Following the herd

No less than 24 members of the extended Harpham family have graduated from UQ. But one particular program stands out, thanks to its position at the heart of the family business – UQ’s Bachelor of Veterinary Science.

UQ veterinary science students working with cattle at the Darbalara cattle handling facility near UQ’s Gatton campus.

The year was 1980. Malcolm Fraser was five years into his term as Prime Minister, Australia’s first test-tube baby was born, and 16-year-old Sandra Jephcott (Bachelor of Veterinary Science ’86) was about to graduate from high school.

When it came time for Sandra to choose her university degree, it was only natural that she gravitated towards UQ’s Bachelor of Veterinary Science – following in the footsteps of five members of her extended family.

Their shared legacy began in 1939, when Sandra’s uncle Neville Harpham first enrolled in the program.

Back then, UQ’s fledgling School of Veterinary Science was housed inside a converted stable in Yeerongpilly, with a first-year intake of fewer than 10 students.

Tragically, Neville was killed during World War II in Finschhafen, Papua New Guinea, in 1943. He never had the opportunity to finish his degree.

Sandra’s mother and beef industry pioneer Barbara Jephcott (Bachelor of Veterinary Science ’55, Bachelor of Economics ’66) was next to take up the mantle for the family in 1950.

A pioneer from the start, she would later become a major player in the Papua New Guinean beef industry.

As the lone woman in her graduating class of 10, Barbara was also the second ever female veterinarian in Queensland.

Compare this to 2019, with its majority-female Bachelor of Veterinary Science cohort, and even to 1986, when Sandra graduated in a cohort of 33 women and 28 men.

This is an image of the vets in the Jephcott and Harpham family.

The Harpham family vets, from left, David Harpham, Sandra Jephcott, Barbara Jephcott, Phillip Harpham and Andrew Norris.

Sandra Jephcott, Barbara Jephcott, and Phillip Harpham.

Although Barbara’s path bucked traditional norms, Sandra said her mother wasn’t trying to prove a point.

“Mum didn’t dwell on her gender,” Sandra said.

“In her era, if someone made a derogatory comment, she came right back at them and moved on. But she got on well with her male classmates.”

At the time, students commuted between Yeerongpilly, Brisbane’s CBD, and UQ’s training facility at Pinjarra Hills Farm.

Barbara Jephcott on her UQ graduation day

Barbara often herded her classmates to practical lessons and field trips to Boggabilla and the Glasshouse Mountains in the back of her ute.

In the 1950s, the School’s teaching centred on agriculture and production animals, and Barbara was required to learn how to shear a sheep – an aspect of the curriculum that had disappeared by the 1980s, when the focus shifted to cattle.

By the time Sandra’s cousins, Phillip Harpham (Bachelor of Veterinary Science ’70), David Harpham (Bachelor of Veterinary Science ’75), and Andrew Norris (Bachelor of Veterinary Science ’78) had enrolled in the program, the School had migrated to the St Lucia campus.

Barbara Jephcott on her UQ graduation day

Sandra Jephcott (second from left) during a tug-of-war competition with fellow UQ Veterinary Science students.

Sandra’s UQ journey began in 1982. Although she wasn’t aware of it at the time, she was the last of her extended family to pursue a veterinary science career at UQ.

She trained in small animal, horse, sheep and cattle practical work and surgery, was an active participant on the School’s social scene, and relished her hands-on clinical experience with practising vets in her final year.

Some of her university highlights included crawling through mud and under fences during an obstacle course challenge, and competing in a School polocrosse competition.

After graduation, Sandra embarked on a thriving career as a beef cattle veterinarian.

Her work took her to Papua New Guinea, Russia and around Australia, particularly northern Australia.

Today, she owns and operates a cattle property near Surat in Queensland and works as a consultant beef cattle veterinarian for another UQ veterinary science graduate.

Sandra currently trains and houses UQ students undertaking clinical placements, doing her part to educate the next generation of veterinarians.

In 2010, 24 years after Sandra graduated, the School of Veterinary Science moved to its current home at UQ’s Gatton campus.

Its state-of-the-art facilities include diagnostic, research and teaching laboratories, a Clinical Studies Centre where students learn animal handling and surgery, a Small Animal Hospital, an Equine Specialist Hospital, and the Dayboro veterinary surgery.

The School of Veterinary Science in its current home at UQ’s Gatton campus.

Like Sandra, Head of School Professor Nigel Perkins has been associated with the School since his undergraduate degree in the 1980s and has seen many transformations.

“The School has changed tremendously while retaining a strong sense of family and a down-to-earth style that favours informality and a friendly, hands-on approach,” Professor Perkins said.

“Major changes include the development of world-class facilities and equipment for teaching and veterinary clinical service, and more online-based teaching.

“Veterinary students today receive so much more information, and veterinary care offers much better diagnostics, treatment options and prognoses for animals than 20 years ago.”

Now more than ever, there is an emphasis on practical, real-life experience, including boot camps, clinical training and courses to develop emotional intelligence, resilience and client-management skills.

On the research front, the School has made significant contributions to development and innovation in veterinary science, ranging from using dogs and other animals as models for human disease research, to improving productivity and profitability in northern beef cattle herds.

“Major changes include the development of world-class facilities and equipment for teaching and veterinary clinical service, and more online-based teaching."

Despite the metamorphosis, Professor Perkins said the passion and dedication of the School’s teaching staff, and their commitment to providing the best learning experiences for students, remained the same.

Sandra agrees, noting that she could apply lessons from her UQ days to her work as a beef cattle veterinarian and cattle property owner.

“Our cohort was a tight bunch; we spent a lot of time together in lectures and practicals since we couldn’t listen to our lectures online,” she said.

“Because we developed such a camaraderie and were always interacting with each other and with our teachers, we learnt how to deal with people.

“That’s 80 per cent of what you do as a vet – talking your clients through the best outcome for their animals.

“My UQ experience definitely put me in good stead.”

Keen to start a legacy of your own? Visit UQ's Faculty of Science website for more information.

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