Andrew
Senior Veterinarian BVSc (Hons)
Dr Andrew Hemming graduated from the University of Queensland in 2005 with honours and immediately embarked on an internship training position with the Queensland Veterinary Specialists and Pet Emergency Room which has stood him in good stead for life as a vet.
He moved to Tasmania to explore the island and worked with all forms of life, including dogs, cats, horses, cows, sheep, goats and alpacas, and even ended up doing a bit of work on King Island, where he enjoyed the luxuries of cheese, beef, and fresh air. He also developed a love of caramel slice while living in Tasmania.
Eventually, the mainland called again, and his vet work took him by 4wd through VIC, the ACT, NSW, NT and finally back to QLD where he was even called upon by the DPI and Qld Government to assist in controlling the infamous horse flu outbreak. He eventually settled back in Ipswich which he has called home for the last 12 years. He loves the excitement and challenge of being a vet and wouldn’t have it any other way.
In his spare time, he loves to play with “Normus” his Border Collie. His passion is to get out in the garden and get dirty; growing what he can for the kitchen table. He also can't get enough camping and 4wdriving and even writes articles for "4wd Action" magazine as a freelancer. He can be found kayaking on the upper reaches of the Brisbane River, our out on his bike. His biggest achievement was conquering the ACE250 - a mammoth 250km ride through the Victorian Alpine region.
The love of his life “Mila” his gorgeous daughter can always crack a smile on Daddy no matter how long his day at work was; that is if he isn’t being amused by “Charlie”, her big sister!
Ann
Veterinarian BVSc (Hons)
Growing up in Alice Springs, Dr. Ann Ghea moved to Brisbane in 2013 to pursue her dream of becoming a vet. After commencing her veterinary studies in 2017, she graduated honours from the University of Queensland in 2021.
Shortly after graduation, Dr. Ann joined the Ripley Vet family and hasn’t looked back since! With a special interest in ultrasound and palliative care, Dr. Ann always strives to make sure both you and your fur babies have the best care possible.
If she isn’t working in the clinic, you can find Dr. Ann either renovating her new home, bouldering, or baking delicious treats for the team (especially chocolate chip cookies)! Although Dr. Ann doesn’t have any fur-babies now, she has recently adopted her family’s elderly cocker spaniel, Charlie, as her own.
Jo
Veterinarian BVSc (Hons)
Dr Joanna Oreb graduated from the University of Queensland with honours. She is a recent addition to our veterinary team, but you may recognise her as she has been one of our Saturday nurses for the past two years!
Joanna grew up moving around Australia but has now settled in the Ipswich region! She lives with her partner Chris and their three fur-children, a kelpie “Rory”, border-collie “Alby” and their cat “Nitro”.
Joanna has known she would be a vet for as long as she can remember. Prior to studying at university, she regularly volunteered with the RSPCA and Riding for the Disabled organisations. She cannot wait to continue volunteering and serving the community as a veterinarian!
She loves being able to make a positive impact and help all our pets to be happy and healthy. While she is excited about all aspects of veterinary medicine, her passion lies in soft tissue surgery. In her free time, Joanna loves hiking, travelling, watching AFL games, and winning escape rooms! She cannot wait to meet all our wonderful clients and patients.
Stephanie
Veterinarian BVSc (Hons)
Dr Steph graduated with honours from the University of Queensland in 2011. Since then she has enjoyed working in shelter medicine and a range of private practices throughout South East Queensland. Her special interests include internal medicine, osteoarthritis and geriatric care.
Dr Steph believes our pets shape us professionally, as much as personally. As a new grad vet working in a shelter, Dr Steph adopted a 3-legged Bull Arab-cross named ‘Willow’. Osteoarthritis soon became a big part of their lives. Dr Steph reckons that good dogs make us better people, and feels that she certainly is a better vet for having “Willow” in her life.
Growing up, Dr Steph can’t remember when she decided to be a vet. She does remember wanting to be David Attenborough. She remembers dragging home every poor creature that she could carry including stray dogs, turtles, butterflies, an entire ant’s nest to study… Today, her mother could not be happier now Dr Steph is having to deal with the menagerie her own kids are sneaking inside; the latest being jumping spiders and chickens.
Dr Steph lives with her partner and their 3 young children in the home they built together as owner-builders. It’s mostly finished. She is an enthusiastic baker, an avid book collector, and has her hands full with their young Dalmation ‘Poppy’ who has aspirations of being a very good dog!
Tanya
Practice Manager
Born and raised in South Africa, Tanya joined the veterinary field to complete her certificate IV in veterinary nursing. Initially working as a therapeutic horse-riding instructor for disabled children, she transitioned to her real calling - veterinary nursing. Initially a client, followed by work placement, Tanya has worked her way through her nursing career with Ripley Vets, leading her up to her practice management role where she has settled into her calling.
Tanya is passionate about providing a support network for the growth of Ripley Veterinary Hospital, not only for our staff, but for our clients and the greater community too! As practice manager, Tanya is responsible for managing a great team, and ensuring everything behind the scenes runs smoothly.
When she is not busy at work Tanya is being supermom to her beautiful daughter Emilia. She also has her fur babies Bella (a rescued Chihuahua x mini foxy) and Lio (a domestic shorthair feline) and Duke the Jack Russell.
In her spare time, she enjoys family outings, 4wdriving and camping trips to get out and explore our beautiful country.
Liv
Head Nurse
Olivia is our senior head nurse and wonderful team leader! Liv started her career in the veterinary industry in 2015 as a volunteer veterinary nurse. After only twelve weeks of hard work, she was offered a permanent paid role!
Liv always knew her calling was in the animal care industry and began her certificate straight out of high school. While working in a small animal clinic in Salisbury, she completed her certificate IV in Veterinary nursing in 2017. She then moved to a mixed practice in Beaudesert to work with horses alongside small animals. After three years, she decided to join our team at Ripley!
Liv is passionate about providing a gold standard of care, one of our core values here at Ripley Veterinary Hospital. As head nurse, Liv ensures each day runs smoothly with hospital and surgical patients. She also provides training and support for our nursing team. While you may not often see Liv, you can trust she is keeping our patients and team in good hands. Her speciality is orthopaedics; in particular, the tailored anaesthetic and analgesic required for each patient.
In her spare time, Liv enjoys reading and riding her horse, Teddy.
Kayla
Senior Client Liason
Kayla’s first introduction to the animal industry was through her certificate III in Animal Studies, where she gained experience working with wildlife in a student and volunteer capacity. This love of animals led her to volunteering with domestic animal shelters and becoming a foster carer for young kittens. Kayla has always held a deep love for animals and their welfare, from being involved as a young child in Hong Kong helping raise and rehome stray kittens and dogs, to her recent foster fail, Elby the cat.
After years of working in the travel industry and volunteering in her spare time, she found her calling and joined the Ripley team as a receptionist! Kayla is passionate about ensuring all patients and clients feel welcome and cared for at Ripley Vets. She values our fear-free approach, and working with a supportive team who strive for the best in veterinary care.
Outside of the clinic, Kayla is also currently completing a degree in conservation and marine biology. In her spare time, she enjoys teaching yoga, spending time outdoors hiking in the mountains or swimming in the ocean, and chilling out at home with a good book and her cat, Elby.