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The Venue

Hamilton Island Conference

Travel to Hamilton Island by ferry from Airlie Beach Or Fly directly to the Island or via  Proserpine airport to Airlie Beach. Flights are very popular book early for best deals and to avoid disappointment.

  • 24 hrs CPD: if post event reflection performed
  • Including 8 hrs Reviewing Progress
  • 4 hrs Measuring Outcomes
  • Certification will be provided to you and sent to the relevant college

Learn More

Keynote Speakers

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Dr Nicole Higgins

Immediate Past President of RACGP, GP, Practice Owner GP Supervisor

Nicole is a practice principal  in Mackay and a GP Supervisor.. She describes herself as a true medical generalist and has held multiple leadership roles in medicine including being the President of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, Chair of GP Supervision Australia, director of Council of Presidents of Medical Colleges and Convenor of Future Leaders Program for RACGP. She is an influential leader and holds governance and advisory positions . She tries to  walk the talk in her own health journey, aiming to eat clean and stay fit and  attempting to grow her own veggies in pots.  She will talk to us about her journey and her views on the future of General Practice.

 

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Dr Sally Street

GP Rural Obstetrician

Sally is very busy helping families to stay in their communities to deliver their babies. She travels the East coast providing locums to Rural Obstetric Departments form her base in Tasmania.  She  is also a Medical Educator  delivering teaching at the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine for their Rural Emergency Obstetrics Training Course  (REOT). She is a  passionate advocate for healthcare for rural and remote communities.

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Dr Joshua Watt

Gp PhD Addiction Medicine Specialist

GP Addiction Specialist PhD Candidate

Josh is an addiction medicine specialist, general practitioner and addiction researcher working in Sydney. As a keen medical educator, Josh has hosted regular addiction seminars and enjoys teaching and learning from his colleagues. His PhD and research interest focuses on novel pharmacotherapy for alcohol dependence.  Come along to learn how to effectively and compassionately navigate common addiction problems in the GP setting, and hear about the latest trends in drug use.

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Dr Emily Amos

GP, Podcaster, Burnout Expert , Completing Masters in Lifestyle Medicine, Yoga teacher

Dr. Emily Amos is a General Practitioner, registered yoga and meditation teacher, and the founding director of Whole Hearted Medicine, an organisation dedicated to providing CPD-accredited wellbeing education and championing sustainable, compassionate medical practice. She is  completing her Masters in Lifestyle Medicine .From evidence-based lifestyle medicine and embodied mindfulness, Dr. Amos brings a unique lens to doctor wellbeing: one rooted in clinical insight and lived experience. Having personally navigated the depths of burnout, she now empowers fellow healthcare professionals to lead from within, sharing wellbeing rather than striving to enforce it.

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Dr Aaron Chambers

GP , Practice Owner , Allergy Expert

Aaron is a GP, Practice Founder and Owner of Growlife Medical Practice and Urgent Care  in Brisbane Queensland. His practice won RACGP Practice of the Year in 2024.  Aaron is a Health System Innovator with a love of creating new enterprises to deliver better health outcomes.  Aaron is skilled in Children’s Health, Telehealth, Healthcare Innovation and Reform, Allergy, Aerospace Medicine, Medical Education, Elder Care, and Healthcare Management. He has been a speaker on Allergy for the RACGP – and is the  Medical Director of Allergy First, one of the biggest allergy groups in Australia.  Aaron organises and chairs the Paediatrics Masterclass for General Practice in Queensland and is also the chair of the Queensland RACGP education committee, recently chairing the RACGP clinical update.

 

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Dr Philipp du Cros

Infectious Disease Physician
Infectious Disease and Public Health Physician

Dr Philipp Du Cros is the co-head of TB Elimination & Implementation Science at the Burnet Institute and Principal Research Fellow.  Philipp is also the chair of the World Health Organisation Western Pacific Regional Green Light Committee, and a member of the steering committee for the MSF Global Health and Humanitarian Medicine course. He has worked extensively with Medecins Sans Frontiers, as a member of the Operations Platform in Amsterdam.  He works as  an Infectious Diseases physician at Monash Health and has more than 15 years of clinical and public health experience in TB and infectious diseases programs. He is a facinating and engaging speaker.

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Dr Joanna Prendergast

Psychiatrist , Comedian, Author, Breast Cancer Survivor
Jo is a psychiatrist and a comedian.  She worked in private practice with teenagers and adults with a wide range of mental health challenges with a particular focus on people who are gender diverse,  ADHD and childhood trauma and its effects on teenagers and adults.
In 2021 Dr Jo closed her practice due to a cancer diagnosis and a book commission with Harper Collins.  Dr Jo continues to provide guidance on the effects of severe childhood trauma as an ACC assessor. Jo’s book about supporting the mental health of young people ‘When Life Sucks’ was released by Harper Collins in New Zealand and Australia in September 2023 . The book was written using Jo’s unique voice as a psychiatrist, comedian and parent of teenagers.  Jo bravely started standup comedy in 2017 at the age of 48, and was nominated for  Breakthrough Comedian at the NZ Comedy Guild Awards 2020. She performed her multi award-winning debut comedy show ‘The Cool Mum’ at Edinburgh Fringe in 2024.  Jo’s second solo show ‘Cancer and Cartwheels’ toured to  Australian & NZ Comedy Festivals in 2025.  She will entertain and inspire us with both her expertise, personal story and humour.
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Dr Stephanie Weston

Dermatologist and Paediatric Dermatologist

Dr Stephanie Weston is a dermatologist who has worked across the busy clinics of London to the red dirt of the Pilbara.  Dr Weston began her medical career in paediatrics at Princess Margaret Hospital. Her unique passion for the art of dermatology saw her make the leap into dermatology training in 2004. Having been raised in the country, Dr Weston saw first-hand the need for specialist medical care in rural areas and regularly travelled north to provide care in Karratha, Port Hedland and the Kimberley. In 2016, Dr Weston moved to the UK to undertake a 12-month clinical fellowship in paediatric dermatology with a special interest in genetic conditions affecting the skin. She stayed on in the UK for another year to work as a consultant at St John’s Institute of Dermatology at the Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Trust in London. She practised as Head of Paediatric Dermatology at Perth Children’s Hospital for 3 years before starting her own private practise.

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Dr Jason Lam

BDM, BMBS, DipChildHealth, MSportsMed, FRACGP

Jason was originally a professional dancer and artist before collapsing a lung and decided medicine sounded fun after watching a Scrubs marathon whilst waiting for his lung to reinflate.   He is a neurodivergent philomath who  likes to think of himself as a less pathologic ‘Dr House’ and thrives on diagnostic challenges and seeking answers for complex and difficult to diagnose conditions. He deeply understands the realities of navigating complex conditions having had lived experience of hypermobility, orthostatic hypotension/POTS and ME/CFS post septic shock ! He has a special interest in Hypermobility, Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, dysautonomia, Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, FND, PANS/PANDAS and is proud to be a part of The Australian EDS and HSD Network.  He was the inaugural Crichton Dance Medicine fellow with the Australian Ballet. He is involved in medical education, publication and research. Outside of medicine, Jason enjoys producing dreadfully pretentious short films, photography and custom jewellery.

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Dr Ruth Spencer

Womens Health Expert @ Jean Hailes

Dr Ruth Spencer is a women’s health GP based in rural Victoria, with a special interest in menopause and vulval conditions. She works in rural general practice, at Jean Hailes for Women’s Health in Melbourne, and also runs a specialised menopause and vulval clinic in Ballarat. With a passion for empowering women through evidence-based care and education, Ruth is committed to providing comprehensive women’s health services.

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Adjunct Professor Joy Lee

Respiratory Physician and Allergy specialist

Joy Lee has a special interest in the management and treatment of allergic diseases, including allergic rhinitis (hayfever) and allergic asthma, and has experience in the use of immunotherapy for grass pollen and dust mite allergy as well as monoclonal antibody treatments for severe asthma and urticaria. She performs postgraduate research in difficult asthma with the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine at Monash University focused on difficult to control asthma and epidemic thunderstorm asthma. she is participating in the Monash Graduate Program and is undertaking papers in epidemiology, public health and biostatistics. A/Prof Lee leads the asthma and allergy unit at the Austin hospital.

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Dr Aggie Bakowski

Paediatrician

Dr Aggie Bakowski is a general paediatrician, with special interests in infant and parent mental health as well as developmental paediatrics. She completed her specialist training at Princess Margaret Hospital and holds additional qualifications in Infant and Parent Mental Health from the University of Melbourne. She works as a consultant general paediatrician at Perth Children’s Hospital, as well as consulting privately. She is passionate about her work with families and their children, and as a mother of two teenagers, she appreciates the challenges and complexities of parenting in the modern world. Her own lived experience of neurodivergence, both personally and as a parent, informs her practice and enhances her understanding of families navigating similar journeys. She is an active member of the Australian ADHD Professionals Association (AADPA) and ADHD WA, and serves on the Professional Advisory Body at ADHD WA.

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Dr Raj Harjai

Paediatric and Adolescent Psychiatrist

Dr. Rajesh Harjai is a Consultant Child, Adolescent and Youth Psychiatrist. His extensive training in both rural and metropolitan hospital settings across Queensland has equipped him with expertise in a wide range but he has a special focus on Neurodiversity.

Dr. Harjai is dedicated to a provides an evidence based psychotherapeutic intervention for his patients and their families including supportive psychotherapy and family-based work.

Dr. Harjai has a special interest in the assessment and management of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). He has completed formal training in standardised autism diagnostic tools.

 

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Bianca Comfort

Clinical Psychologist (Panel speaker)

Bianca is a neurodivergent Clinical Psychologist based in Melbourne, Australia. She is the Director of Comfort Psychology, a telehealth practice focused on chronic illness and neurodivergence. She is also the Co-Chair of the Australian EDS & HSD Network.

Bianca has a particular interest in Autism, ADHD, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), and Long COVID. She is a leading practitioner working at the intersection of these conditions, with professional experience in Australia and internationally. Her work is also informed by her own lived experience, providing a unique perspective that enriches her practice. She is regularly invited to speak at national and international conferences, appear on podcasts, and is a passionate advocate for the disabled community.

Provisional Conference Program

Speakers may change due to unforeseen circumstances


Saturday

Suggest Catseye Beach snorkelling/water activities

1-5pm
Session 1: Supporting Women

  • Recent changes in Antenatal Care Standards in GP including genetic counselling + foetal blood type detection
  • Obstetric Emergencies and Precautions
  • Menopausal Hormone Treatment considerations- in tricky situations
  • Vulval Disorders – hidden conditions

5:15 pm -  join us to watch stunning sunset at One Tree Hill with optional cocktails.

6:00-9:00 Sundowner – light food, drinks, bowling  and laughs at the Resort Centre.

Sundowner tickets are now sold out.


Sunday

8am -12pm
Session 2: Respiratory /Immune Health  Focus 

  • Tricky to Treat Asthma  + Urticaria -including Immunotherapy/ Andrographis allergy
  • Infectious Disease Update – Respiratory Focus including new TB insights
  • Hot Topics Infectious Diseases 2026.
  • Reflection of the Future of General Practice

12pm-1pm Lunch

(provided for Full Conference Pass holders )

(CPR cancelled )

1pm-5pm
Session 3: Paeds and Derm

  •  Quirky kids skin conditions – congenital bumps and rashes
  •  Allergy across the lifespan
  • Acne, Rosacea, Hyperhidrosis and Hidradenitis Suppurativa – tricky skin conditions
  • ADHD – Across the lifespan: tricky scenarios

Walk down to the Palms for Sunset live music, drinks + food trucks

Sunday ADHD Workshop

( Auditorium)

8am – 12pm
Session 1: Understanding ADHD & Diagnosis

  • Introduction to ADHD and context – Why and When
  • Non Pharmacological Management is first line and crucial
  • Diagnostic Criteria – specifics and certainty
  • Panel Discussion Paed/Psych/ GP/ ADHD Coach
  • Medication Management Part 1

1pm – 5pm
Session 2: Management and Pitfalls 

  • Medication Management Part 2
  • Paediatric Pitfalls and complexities
  •  Queensland GP management  experience
  • Panel Discussion Paed/ Psych/ GP
  • ADHD across the lifespan                                     (Upstairs; Ketch /Cutter Room)

Monday

8am-12pm
Session 4: Co-occurring Conditions  (Both streams)

  • POTS , hEDS , MCAS  triad in ADHD
  • Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, CFS
  • Substance Matters: Addiction Medicine updates
  • Be the Medicine: Embodying wellbeing in an era of burnout

Optional Social Activities: Hike to Peak Passage or Golf Car Buggy Rally, or just snorkel, SUP and catamaran on Catseye beach!
Tickets for the hike and buggy rally are available for free on eventbrite.

 

Be quick!

Flash 20 % off $995 Full conference pass or $895 for 12 hour ADHD Upskilling Workshop while tickets last!

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Investment

Full Delegate Pass: $1250

Includes 3 days, 4 sessions and Sundowner Ticket (NO LONGER AVAILABLE), and transport to venue each day.
Registrations close 5th May 2026 unless sold out prior



Extra Sundowner Ticket: $60
(Sold out)



Super discount rates on last few tickets!

Full Delegate Pass only

20% Off: Flash Sale  until 25th May  $995 – until sold out

ADHD Workshop

12 hour ADHD Upskilling course: $895

Included with Full conference Pass  (16 hours in total; concurrent sessions)  $995

 

Full Conference Pass Includes

  • All sessions
  • Option of coach trip to conference each day from Reef View Hotel
  • Fun / Quality  relevant talks / Relaxation / Networking
  • (Sundowner now sold out)

Exclusions

  • Yoga/ Hike /Sundowner Sold out
  • Flights
  • Accommodation
  • No Tax advice is given or implied
  • Travel insurance
  • Any costs incurred if you have to cancel your flight or accommodation
  • Partner sundowner ticket Sold out

Refund Policy

  • Over 60 days – Full refunds available within Terms and Conditions
  • Within 59 days / more than 30 days – Full Refund minus $100 admin fee or  choose a credit note for future conference
  • Within 30 days of conference starting- 100 % cancellation fee
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Transport

There are no private cars on the island.

A conference bus is provided to transport delegates to the first  session  each day from Reef View Hotel but bookings are essential when registering. Delegates should arrange their own transport back to their accommodation. There are regular free shuttle buses around the island, and many people prefer to hire a buggy for the duration of their stay to explore more widely. All areas on the island are within walking distance but it is hilly.

Accommodation

https://www.hamiltonisland.com.au/conferences/gpconference2026

Link provides discounts for  Delegates at Reef View Hotel, Beach Club, Palm Bungalows & HIHH Holiday Homes

Also our Accommodation Coordinator will be happy to help you find alternative accommodation to suit your taste and budget if you prefer a Private Holiday home and may be able to arrange a discount.

Reef view Hotel is very economical with 2 queen beds per room and kids stay and eat free. In addition non motorised water sports such as catamaran, snorkelling equipment  and stand-up paddle boards are provided complimentary if you book through these links or use Hamilton Island Holiday Homes via our Conference Accommodation Coordinator.

Discounted

  • Accommodation
  • Buggy Bookings
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Restaurants

Restaurants on Hamilton Island book out months in advance.

It is recommended to use the Hamilton Island App to book restaurants and activities well before the conference. Bookings open 6 months in advance.

  • The island is a Cash free environment.
  • Credit and Debit cards are accepted everywhere.

Please support our valued partners

In partnership with Federation University, NewMed is establishing an innovative medical school that is currently on an accreditation pathway with the Australian Medical Council. The curriculum prepares students for any medical career path, with a focus on Whole Person Care and Generalism through extensive clinical experience situated in General Practice.   https://newmedschool.com.au/