Your Flying Doctor I Spring 2023 Edition

OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE ROYAL FLYING DOCTOR SERVICE WESTERN AUSTRALIA SPRING 2023

furthest corner, finest care

In this edition 3

The long flight home

4

Queen of the skies

6

One million reasons to say thank you

7

Wheels up for Peter

8

Mini plane inspires big donation

9

Emma’s FIFO life

10 Dr Christine’s retirement 12 Back behind the wheel 13 Meet Paul Ingram 14 Incredible community support 15 Recipes from our family to yours Cover and back photos: Captured by RFDS pilot Michael Smart Acknowledgements: Thank you to our RFDS staff, patients and members of our community for the photographs and stories in this publication.

2022-2023 key statistics 9,944 patients retrieved

8,789,000 kms flown

23,100+ hours in the air

16,700+ landings

To our wonderful supporters The Royal Flying Doctor Service is all about people helping people. Every hour of every day, we are able to serve Western Australians when they need us most because of our remarkable crews and the people who support them – including you.

Wherever our patients are across the landscapes of Western Australia, the RFDS is here to serve the people in regional and remote communities.

Later this year, you will be among the first to hear about our new RFDS strategy for WA which will take us up to our 100th anniversary in 2028. As a valued supporter, we want you to hear first about our plans for the future and how we intend to remain as important and relevant in regional WA as we have been for the last century.

We will be holding presentations in regional centres and sharing the news so you can join us on this journey.

Our priorities will include strengthening our flagship aeromedical service while expanding remote health care clinics to provide greater access to everyday health services that people in the bush deserve.

The heartwarming stories of our patients, our crew members and community supporters in this edition of Your Flying Doctor are a tribute to our values and purpose as a service. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have.

Best wishes

17 Pilatus PC-12 Flying Intensive Care Units 3 Rio Tinto LifeFlight PC-24 jets 2 Fortescue Heli-Med Service EC145 Helicopters 2

Judith Barker ASM Chief Executive Officer, Royal Flying Doctor Service (WA)

The long flight home Kim describes Elsie as a warrior, whose development is defying the odds for a baby born so early. Once Elsie had reached a stable level, RFDS WA flew Kim and Elsie home to Perth on a Rio Tinto Lifeflight PC-24 jet on 20 April – two days before Elsie’s original due date.

On the journey back, the jet stopped to refuel at the airport at Uluru, creating a magical moment.

Premature baby Elsie was at the heart of one of RFDS WA’s furthest retrievals.

When Perth couple Kim Kirkman and Warren Bredenhann celebrated Christmas with Warren’s family in Queensland, Kim had reached her second trimester of pregnancy and was feeling great. But several days later, as their holiday continued, Kim suddenly began to experience pre-eclampsia symptoms.

Kim was rushed to Gladstone Hospital, and as her condition deteriorated, taken by ambulance to the larger Rockhampton Hospital.

Now facing the likelihood of having to give birth prematurely, she was flown further north by RFDS Queensland to Townsville University Hospital (TUH), one of Australia’s most renowned Neonatal Intensive Care Unit wards.

“Elsie had been in hospital her whole life, so the first breeze she ever felt was the wind coming off the Red Centre. It was very special,” Kim said.

Kim recalls flying back into Perth after 104 days away.

When we came into land and I saw Rottnest, Kings Park and the city, I became very emotional. I was so incredibly grateful they had got us home.

Elsie’s journey with RFDS was in partnership with the Newborn Emergency Transport Service, a mobile intensive care unit for infants all over WA who need expert neonatal care, supported by a specialist team of doctors and nurses. Elsie was one of 396 NETS transfers involving the RFDS in the past year, and one of only five interstate retrievals.

“The trip was long but was made to feel short by the incredible team work with the RFDS. Nothing was too much trouble for the pilot Drazen Tolic and flight nurse Fiona Yard,” said NETS Dr Jackie Gardiner.

NETS WA nurse Molly Caroll says Elsie’s transfer has been a career highlight.

“With the help of the RFDS, we are able to reach the sickest babies all over WA to provide them with the specialised intensive care they need, giving them the best possible chance. In Elsie’s case, we were able to reach the opposite corner of the country,” Molly said.

After a week of monitoring, Kim gave birth to baby Elsie on 6 January, at just under 25 weeks gestation. Suddenly new parents and away from the comforts of home, Kim and Warren bunkered down at Ronald McDonald House for three months as Elsie gained strength, day by day.

“We were in survival mode. It’s a long, tough slog being in the NICU and pretty touch-and-go until the baby reaches their due date,” Kim said.

3

Queen of the skies Anne Lewis holds the honour of being the first woman to obtain her commercial pilot’s licence in WA and the first woman to fly for the RFDS. At the age of 97, Anne Lewis says she likes to keep life spicy. It’s been that way since she was pulling heart-racing aerobatic stunts in Tiger Moths in the 1940s and dipping to an altitude of just 50 feet amongst ancient castles in Scotland.

Anne was born in Adelaide and grew up in WA. In 1944, at just 18, she joined the Women’s Auxiliary

4

Australian Air Force (WAAAF) and spent two years as an aircraft electrician. Upon her discharge from the WAAAF, Anne trained in a Tiger Moth and built up her hours flying in aerobatic competitions with the Royal Victorian Aero Club while studying at university in Melbourne. In 1949 she returned to WA where she became the state’s first commercially licensed female pilot.

Anne worked for Goldfields Airways, a Kalgoorlie-based charter company set up by her father, pilot George Lewis. It was here that she was on call for the Australian Aerial Medical Service, the original name for the Royal Flying Doctor Service. Anne distinctly remembers her first flight transferring a patient. The woman was picked up from Laverton and transferred to Kalgoorlie whilst suffering an impending breech birth.

“She scared me because she was in absolute agony and screaming the whole way,” Anne recalls.

“That wasn’t a fun job.”

The Official Magazine of the Royal Flying Doctor Service in WA

Of course, in those days, navigation was very primitive,” she said.

“You had to be spoton with map reading and recognising the landmarks below quite often in Western Australia, it was the shape of a salt lake.

In 1950, Anne joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) in the United Kingdom. Keen to help with the Korean War effort, Anne was unable to fly with the Royal Australian Air Force, which didn’t allow female pilots at the time.

In 1953, Pilot Officer Lewis was selected to represent RAF women pilots and be presented to Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh in Hampshire, just a year after the young Queen had been crowned.

“Prince Phillip was into flying and they’d obviously been briefed - he knew I’d been with the RFDS, and asked me quite a few questions.”

After three years with the RAF, Anne joined Skyways, one of the largest charter companies in Europe. She spent 10 years flying an Avro York to more than 100 countries, one of few women in a male dominated profession.

During her years with Skyways, she flew as far north as Iceland, south to Adelaide, east to Tokyo and west to Jamaica.

“The phone would ring and I didn’t know where I was going to go next. One time I was sent to Bombay to pick up a ship’s crew, but it was three weeks until the ship was due in, so we had three weeks in Bombay, watching cinema every night and we joined the local swimming club!”

“It was a dry state and the navigator nearly went mad with lack of alcohol,” she laughs.

Among Anne’s most memorable passengers were cages of Rhesus monkeys, which she would fly from Singapore to London. Their bile was used in polio vaccines.

Anne returned to WA in 1963 and when she didn’t pass her eye exam, took an office job. Anne still enjoys a view from above with a home at the top of Claremont hill. Despite her pilot licence expiring many years ago, she is still confident she could fly an aircraft.

A first time for everything Despite almost 8,000 flying hours on her log, Anne had never been in a helicopter. RFDS helicopter pilot Elaine Cadzow had the honour of taking Anne up in the skies above Perth, along with CEO Judith Barker. As they headed for the aircraft, Anne headed straight for the pilot’s seat.

“Habit!” she exclaimed.

Click here to see the video of Anne’s flight.

“Flying is quite instinctive, regardless of the aircraft.

It’s only the controls that are different.”

5

Flying Doctor Day 2023 On behalf of all of us here at the RFDS in Western Australia, thank you for your generous donations to Flying Doctor Day! We were humbled to have the trust and support of the community as we celebrated the 95th anniversary of the first RFDS flight on 17 May 1928.

An incredible $1,021,410 was raised for our vital service on Flying Doctor Day.

Funds raised will purchase essential medical equipment and supplies for seven RFDS WA aircraft.

Dr John Iliff interviewed by Nine News.

RFDS road vehicle driver Graham Norman with former patient Luna.

One million reasons to say thank you!

Former Premier Mark McGowan in Flying Doctor socks.

Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson at RFDS’ Parliament House morning tea.

MATCHED GIVING PARTNERS

BONUS ROUND PARTNERS RFDS WA Board Member Joanne Farrell

6

Wheels up for Peter Peter Long is lucky to be alive following a cycling crash.

As the long-time Mayor of Karratha, Peter knew many members of his constituency had been patients of the RFDS. Following a cycling crash, he experienced the vital lifesaving care of the RFDS himself.

While out with mates on their regular Saturday morning ride, Peter fell off his bike while travelling at 35km/h - breaking nine ribs, his shoulder and a collarbone. His right lung was also crushed. After being assessed at Karratha Hospital, a request was made for the RFDS to transfer him to Royal Perth Hospital for surgery.

Below images: Peter Long during his transfer to Perth and his mid-flight ultrasound.

We had to fly low because I had punctured my lung and flying at high altitude could be an issue. I was so impressed by all the equipment on the plane and how organised it was – I even had an ultrasound done mid-flight.

“I was quite medicated at that stage, so it was a really good experience!”

Peter recalls. “It was only later that my condition went downhill.”

What wasn’t known when the RFDS was asked to transfer Peter, was that he was suffering internal bleeding from puncturing his lung and diaphragm – and by the time he went into surgery the following evening, he had lost about 70 per cent of his blood.

What the surgeon had expected would be a straight-forward procedure to reset broken bones, ended up lasting more than five hours. Peter woke up from an induced coma in ICU four days later and was surprised to see his daughter and young granddaughter who live interstate by his side, alongside his wife and other daughter.

Peter spent two weeks recovering in Royal Perth Hospital and another two weeks undergoing rehabilitation at St John of God in Mt Lawley, before returning to Karratha. He was able to return to work as Mayor part time after six weeks and is now back full time.

“Because of the blood loss my heart nearly stopped, and the doctor said if I hadn’t been fit, I may not have survived. Losing 70 per cent of your blood is pretty serious,” he said.

Peter now keeps up his fitness on an indoor stationary bike, and laughs that his wife has taken the pedals off his road bike to ensure he doesn’t get back on.

7

Photo by Rhys Hughes

Little plane inspires big donation When aeromodeller Andrew Herzfeld set out to build a replica Rio Tinto Life-Flight PC-24 jet, he dreamed of using it to fundraise for the RFDS. Incredibly, its first unveiling attracted so much attention online, it caught the eye of one of America’s most prolific philanthropists, billionaire film and TV producer Tyler Perry. He was so impressed by the model aircraft that he donated $38,000 to the RFDS WA. Perry is a keen aeromodeller with his own mini airfield at his estate in Atlanta, Georgia. He is also working on building a replica PC-24. Their shared hobby means the two men have become fast friends.

Built with plans supplied by Pilatus Aircraft, Andrew’s model is built to one third of the scale of the original with astounding detail. It features full flight function, navigational lighting and LED screens in the cockpit. During his three year labour of love, RFDS WA gave him access to the Jandakot hangar to take photographs and measurements of the original jet and supplied paint to create an exact match.

A friend was involved in an incident on the Nullarbor and was airlifted to Perth by the RFDS, so I wanted to find a way to give back.

Andrew is planning to take the 70 kilogram model to field days and expos across WA to keep raising funds for the RFDS.

Building the replica was an outlet for Andrew during a battle with bladder and kidney cancer.

“It’s absolutely surreal, I would never have dreamed so much interest would come from this,” Andrew said.

“Having this passion project to work on kept me going through the difficult days of my treatment,” he said.

You can see more photos of the jet at Hertzy’s Hangar on Facebook.

There for you. With your support, the Flying Doctor is able to respond to the evolving health needs of Western Australians. Donate at: rfdswa.com.au/spring 8

The Official Magazine of the Royal Flying Doctor Service in WA

Emma’s FIFO life RFDS remote paramedic Emma Brownrigg has one of the toughest commutes in Western Australia.

“Before I started working as a mining paramedic, I’d never even seen red dirt before,” she said.

If there is an emergency on the site and a patient needs to be retrieved by the RFDS, the nearest airstrip is a four hour drive away.

To get to the Rio Tinto exploration camp where she works, Emma takes a two hour flight from Perth to Port Hedland, and from there it’s a 10-12 hour drive into the Great Sandy Desert on a sandy track. It’s a long way from the picturesque beaches of Queensland’s Sunshine Coast where she grew up, but she wouldn’t have it any other way.

Emma is the paramedic for a team of about 20 people where temperatures can reach a sizzling 45 degrees. They are a tight-knit team, with four people sharing a caravan, on a two weeks on, two weeks off roster.

Emma is one of 11 RFDS paramedics in WA supporting people working on remote mine sites or offshore vessels, an extension of traditional 24-hour aeromedical retrieval services and primary healthcare clinics.

Emma relishes the challenge of working with minimal resources.

She is currently completing her Masters in Public Health, and is passionate about those in rural and remote areas having equitable access to healthcare.

Below image: Emma Brownrigg (centre) with colleagues at the Hazzas exploration site.

“You are forced to think outside the box – what do we have?

What can we use?” she said.

“During your paramedic training, you’re taught one way of doing things and when you’re out bush, you learn how to do things five different ways.”

“The RFDS has an amazing, long history and I feel privileged to work for the organisation,” she said.

I love to help people and I believe paramedics can make a big difference to health outcomes.

With help from generous donors. Families can live, work and travel in regional and remote areas of WA, knowing the RFDS is here to help. Donate at: rfdswa.com.au/spring 9

Dr Christine McConnell retiring after 27 years Here at the RFDS WA, we hold Dr Christine McConnell in high esteem and have great admiration and respect for her service. Dr McConnell has made a wonderful contribution to regional WA and the RFDS family.

Below image: Dr Christine McConnell (left) with flight nurse Kate Zanotti in Meekatharra circa 2000.

After 27 years’ service at the RFDS WA, Dr Christine McConnell has hung up her stethoscope. During her time with the RFDS, Christine has cared for thousands of patients, run hundreds of primary health clinics, taken around 20,000 telehealth calls, and worked as a GP and in the Emergency Department at Meekatharra Hospital. She has flown all over WA many times, and often made the long trip by road from Meekatharra to Perth during her off-duty time to see a movie or to enjoy the casino.

Christine started with the RFDS WA in 1995 when she relocated from Victoria to Meekatharra, a remote town in the Mid West.

“I jumped straight into the job.

Would you believe within the first fifteen minutes of my very first day, I delivered a baby!” Christine said.

Prior to joining the Flying Doctor, Christine worked in general practice in rural Victoria.

“Working as a GP was valuable but I started to want something different and then I saw the ad for the RFDS,” Christine said.

Christine was raised on navy bases and in rural Victoria. Early on, she decided medicine would be a good fit for her and began her studies at the University of Melbourne when she was just sixteen years old. She got her first taste of aeromedicine while working as an intern at Swan Hill Hospital in Victoria.

“As an intern, I took part in an aeromedical evacuation. The flight was extremely bumpy, and I remember feeling nauseous and airsick. When we landed at

Celebrate a special occasion by giving. Invite your guests to make a tax-deductible donation to the RFDS in lieu of gifts. Contact our team on (08) 9417 6400 or email fundraise@rfdswa.com.au 10

The Official Magazine of the Royal Flying Doctor Service in WA

Melbourne, I hitched a ride with a mail truck to get back to Swan Hill Hospital. Little did I know then that I would spend most of my career in the field of aeromedicine,” Christine said.

Working and living in a small, isolated town like Meekatharra has its own challenges and requires a particular strength of character and resilience. Christine unknowingly prepared for such challenges when she was stationed in the Antarctic in the early 1990s.

“I worked on Macquarie Island for a year in 1990. The work was interesting, and the scenery was stunning, but it wasn’t an extreme experience, the climate was similar to that of Tasmania. I went on to have one year at Mawson Station which gave me the full Antarctic experience and prepared me for life in Meekatharra.

“I’m a relatively private person, and I found that Meekatharra suited me. I enjoyed the variety and mix of my work in retrievals, as a GP and at Meekatharra Hospital. It gave me everything I wanted.

I’ve appreciated all the wonderful sunsets and sunrises I’ve seen out here. I socialised with the crew, and every year I took a long holiday and went cruising.

“I’ve really enjoyed being in Meekatharra and my work with the RFDS. Meeka is a very friendly base and everyone is supported. I’ve had great collegiate relationships with the nurses and pilots and over the years, it’s been meaningful to see medical students I’ve worked with turn into rural doctors,” said Christine.

In 2010, Christine won the Rural Health Doctors’ Service Award for Remote and Clinically Challenging Medicine in recognition of her years of service.

Christine has seen many changes in technology since she began in medicine.

When I first started with the RFDS, we worked with basic equipment.

Our aircraft now seem to house mini-ICUs. We can do an incredible amount for our patients and it’s very satisfying to be able to offer a high level of care to our patients.

Reflecting on her time at the RFDS, Christine said she has always had a strong sense of pride to be working as a flying doctor.

“The RFDS is a great organisation that does great things for the people of the outback. In the bush, you don’t say ‘doctor’, you say ‘RFDS’ and that gives me a great sense of pride,” said Christine.

Top image: RFDS WA CEO Judith Barker, former Meekatharra RFDS Dr Ron Dobson, Dr Christine McConnell and former RFDS medical director Dr Stephen Langford.

Inset: Dr McConnell, circa 2000.

Christine’s advice to young doctors who are thinking of joining the service is to just do it!

“Don’t be intimidated by the thought of being in a remote location. You’ll get lots of practise and lots of support,” said Christine.

Now Christine is looking forward to her well-deserved retirement.

She’s going on a cruise to France with her mum. And she’s looking forward to painting in watercolours and getting fitter.

And here at the Flying Doctor in WA, we’re wishing her all the very best.

Leave a gift in your Will and help the Flying Doctor in WA continue to save lives. For information on how to leave a gift in your Will contact us on (08) 9417 6519 or trish.thompson@rfdswa.com.au.

Your enquiry and details will be treated in the strictest confidence and without obligation.

11

Back behind the wheel Steve Mogridge was driving on a lonely stretch of the Goldfields Highway when he lost all feeling in the left side of his body. The 66 year old suddenly couldn’t move while behind the wheel of a manual car, travelling at 110 kilometres per hour.

“I was at least 50 kilometres away from Leonora Hospital, and I somehow had to keep driving.

What choice did I have? If I had stopped, I certainly wasn’t going to get the help I needed,” he said.

Steve recognised he was having a stroke. When he arrived at the hospital, he had to let the car stall to a stop in the carpark. He managed to drag himself to the front doors, where he was able to wave down a nurse inside to assist him.

Shortly after, the Kalgoorlie resident was being flown to Perth by the RFDS for urgent treatment.

“The crew from Meekatharra were so cool, calm and collected.

The pilot assured me they were going to make my flight as comfortable as possible.”

Steve spent two weeks recovering in the stroke unit at Fiona Stanley Hospital, and had a stent inserted in his carotid artery.

After three months off, Steve is now back at work as a bus driver and says apart from a bit of instability on his left side, he’s feeling like himself again.

He says knowing the RFDS is there gives peace of mind to those living in regional areas.

“After my stroke, there was no MRI machine (at Leonora Hospital) no adequate medication available and no neurologists on hand.

The only option was to get to all of this help as soon as possible, it wasn’t coming to me,” Steve said.

“My only alternative to being flown to Perth was to be transferred by ambulance to Kalgoorlie and then driven to Perth. That adds up to more than nine hours of travel time plus any stops along the way.

Less than one and a half hours after leaving Leonora Hospital, I was being positioned in an MRI machine at a hospital in Perth.

The RFDS saved vital time, which ultimately saved my life.

Photo by Chuck Thomas

“It happened so fast. My job that day was going to be to drive a bus

full of staff from the Jaguar Mine to Leonora airport – instead I was at the airport, being loaded onto an RFDS plane!” Steve said.

12

The Official Magazine of the Royal Flying Doctor Service in WA

Meet Paul Ingram RFDS WA Head of Nursing Paul Ingram recently marked an incredible 25 years with the organisation.

What attracted you to a career in nursing?

It seemed like a good idea at the time! I could have been a PE teacher but deferred from uni. If you look at me now, it was probably a wise decision - I don’t think I could run around trying to keep up with students, although it might have kept me fit!

You started out with the RFDS in Meekatharra, a long way from your hometown of Ballarat.

What were the challenges of working there in the 1990s?

After working at the same hospital in Victoria for almost 12 years I decided to make a ‘sea change’ and headed to Derby, at the recommendation of friends from Ballarat who had moved there. Coming from Victoria, I knew very little about the RFDS apart from what I had seen on TV. But working in Derby Hospital I met many patients coming in and out via the RFDS. A couple of RFDS nurses encouraged me to apply.

I was posted to the Meekatharra base initially, and then relocated to the Jandakot base 16 months later.

I loved my time in Meekatharra and treated each day as a new

adventure. For my wife at the time though, it was a struggle, because she didn’t get to experience the thrill of flying to a new place and meeting new people. She was at home with a baby in a small town, so it can be hard for families. The social side of these communities is vitally important. There was always a BBQ, morning tea or dinner for a birthday or special event. I joined the police cricket team in Meekatharra, and I am still friends with some of those guys.

RFDS nurses have critical care and midwifery qualifications. How have pregnant women responded to you as a male midwife?

Often you see the surprise on ladies’ faces when you introduce yourself as their midwife, but as long as you act professionally, respect them and do your job, there is never a problem. Often after the baby is delivered they would give feedback that they were initially a little anxious about having a male midwife, but after having the experience, they wouldn’t be again, so that is pleasing.

The RFDS offers a midwifery scholarship for nurses who want to become a Retrieval Nurse.

Is it rewarding to be a part of that process?

We currently offer two $10,000 Midwifery Scholarships each financial year. One is supported by Rural Health West in recognition of Savannah Addis, a young girl who was a big supporter of the RFDS before she sadly passed away and the other is supported by the national RFDS Office.

Every year we receive many applications from experienced, highly qualified Critical Care Nurses who just need their midwifery qualification to come and work for

Top image: Paul Ingram Inset: Paul in a transfer circa 2004.

us. It’s always hard deciding who the recipients will be. The scholarships have been so successful, with more than a dozen of our current nurses coming through this program, and another three still studying.

What has been a career highlight for you over your 25 years?

There have been many highlights, including winning the Spirit of Flynn Award back in 2011.

But working in a close knit small team, often with just yourself and a pilot, sometimes with a doctor, meeting and caring for people on what could be the worst day of their life - that is the real highlight.

Give when you go. The RFDS is a free service. It doesn’t matter where you are in regional WA, the Flying Doctor is there to help in a medical emergency. Donate at rfdswa.com.au/spring 13

Incredible community support

Western Australians are very generous. We are so grateful for the support of communities across the state, from Esperance to Kununurra and everywhere in between. We have highlighted a few of the many organisations who continue to bring their community together to raise vital funds for the RFDS in WA.

AWN wool auction A tradition of 20 years, selected bales of wool are sold at centres across Australia to support the RFDS. In July, the Fremantle auction raised $2,000.

RFDS Fundraising Busselton This long-standing auxiliary has raised $1.2 million over the past 35 years. They most recently held a community roadshow fundraiser at Sharp’s Motor Museum in Vasse.

Topdrill Charity Sundowner On the eve of Diggers & Dealers, over $240,000 was raised for RFDS and Full Circle Therapies at Topdrill’s Kalgoorlie headquarters. It was a night of auctions, live music and the RFDS paper plane challenge.

Oceans to Outback returns After collectively running, walking and cycling 420,000kms last year, Australians are encouraged to go further for the second annual Oceans to Outback fitness challenge this October.

The month-long fundraiser involves participants setting themselves a challenging distance to help the RFDS to continue delivering life-saving healthcare to rural and remote areas.

More than 5,700 people participated in the inaugural Oceans to Outback campaign in 2022, raising over $1.3 million for the RFDS nationally. The RFDS is hoping to double the participants and funds raised for 2023.

Participants can nominate their own distance for Oceans to Outback and we recommend choosing a distance that can be knocked out in daily, weekly or fortnightly bursts throughout October.

To learn more and register, visit oceanstooutback.org.au

14

The Official Magazine of the Royal Flying Doctor Service in WA

Recipes from our family to yours Slow-cooked Soda Pop Pork

Meet pilot John Deecke from our Port Hedland base.

John has adapted an American-style pulled pork recipe to suit Australian ingredients. This recipe is great for parties and makes enough for about 20 burgers.

Ingredients

Method

Stage 1 & 2 1 pork shoulder (approx. 3kg) 750ml of sarsaparilla (or cola) 5 Tbs brown sugar 11/3 Tbs salt 1 tsp black pepper 1 Tbs paprika 1 tsp mustard powder 1 tsp onion powder 1 Tbs garlic powder ½ tsp celery salt ½ tsp cinnamon ½ tsp ginger ½ tsp nutmeg

Stage 1 1. The night before, place whole pork into a plastic leakproof bag or dish and cover completely with the sarsaparilla and leave overnight, or for a minimum of 8 hours.

Stage 2 1. Mix together brown sugar, salt, pepper, paprika, mustard powder, onion powder, garlic powder, celery salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg to make a dry rub.

2. Remove pork from the bag, shake off excess liquid and smear all over with the dry rub. Wrap in cling wrap and place back in the fridge for another two hours.

Stage 3 2/3 cup balsamic vinegar 750ml of sarsaparilla (or cola) ½ cup of bourbon ½ cup brown sugar 1½ cup smoky BBQ sauce Buns and coleslaw to serve

Stage 3 1. In a bowl mix balsamic vinegar, sarsaparilla, bourbon and sugar. Stir until dissolved.

2. Heat oil in a large pan on high heat.

Sear the pork, for about 3 minutes a side.

3. Pour a little of the vinegar mix into the slow cooker, place the pork in and cover it with the remaining mixture. I set the slow cooker on low for 10-12 hours, but if time doesn’t allow, cooking on high for 6-8 hours will suffice.

Stage 4 1. Once the slow cooking is finished, remove the meat and place into a tray.

Set aside two cups of the cooking liquid and discard the rest. Shred the meat using two forks.

2. Place the shredded meat back into the slow cooker, set to keep warm, add BBQ sauce and the cooking liquid and mix.

3. Serve on burger buns with coleslaw.

My preference is a homemade slaw using kewpie mayonnaise and chipotle sauce as the base. Enjoy!

Support your Flying Doctor today Donate Make a secure donation online at rfdswa.com.au/spring Give through your Workplace Giving Program

Other ways to support our work

Donate by telephone (08) 9417 6400

Complete and return the RFDS donation slip

Leave a bequest and join the Robin Miller Society

Join our Support Crew of regular givers

Merchandise

To see full range or order online, visit rfdswa.com.au/collections/all or scan the QR code

$20

$20

$12

ea

$12

RFDS Calendar

Tea Towels

10 Christmas Cards

10 Greeting Cards

2024

Xmas or Vintage WA

Season’s Greetings

blank for your message

Subscribe to our mailing list by visiting rfdswa.com.au to receive the latest news to your inbox!

Follow us on social media

Royal Flying Doctor Service WA

@RFDS_WA 15

Acknowledgement of Country

Contact

The Royal Flying Doctor Service in Western Australia respects and acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Country on which we work, live and fly. We acknowledge their continuing connection to the lands, seas and skies of Western Australia.

Royal Flying Doctor Service (Western Australia) 3 Eagle Drive Jandakot WA 6164 T: (08) 9417 6400 E: fundraise@rfdswa.com.au Emergency: 1800 625 800 rfdswa.com.au