New Norfolk doctors notch 111 years service to their community

“I see people on the street who I delivered as a baby, and now they are grandparents” ... a New Norfolk doctor’s amazing service to his community.

Dr Ralph Peters, 91, and Dr Micheil Sweet, 89. The New Norfolk doctors are two of Australia's most experienced general practitioners. Picture: NIKKI DAVIS-JONES

THE “good old days” are now, working in a profession they love.

Between them, general practitioners Dr Micheil Sweet, 89, and Dr Ralph Peters, 91, have clocked up 111 years of looking after the health of their community.

Despite the long service, retirement is not on the horizon for the Derwent Valley GPs.

“We love our work,” said Dr Sweet. “I believe having a passion is a very important factor in living a long and healthy life.”

Dr Sweet has just celebrated 60 years of being a GP in New Norfolk, and Dr Peters has been a doctor in the town for 51 years.

Dr Peters, who is the oldest doctor working in Tasmania, said he enjoyed every day he went to work.

“It gives me an opportunity to see people and talk to people every day.”

They both share old-school standards, such as donning ties and polished shoes, but have diverged in their choice of writing implements.

“I still like to write my clinical notes in ink,” said Dr Sweet, who has an ink bottle and fountain pen on his antique desk.

Dr Peters said he was happy using the many pens sent to him by pharmaceutical companies.

They also both still perform house calls, although they are no longer rushing around delivering the babies they did decades ago.

“We used to have to rush out on patients during consultations to deliver babies,” Dr Peters said.

“As general practitioners, that was part of our responsibility.”

Dr Sweet said they would have delivered hundreds of babies over the years.

“I see people on the street who I delivered as a baby, and now they are grandparents,” Dr Sweet said.

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While the obstetric demands have decreased, they said the house calls remained popular as patients appreciated the time the doctors had to listen.

The pitfall was succumbing to hospitality on every visit.

“Sometimes you have to dodge the cups of tea, or you’ll be having 60 a day,” Dr Sweet said.

Both of the doctors moved to New Norfolk from outside of Tasmania, and have never left.

Dr Peters arrived in New Norfolk from South Africa in 1968, because he wanted to escape the political uncertainty of his birthplace.

Dr Sweet first visited New Norfolk in 1946 while holidaying from Victoria, and instantly loved it.

“I thought it was so beautiful here and that’s why I returned to live,” said Dr Sweet, who moved here in 1959.

Surrounded by a community they have cared for over decades, neither has ever wanted to live anywhere else.

They have both received Order of Australia medals for service to medicine and the people in their community.

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