General News
20 September, 2024
Dr Sheed braces for retirement
After nearly 50 years of filling cavities and clearing plaque for hundreds in the community, local dentist Dr Simon Sheed has decided to hang up the floss and call time on a shiny career.
Growing up on a country farm near Barhan in New South Wales before attending boarding school in Melbourne, Dr Sheed was looking for a career in the country where he could combine his passions of working with people and with his hands when his family dentist encouraged him to follow his profession.
After attending Melbourne University Dental School, Dr Sheed was thrust into country practice with his first role at the Commonwealth Department of Health in 1974, providing dental services for people in remote cattle stations and indigenous communities in the Northern Territory.
Leaving his role in the Northern Territory two days after Cyclone Tracy, Dr Sheed said he was convinced by an associate that Maryborough was the best place for him to continue his career.
“I arrived here to help out Dr Peter Kingsbury after we got blown out of Darwin by Cyclone Tracy, he had taken over the practice from Dr George Veitch and was the only dentist in the entire area,” he said.
“Our first practice was in the AMP building in 1975 which is on the corner opposite the Bull and Mouth and we had the top floor.”
After nine years at the AMP building, the practice moved to 53 Clarendon Street where it still stands today.
According to Dr Sheed, the practice remained efficient even when it was the only clinic in town due to his loyal and dedicated team.
“One of the reasons I stayed for so long was I was able to get a team together and they became more and more skilled and some stayed for over 30 years,” he said.
“The practice was helped immensely by the arrival of Dr John Hazledine who stayed for 37 years as an associate and Dr Mark Holcroft who stayed for over 30 years.
“If all of the people working in a place have a good relationship and there is continuity, you can sort of tell as you walk in and that’s very important with people in dentistry as it gives patients a level of familiarity and reduces the level of anxiety.”
Working for five decades in the same town has meant Dr Sheed has seen families where he has “treated four generations” during his time at the clinic.
Dr Sheed said he was able to work for half a century by changing his work hours and guiding the next generation.
“When people asked ‘why are you still working’, I said ‘if I had to work full time I wouldn’t work at all,” he said.
“The only way you do work for over 50 years is if you are lucky enough to have a great team, really good health and maintain your work-life balance.
“First 35 years ago, I started taking a half day off, then 30 years ago I started taking a day off, I did three days a week for a long time and in the last five to eight years I have been doing two days a week.”
While looking towards a new chapter in his life, Dr Sheed said he is grateful to the people who made his career special.
“It was a lovely gentle exit and I have been very fortunate but I’m 11 years past retirement age,” he said.
“I’d like to thank my wife Julie for allowing the practice to expand with all her work behind the scenes, all of the patients who came to see me and trusted me with their care because that’s an honour and all of the wonderful staff that I worked with over the years.”