CV-Library
Locum Vet Surgeon
Locum Vet Surgeon. NSW. Buronga. Australia. $120 p/h. Plus car and a houseboat as your home.
Ready for a locum role that feels more like a life chapter than a job?
From 1st May to 31st July 2026 (and likely the same each year), join a long-standing small animal clinic on two riverfront acres in Buronga NSW. Where your commute is a stroll along the Murray River, and your bed rocks gently on a houseboat in the marina.
You’ll earn $120 per hour and enjoy shorter days than most clinics: Tuesdays 8:30–4:30, Wednesdays 8:30–6:00, Thursdays 8:30–4:30, and Saturdays 8:30–12:30.
After-hours is light, usually nothing between 7pm and 7am, with the odd emergency or quick phone call for a trusted client. It’s sole charge, but never lonely: their Practice Manager (Cert IV, 25 years in the clinic) anchors the team alongside a nurse-receptionist, a groomer, and kennel staff.
The work is the kind that keeps skills sharp and days satisfying. Dogs and cats are their mainstay, with the occasional horse or unexpected visitor from the surrounding countryside. All patients are seen onsite, no home visits, in a clinic built to do things well.
You’ll handle routine desexing, dentistry, lump removals, wound management and, for rescue patients, the occasional femoral head removal or amputation. We keep patient numbers to about 30 a day, so care is never rushed.
They have been serving their local community for thirty years. Their outlook is proudly holistic; “let food be thy medicine” is a guiding principle. Alongside conventional care, they offer veterinary chiropractic, Chinese medicine, acupuncture, behaviour programs, treadmill rehab, and a heated hydrotherapy pool. If you’ve got interest or skills in these areas, you’ll feel right at home.
The setting is a pleasure to work in: paddocks and an undercover dressage arena, shaded yards for up to 30 dogs, and an air-conditioned equine barn that doubles as an all-weather workspace. Within the complex, their grooming centre, boarding facilities, and puppy school hum along, calling on the vet as needed.
Outside work, Mildura shines. It’s one of Australia’s great country towns, perched on the mighty Murray and a gateway to the Outback. You might cruise on a paddlesteamer, kayak at sunrise, waterski, fish for Murray cod, sample local wines, enjoy live music, explore World Heritage-listed Mungo National Park, or visit the silver city of Broken Hill.
Adelaide’s beaches are four hours away; Melbourne and Sydney are just a quick flight from the local airport. We’ll supply a car, the sunsets are free.
If you’re after meaningful medicine, sensible hours, and a lifestyle that makes you grin, we would love to hear from you.
Do the work you love. Live by the river and take home memories that last a lifetime
£60 – £65/hour Accomodation and car