Meet the team
Principals
Ben Gardiner
Ben arrived from dairy practice in NZ for a spring locum in 1981 and has not found reason to leave. He loves to be hands on and active, and the practice provides enormous variety and challenges that only a rural mixed practice offers – a single day might include orthopaedic surgery, mare reproductive work, semen testing bulls and delivering a calf. Ben is passionate about family and the wild outdoors, and together with Robyn have raised three children, Erin, Mim and Jake and recently acquired a grandson Ed. Ben has been heavily involved in professional development holding many leadership roles including President of the Australian Cattle Veterinarians, Chair of the Board and President of the Australian Veterinary Association. |
Leanne Knight
Leanne completed her veterinary degrees at Charles Sturt University and commenced her veterinary career in northern Victoria where she enjoyed a mixed range of work including dairy, beef, horses and small animals. She then joined our team based in Manilla and continues to thrive on the wide variety of cases. Her veterinary interests include livestock production work and the challenges of small animal and horse medicine and surgery. When not fronting up to work Leanne might be found playing tennis, touch football, or running with her Golden Retriever, Penny. Leanne purchased a partnership and became a director in August 2018 confronting the challenges of the drought. |
Veterinary Associates
Michelle Coulton
Michelle commenced her veterinary career in Warialda and before long was saying yes to her local farmer husband Hugh. She joined our practice in 1995 which enabled us to expand our local services to the Bingara town and district. With the birth of Andrew and Rachel (now teenagers), her veterinary career timetable has had its interruptions, but Michelle loves the variety of rural practice and we love the diligent manner she always brings to her work. Recently Michelle has again eased back on her vet workload to provide greater support on the farm and just maybe enjoy a little more time for family and herself. 
Rebecca Roberts
Rebecca hales from Oberon and so is no stranger to the cold starts in our winters. She completed a science degree prior to graduating as a vet from the University of Sydney. Bec moved to Barraba in January 2016 with partner Jonny, her playful Blue Cattle dog Frank and Floyd the carpet python. Bec enjoys bushwalking and outdoor pursuits and dreams about taking their camper trailer into some wild places (with a nice bottle of Aussie red). She has enjoyed playing in local touch football and netball teams. |
Laura Martin
Laura grew up on the Breeza Plains and completed high school at Gunnedah then graduated from the University of Qld with honours. She joined our practice at the start of 2016 and was quick to adapt to rural practice and life, being at home in both the surgery or on farm. Laura maintains an active and fit lifestyle, joining local soccer, netball and touch football teams. Laura has has a delightful Golden Labrador named ‘Tele’, who makes a big effort to keep up with her while bike riding and jogging. |
Veterinary nursing and support staff
Barraba
Michelle Main Michelle joined the practice in January 2015 after many years of casual support, and is the cheery efficient face to our Barraba front desk and phone. Michelle has always been passionate about her stockhorses, and most of her spare time is engaged in this domain. Together with her husband Craig, they operate a stud close to Barraba, and are actively involved on ASH society committees and as a judge at many events, with Craig enjoying the stage riding Absail Gun at the Sydney 2000 opening ceremony. Their son Philip seems also to have inherited the passion for horses and is an accomplished rider in camp drafts and the show ring. 
Bingara
Chris McNulty Chris joined the practice at the Bingara clinic in 2007 after many years of casual support. Chris has always been passionate about animals and enjoys a menagerie of furry, hairy, woolly and feathered creatures at her home in Warialda. Chris converted this passion into a class-topping Cert IV in Veterinary Nursing and her enthusiasm in the workplace was recognised with the “Employee of the Year” award for Gwydir Shire in 2014. Chris’s special animal passion is the breeding of her Birman cats which have been delivered to homes across Australia. |
Manilla
Suzanne Barton Suzanne joined us at Manilla in 2004, bringing her vibrancy and efficiency to everything around the clinic. Suzanne's love of Arabian horses and her past endurance riding experience created a keen interest in the long term health and soundness of the horses in our lives. This led her to study equine podiotherapy in which she completed a diploma in 2018. Although there are still a number of horses and dogs at home Suzanne now spends much of her spare time travelling the region trimming horses hooves. |