.

The town of Julia Creek is looking for a new GP and the right applicant will see themselves earning a very enviable pay packet.

With a salary range between $476,082 up to $680,277 a year, free accommodation, five weeks annual leave and a motor vehicle allowance, it sounds like the perfect gig.

The catch is, Julia Creek, which has a population of 549 people, is located in outback Queensland, about 280km from Mt Isa.

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The outback town of Julia Creek in the Queensland outback is looking for a new GP. Picture: Evan Morgan

The town is located 280km east of Mount Isa. Picture: Google Maps

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The unusual details of the job have caught the attention of Aussies around the country. People have been quick to weigh in on whether they would take the job, given the opportunity.

Unsurprisingly, many people said they would move to Julia Creek in a heartbeat.

“I’m not a GP but willing to move wherever. I’m sure I can diagnose any patient with the help of doctor Google,” one social media user said.

“Can they wait few more years? I will start studying now,” another joked.

One person thought it was such a good deal that they would be willing to take the job for $200,000 less than what was being offered.

“$13k a week plus rent free house. That’s insane,” another wrote.

There were hundreds of other comments agreeing that $680,000 was more than enough for them to pack up their lives and move to the outback.

However, not everyone was convinced.

One person claimed the salary wasn’t enough for a doctor working in the outback, while another claimed they wouldn’t take the role even if they were offering “double” the salary.

“Just looked this place up on Google maps. They are going to have to double that salary! It’s not enough,” one wrote.

The role is paying up to $680,000 a year.

Another person asked “what is the point” of earning such a high salary if there wasn’t anything around to spend it on.

Others questioned what the “work-life” balance would be like being the only doctor in town and one simply claimed it wasn’t “worth the stress”.

Applications for the role close today and, despite the interest it has generated online, it seems it hasn’t translated to an influx of applicants.

McKinlay Shire councillor John Lynch said there had been “a few nibbles”.

“But nothing yet,” he told the Courier Mail.

This isn’t the first time the town has made headlines. Julia Creek made national headlines back in 2022 for its initial campaign to lure a permanent doctor to the area.

At that point, the town had been without a local general practitioner for two years and they were offering up a $500,000 annual salary, plus a rent free house in a bid to find someone.

The role was ultimately filled by Dr Adam Louws, who packed up his young family and moved them from Brisbane to the outback.

Dr Adam Louws, who moved to Julia Creek two years ago to fill the GP position, is now moving on.

Applications for the role close today.

However, his stint in Julia Creek has come to an end, with Dr Louws telling the ABC, while he loved the town, it was time to move on.

“My kids are growing up, and there’s some family issues we need to be there for,” he said.

“It has been great, I’ve really enjoyed the experience, it’s everything that I hoped it would be. I just really hope they’re able to find another doctor quickly.”

Before Dr Louws moved to the town, the closest doctor was in Richmond, 147km away.

According to the job advertisement, the successful applicant will be “at the heart of the Julia Creek community”.

In addition to all the perks already mentioned, the role also comes with a regional and rural attraction allowance of 15 per cent of the base annual salary, an inaccessibility allowance and 3.6 weeks of extra leave for professional development.

“Live and work surrounded by the expansive landscape of outback Queensland. Spend more quality time doing the things you love or with your family,” the ad states.

“No traffic jams or long commute here – simply black soil plains, blue sky and burnt orange sunsets.”