There will be balloons and a festive atmosphere at White's Pharmacy in Lightning Ridge today (Tuesday 7 February 2023) as the team marks a major milestone for the business and their community.

Built from scratch in 1973 in response to requests from local residents the family pharmacy - and its pharmacist - are celebrating forty years of care and commitment to the Lightning Ridge community.

"It's been a privilege," says Rhonda White. "I have stayed in Lighting Ridge because it is my home, my town and my community who I have care for through generations of families.

"There is nowhere else quite like it and nowhere else I want to go.

"I think this explains why I've continued as a Pharmacist for so long and not changed careers - it's what I do and enjoy!"

Rhonda's parents Winn and Lew White were opal miners and devoted to their only daughter, who was born in 'the Ridge' in 1957 - a time when the town not only had no pharmacy but also no secondary school.

When it came time for high school, Winn and Rhonda moved to Walgett and lived in a caravan.

"I was good at maths and science," Rhonda told the Western Plains App. "I was really into the science subjects and I wanted to do something with science that had a job at the end of it."

"Coming from Lightning Ridge I did look at geology at one stage but couldn't really see how that would work out," she said.

She did a short work placement with Malcolm McCallum at Walgett Pharmacy and found it interesting.

The pharmacy was built by Rhonda's family, with help from her then boyfriend Garry. PHOTO SUPPLIED.

But Rhonda had another love and few people may recall that she spent her first year at Sydney University studying a Bachelor of Music.

"After 12 months I wasn't enjoying it so I stopped," said Rhonda.

"I wanted to keep my music and something I enjoyed for myself, so after the first year I transferred to pharmacy.

"I graduated from Sydney Uni in 1980 and did my intern year in the suburbs of Sydney.

"During that year my father was diagnosed with cancer, so when I was registered, I took a position at Walgett Pharmacy to be close to home."

It was when Lew was in remission that the Lightning Ridge local began approaching him to consider building a pharmacy where Rhonda could work.

"It was very daunting at the time, with only a couple of years experience, but a great opportunity," she said.

Rhonda in her role as Lightning Ridge's first pharmacist. PHOTO SUPPLIED.

The White's Pharmacy (Lightning Ridge) opened at it's current site on 7 February in 1983.

Up until that time a local drugstore had been the only option. Prescriptions could be dropped there and the drugstore would send a driver in to Walgett to have them filled - or you could drive to Walgett yourself.

The pharmacy quickly became an integral part of the health and medical system in Lightning Ridge and for forty years Rhonda and her staff have ridden the rollercoaster through crushing droughts, floods - which bring huge logistical challenges to getting medicines into the town and out to isolated patients, the booms and busts of opal mining and the wider economy, frequent and sometimes extended power outages, times when the town's hospital was not open 24 hours and of course the revolving door of doctors where, at times, the town had no doctor at all.

"To say that I also have a lot of good memories in an understatement," says Rhonda.

"It's memories of helping people who needed help and working as a team to provide a service, whatever the obstacles, as well as being appreciated by the community for our efforts."

"I think in a single pharmacy town, you're in a position to make such a difference in people's lives," Rhonda explains.

Fighting for her customers

She says he COVID pandemic "seemed to come out of nowhere and turn our lives upside down for a couple of years."

"When the Queensland closed it's border we had a lot of caravanners stuck here for months," she said.

"It was a scramble to get organised."

"We took the decision to trade outside the front door to minimise the risk of us getting covid. It meant kilometres of walking and running back and forth from the dispensary.

"It was absolutely impossible to get a locum Pharmacist during the covid years, it was absolutely impossible to get a locum pharmacist.

"If I had caught COVID then the pharmacy probably would most likely have had to close," said Rhonda.

Natasha (Tash) Turnbull is a local who also trained to be a pharmacist and has been working on and off at White's Pharmacy since she returned to the district.

"There wouldn't be too many people going without for too long because Rhonda fights for them," she said.

"People don't see what goes on in the background, the dynamics of getting the stock every day."

She says Rhonda's knowledge of her customers and her community is a godsend for local health.

"Even in my time the number of doctors who come and go is incredible and Rhonda has seen them through and sort of trained them," said Tash.

"She is always there for the patients - if you don't really understand the script you've been given and you're concerned you go and see Rhonda."

Tributes to a local treasure

Former Bowling Club manager and long-term Walgett shire councillor Ian Woodcock also arrived in Lightning Ridge in 1983 - the year the pharmacy was built - and has seen the impact of Rhonda's work.

"It's been marvellous what she's done for the community," said Ian. "It's not only the local area. The pharmacy serves a lot of people from Goodooga, Dirranbandi and outlying places.

"She's built a very good following and it's worth a million dollars to this community."

Mr Woodcock says that Rhonda's contribution to Lightning Ridge doesn't stop at the doors of the pharmacy.

"She's been very community-minded. She was one of the instigators of our Chamber of Commerce which achieved a lot," he said.

Rhonda was Secretary of the brand new Chamber for her first ten years in business.

With her fellow business owners and managers they organised and lobbied with life-changing results for locals including having the health service upgraded to a 24-hour service in a new building; getting the airport sealed with bitumen and landing lights installed, achieving government recognition of the transient nature of the town which brought water, sewage and myriad other civic improvements.

Rhonda White still working for her community forty years on. PHOTO SUPPLIED.

The Chamber backed five local teenagers who were working to get an olympic swimming pool built in the town and helped them to secure a grant which made the facility a reality. Rhonda's business is now a major sponsor of the Australian Opal & Fossil Centre that she believes will bring big benefits to the region.

For many years she was a member of the hospital auxiliary, providing items for the hospital, and she has played her music at countless funerals and ANZAC ceremonies.

"Rhonda is a very quiet unassuming and talented lady," says Walgett Shire Mayor Jane Keir. "She just works quietly and gives so much. She's a huge asset to Lightning Ridge."

Mrs Keir is a former Palliative Care Nurse and the Ridge was part of her 'patch' for almost two decades.

"I went once a week for 17 years to Lighting Ridge and she was invaluable to me," she said.

"We'd have complex cases and I used to go and talk to Rhonda about what we'd need and do, especially in pain management. She'd even go and open the doors on a Sunday if someone really needed something."

"She was always available to me any hour the day or day of the week, so these people had continuity of care."

"She's totally dedicated to that business and devoted to her community," Mrs Keir said.

"I'd like to personally thank Rhonda for all she's done for the people of Lightning Ridge and particularly those who needed help."

"She is a treasure."

Day of celebration

Apart from the balloons and perhaps a birthday cake, Rhonda says she's not sure how they'll celebrate today's rare achievement.

"I love helping people and, in my town of Lighting Ridge, I can do this in the Pharmacy from the perspective of someone who knows the patients, their background and history - and they know me," she said.

"In an era when the GPs are changing weekly, we are the constant in their health care. This makes a positive difference for them and for me."

As a Christian, Rhonda gives God the praise for allowing her to do what she has done so far.

"I also owe a debt of gratitude to my husband Garry Yeo, my parents Winn and Lew White and all the wonderful people who have been part of my pharmacy journey these last forty years.

"And thank you most of all to the customers for your support!"