Inspiring the Next Generation of Allied Health Professionals
Swan Hill, VIC
August 2026
From the community
Students at the Swan Hill Allied Health Work Experience Week Graduation Lunch had spent the week exploring the possibilities available across allied health. For Country Hearing Care Audiologist Tia Liu, being invited as guest speaker was a chance to show students what a career in audiology can look like—and the opportunities that exist in regional Australia.
From student to audiologist
Tia shared her pathway into audiology, including the study, experiences and decisions that led her to a career helping people hear better. For students who may only know audiology through a hearing test or hearing aid, the presentation offered a broader view of clinical assessment, rehabilitation, technology, communication, paediatrics, education and multidisciplinary care.
Seeing a future in regional Australia
One of the most important messages was that a rewarding allied health career does not necessarily mean leaving regional Australia. Working regionally can provide opportunities to develop broad clinical skills, build long-term relationships with patients and become an important part of the local healthcare network.
More than a career
Supporting students exploring allied health is about more than promoting audiology. Regional healthcare depends on attracting talented people into the professions and, where possible, encouraging them to build their careers in the communities that need them. Meeting working clinicians can make those pathways feel more tangible.
Celebrating the graduates
As the graduation lunch came to an end, the focus returned to the students themselves. They had spent the week exploring the breadth of allied health and beginning to consider where their own interests might lead. Country Hearing Care is proud to support initiatives that give young people a window into healthcare professions.
The Bendigo Seniors Expo brought together members of the local community for a day of information, connection and ideas for living well. Country Hearing Care’s Bendigo Clinical Team Lead, Courtney Di Battista, attended to meet visitors, answer questions and talk about an aspect of healthy ageing that can sometimes be overlooked: hearing.
The Bendigo Health Foundation Supporter Appreciation Event brought together businesses, community organisations and supporters who share a common goal: strengthening healthcare for people across the Bendigo region. Country Hearing Care attended as a proud Friend of Bendigo Health and joined an evening recognising the contribution of supporters across the region.
The conversation began with a simple question: what can we all do to look after our brain health as we get older? Through the Brain Health Roadshow, Country Hearing Care partnered with Dementia Australia to take that conversation directly into regional communities.
Working closely with local First Nations communities and groups, the initiative provided education and practical information about dementia risk factors and prevention strategies, while highlighting an important connection that can sometimes be overlooked: the relationship between hearing health and brain health.
The morning sun was already warming the fields around Gunbower when the Country Hearing Care Mobile Hearing Van arrived at Harvesting Health. Local farmers, agricultural workers and families had gathered for a day focused on health and wellbeing, creating a familiar and relaxed setting to talk about something that can easily be overlooked in busy rural lives: hearing health.
