Our Team

Dr Helen Robinson

BVSc (Melb), MSusAg(Syd)

Helen Robinson has been working as a country vet for over 30 years. After graduating from the University of Melbourne, she was determined to leave the city so she could pursue her interests in farm animal medicine and enjoy the country life. She started her veterinary career in a sheep and beef cattle practice in Kingston SE, in South Australia. Keen to see more of Australia, she then moved to north Queensland, doing locum work in coastal and outback veterinary clinics, before settling in Sarina, south of Mackay. Tropical veterinary medicine provided many new challenges in her work with both cattle and pets.

In 1996, Helen embarked on her most exciting and satisfying challenge, travelling to Guatemala with Australian Volunteers International, where she spent two years training Guatemalan villagers, mostly indigenous Mayan women and men, in the care of their chickens and pigs and other livestock. While there, she wrote six manuals in Spanish to illustrate her training classes.

Upon her return to Australia, Dr Robinson settled back in Tallangatta in Northeast Victoria, working in a mixed and dairy practice, followed by several years of locum work around southern Australia.  While working at the Beechworth Vet Clinic, then owned by Ovens and Kiewa Veterinary Services, Helen recognised the great potential for developing a business in such a beautiful part of Victoria. She purchased the Beechworth practice in November 2011, established Indigo Veterinary Services and has nurtured the clinic into a busy full time practice.

When not at work, Helen enjoys mostly outdoors pursuits including bushwalking, cycling, gardening, orienteering, and the slightly obscure sport of Rogaining, a long distance cross country navigation sport. She is a graduate of the Alpine Valleys Community Leadership Program and has stood as a candidate for Victorian and Federal parliament on several occasions. Helen is actively involved in the Beechworth Urban Landcare and Sustainability Group, as well as the Veterinarians for Climate Action.

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Dr Anita Roach

BVSc (Melb)

Anita Roach grew up in South Australia and graduated from Melbourne University Veterinary School in 1999. In 2002 she travelled to the UK, where she met her husband Mark. Anita worked in the UK for 12 years before returning to Australia in 2014. In late 2020, Anita and Mark, and their two young daughters moved to Beechworth to finally get out of Sydney (where they had lived for 6 years), as well as to be closer to much of Anita’s extended family who live in Northeast Victoria. Anita will soon be building a new house in Beechworth. She is enjoying getting involved with local activities such as the Beechworth Scout Group and the Beechworth Primary School Council.

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Dr Tiffany Ellis

BVSc ( Hons)

Growing up in Dookie, Victoria, Tiff graduated from Melbourne University in 1989, with her first position being in Wangaratta followed by work and travel in the UK for a couple of years. After a year of livestock consultancy training at Melbourne University in 1993 Tiff then discovered a passion for Emergency Medicine and Critical care at the Animal Emergency Centre in Melbourne.

In 2002 Tiff set up her own clinic in Euroa and raised her 2 children whilst establishing a busy mixed practice. In 2016 with fewer family responsibilities Tiff set up a purpose built and dedicated after hours Emergency Hospital in Wodonga called River Country Animal Emergency Centre, and moved to Beechworth in 2019. In 2021 this hospital was no longer sustainable due to the severe vet shortage crisis and COVID border closures and was sadly closed in Dec 2020.

Since then Tiff has been working as a locum in different emergency practices in Melbourne, Hobart, Canberra and Bendigo. Tiff is a passionate advocate for the environment, wildlife and climate action. She has more recently enjoyed becoming a radio presenter for Indigo FM, and loves bush walking in the beautiful North East of Victoria.

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Ruth Edwards

Veterinary Nurse ,Cert IV

Ruth has been at Indigo Veterinary Services since 2012 and is a certified veterinary nurse.
When she's not working at the vet clinic she is caring for her young daughter, Amber, with her fiancé Pete, and her menagerie of pets, which includes 2 dogs, a cat, chooks, a rabbit, 4 Guinea pigs,  5 different bird species, 2 horses and  a miniature pony.
Ruth also owns her own dog grooming business, K9 transformations, which she runs from home in Barnawartha.

In July 2021 Ruth celebrated the birth of her second child. She is currently on maternity leave.

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Lydia Forster

Veterinary Nurse & Receptionist

Lydia is a Vet Nurse/Receptionist with over 4 years of clinical experience in both emergency care and general practice. She is passionate about providing great patient care and meaningful interaction with their owners. In her spare time Lydia enjoys walking her dog, Orion, and admiring the beautiful streets of Beechworth. She has three cats, one of whom she rescued through her time as an emergency nurse.

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Shannon Knoth

Veterinary Nurse, Cert IV

Shannon completed her Certificate IV in Veterinary nursing in 2020. She loves cats and has a “naughty tortie” at home who loves cuddles. Shannon loves to garden, crochet and keep up with her favourite TV series. She has previously worked in retail and is enjoying working at her first vet clinic.

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