Meet Our People

Tony Tully

Practice Owner & Senior Veterinarian BVSc

Tony first came to Naracoorte as a new veterinarian way back in in 1992. He has owned the business since 2009.

He grew up in the pastoral area of far west Queensland in the channel country. He completed his Bachelor of Veterinary Science at the Queensland University and graduated in 1990. Once his studies were complete, he spent a year in the Western Australian Kimberley, then moved to Naracoorte in 1992 to work for the Naracoorte & Penola Veterinary Centres for 6 years, before returning to the Kimberley for another 7 years. In 2005 Tony returned to Naracoorte to work for the Naracoorte & Penola Veterinary Centres and in 2009 he purchased the practice and is still the proud owner today.

Tony loves his job as a country vet. He has a passion for the local community, for helping people and their animals and enjoys leading his great team of people doing high quality work. Tony loves the variation of his work and has developed skills in small animal orthopaedics, large animal medicine and surgery and artificial breeding of horses. In 2020 he partnered with the Adelaide University to formally train final year Veterinary students in Rural Practice.

Tony and his partner Brooke live on a small farm on the edge of town and has three dogs, one cat, two pet cows, 9 horses, 50 sheep and some chooks. He is a father to four children and stepdad to two. He believes he is the luckiest person in the world.

Brittany Voss

Veterinarian - DVM

Brittany graduated from the University of Adelaide in 2012. After graduating she spent six years working in rural mixed practice in the Southeast of SA before deciding to change fields and specialise in sheep production and medicine. Brittany spent two and a half years as an on-farm advisor for a large sheep cell grazing enterprise where she managed the cell grazing program.

Recently, Brittany completed her certificate in Sheep Worm Management and is an accredited Paraboss Advisor. In her spare time Brittany is a busy mother to two young kids and runs a small beef and sheep operation with her husband.

Brittany is extremely passionate about sheep production and working alongside producers to maximise their production. She is looking forward to offering her services to our clients in the coming years.

Dr Ellena Hillbrich

Dr Ellena Hillbrich

Veterinarian BVSc

Ellena graduated from University Of Queensland in 2001 and moved to the South East to immerse herself in the diverse experience of mixed practice. Over the years she has ventured out of the South East to view the grass on the other side of the fence as a locum, including back home in East Gippsland, to her dairy farm beginnings. Ellena has studied further in Equine Dentistry, and in 2016 completed the Sydney University CVE Sonology course. She lives on a Prime Lamb producing property in Lochaber, with her partner Justin and their two children. Justin keeps her busy looking after sheep and caring for his polocrosse horses and working dogs, their children keep her just plain busy. Ellena has swapped her bike in the past few years and is trying to learn how to play polocrosse.

Lauren Sebek

Lauren Sebek

Veterinarian BVSc

Lauren graduated from the Melbourne University in 2012 and moved to Mount Gambier for her first job. After three years Lauren began travelling the country as a locum before filling a short-term position in Melbourne at a small animal clinic. She then travelled overseas and on the way home spent a month in India obtaining her Yoga Teacher Training Certificate. In 2017 Lauren started at the Naracoorte & Penola Veterinary Centres where she has been an amazing small animal vet since.

Lauren now works three days a week and is kept busy by her little boy on her other days, she loves her garden and yoga too when she has the chance!

Rebecca Schubert

Veterinarian BVSc BVB

Becky graduated in 2013 from Charles Sturt University and went on to work in mixed practice in Benalla, Victoria for 5 years. It was here she discovered her love for sheep work, and moved to Hamilton where she worked for Livestock Logic to further her skills and knowledge in this area.

After meeting a lovely farmer near Naracoorte, she joined the team at Naracoorte Vets in 2019.

Becky now works part time, juggling veterinary work, looking after her two girls Sophie and Georgie and helping out on their sheep and cropping property.

Rory Speirs

Rory Speirs

Veterinarian DVM

Rory joined the team in December 2022 as a new graduate veterinarian after completing his studies at the University of Adelaide.

Rory grew up on a sheep and beef farm outside of Casterton in SW Victoria, which began his passion for sheep and beef production medicine. In addition to his love of ruminants, Rory has also developed a keen interest in wildlife medicine and enjoys working with native Australian fauna.

Outside of work Rory can be found either working on the family farm, playing football or working with his young kelpie, Edith, whom he adopted soon after starting work here.

Danielle De Barro

Danielle De Barro

Head Nurse – Certificate IV Veterinary Nursing

Danielle began working for the Naracoorte Vet Clinic in 2020. Danielle grew up just up the road in Keith on a small farm with many animals. She completed her veterinary nurse studies in 2018, but headed to Perth for a change of scenery before returning to South Australia in 2020 to begin her career in the Veterinary Industry.

Out of work you will find Danielle and her partner working hard on their little farm, riding her horse or playing with her three kelpies.

Abbie O'Brien

Abbie O'Brien

Veterinary Technician - BSc Veterinary Technology, Certificate I & II in Animal studies

Abbie grew up in the Mid North in the small town of Robertstown, on a farm which kick started her passion for animals. In high school Abbie completed a Certificate I & II in Animal Studies, which helped drive her to complete her degree of Bachelor of Veterinary Technology at the University of Adelaide in 2022.
In December 2022 Abbie moved to Naracoorte and began working for the Naracoorte Veterinary Clinic. Abbie finds working in the Veterinary Industry rewarding and can’t wait to meet all the clients and their animals.

On the weekends you’ll find Abbie tearing up the netball court for Border Districts or travelling back to her hometown to get her farm fix and ride her horse.

Elsa Keller

Elsa Keller

Veterinary Nurse - BSc (Animal Behaviour) & Certificate II & III in Animal Studies

Elsa grew up in Tintinara on a sheep farm where she completed all her schooling and Certificates II & III in Animal Studies.
Elsa spent her gap year working in a cattle feedlot, before moving to Adelaide to complete a Bachelor Degree in Animal Behaviour at Flinders University. Once graduated from uni Elsa moved to Naracoorte to begin her employment with the Naracoorte Vet Clinic and began her study in Certificate IV Veterinary Nursing in 2021.

Combined with her partner, Elsa has one cat, three horses and eight dogs which keep them busy enough on the weekends along with managing a property near Millicent.

Sharnna Mansell

Sharnna Mansell

Certificate IV Veterinary Nurse + Bachelor of Animal Science

Sharnna grew up in Casterton and moved to Roseworthy after finishing high school where she completed a Bachelor of Animal Science. She began working at the Penola Vet Clinic in 2015 and completed her Cert IV in veterinary nursing in 2019.

Predominately working at the Penola clinic, Sharnna enjoys meeting everyone’s pets and talking with clients while being able to support and help them when it is needed.
Sharnna has 3 fur babies at home, Lexi the dalmatian, Ziggy the Labrador and Cleo the cat that keep her occupied when not at work.

Recently married in 2022, Sharnna and her husband are expecting the arrival of their first non-fur baby towards the end of 2023.

Leisha Amos

Leisha Amos

BASc (Veterinary Technology)

Leisha has been a Veterinary Technician for 20 years now after graduating from the University of Queensland with a Bachelor of Animal Science specialising in Veterinary Technology in 2003.

She began her nursing career in a small animal general practice clinic in Mackay, Queensland before moving to Brisbane to work in a solely Equine specialty referral clinic where she worked for almost 10 years. Despite really enjoying this work, she wanted a change and to further her skills so began working at the University of Queensland’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital in both the Equine and Small Animal ICU departments. She also worked with the Animal Emergency Service in Underwood, Brisbane where she mostly nursed in the dedicated Pet Intensive Care Unit with the occasional shifts in the Emergency department. It was here that Leisha really developed her love of small animal emergency and critical care nursing and further expanded her interest in anaesthesia and pain management.

In 2015 Leisha began traveling Australia whilst locum nursing and playing polocrosse and in November 2016 began work at the Naracoorte Vets. Leisha and her husband now permanently live in the region on a small 30 acre hobby farm with our young daughter and a host of animals.

Fiona Copping

Fiona Copping

Veterinary Nurse - Certificate IV Veterinary Nursing

Fiona grew up on a farm just over the border near Benayeo. Surrounded by animals from a young age she developed a love for all animals early on and decided in her teenage years that she wanted to be a veterinary nurse.

Fiona began working as a veterinary nurse shortly after finishing high school, she did on the job training to gain her Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing. After 10 years of nursing she gave up my full time position to have her first child with husband Roger, they now have 3 children.
Fiona feels very fortunate to have understanding bosses that have accommodated her return to work on a casual basis working around family life. She loves the variety that comes with the job, working with animals and the fabulous team of people makes going to work very easy!

Fiona and her family live on a farm, and are constantly surrounded by a menagerie of animals, dogs, horses, cats, guinea pigs, chooks and in the winter months a poddy lamb or 10! She loves life on the farm and spending time with her family and two pet dogs Sadie and Dusty.

Brooke Hislop

Brooke Hislop

Veterinary Nurse - Certificate III Companion Animal Services

Brooke moved to Naracoorte from Adelaide in 2005. She started with the Naracoorte and Penola Veterinary Centres in 2019 and is currently completing her Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing. B

rooke has a passion for large animals, emergency and critical care, orthopaedics and artificial breeding of horses and she manages the artificial breeding programs for the clinic.

She has her own Quarter Horse stud, has two pet cows, three dogs, 9 horses, 50 sheep, a cat, chooks, three children and three stepchildren.

Rachael Baxter

Veterinary Nurse – Certificate 3 Kennel Cattery Practices

Rachael grew up in Queensland, but moved to chilly Millicent where she now lives with her husband and son.

Rachael started working at the Penola Vet Clinic in 2007 and over the years has worked in both of the clinics. Rachael has experience in customer service roles, animal charity work and veterinary nursing. She enjoys serving the close knit community of Penola by supporting clients and patients with their needs, and always has a smile (and treat!) for anyone who stops by. Rachael has a soft spot for senior dogs and cats and enjoys fostering and caring for animals in need. She is also one of the truly nicest humans you could ever possibly meet!

Verity Coles

Veterinary Nurse - Certificate IV Veterinary Nurse

Verity began nursing in Sydney in 2008, she completed her Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing in early 2010 and worked in a small animal practice for five years. She then took a few years off to focus on external study (which she is now doing her Bachelor of Psychology and Master of Social Work) and travel.

Verity started at the Naracoorte Vet Clinic in 2018 and is a serious collector of cats, having five of them and two dogs. Verity has a soft heart and will take home just about any creature to give it a chance.

Tamlyn Symonds

Training Certificate IV Veterinary Nurse

Sophie Munro

Training Certificate IV Veterinary Nurse