A new face at Katherine Research Station (KRS) – Joe Schmidt

Joe Schmidt is a veterinary officer for the Northern Australia Quarantine Strategy (NAQS) NT program for the federal Department of Agriculture and Water Resources.

He grew up in Tennant Creek, graduated from Murdoch University in 1997, worked in private practice in Darwin, was an on-course race veterinarian for Darwin Turf Club, and has completed a year’s equine surgical internship at Scone Veterinary Hospital in the Hunter Valley, NSW.

Joe joined the NAQS program in 2006 and, as a field veterinary officer, conducts surveys of domestic and wild animal populations in remote areas of the Northern Territory coast and Papua New Guinea for exotic pests and diseases. He works closely with Indigenous ranger groups, pastoralists, park rangers and the public to educate them about these threats.

His career highlights include securing a memorandum of understanding with Bradshaw and Yampi Sound military training bases, and Kakadu National Park which allows NAQS personnel to survey these restricted areas for exotic pests and disease.

He has made lifelong friends throughout northern Australia’s remote communities and Papua New Guinea, and has been involved in the set-up of the first Indigenous-run sentinel cattle herd in the Northern Territory.

Joe has relocated to Katherine with his wife, three daughters and their menagerie of 15 chooks, five horses, three dogs, two cats, one baby possum, and a British Alpine milking goat called Hootie Bella Star! His wife, Sam, is working with Roper Gulf Shire providing veterinary services to remote communities. He is looking forward to exploring the greater Katherine area with his family, becoming active members of the Katherine Horse and Pony Club, working with biosecurity team here at the KRS, and carrying out NAQS surveillance building on the working relationships with primary producers in the Timber Creek and Gulf regions.