From SFX to the Top of WA Health

St Francis Xavier College is proud to celebrate one of our own. Dr Clare Huppatz, who completed her Year 10 studies at SFX in 1989 before moving on to Daramalan College to finish Years 11 and 12, has been appointed Chief Health Officer of Western Australia — the first woman ever to hold the role.

It's a remarkable achievement, and one built on years of quiet, determined hard work.

Clare's path into medicine wasn't a straight line. After finishing school, she didn't quite reach the marks needed to get straight into a medical degree — so she enrolled in a science degree at ANU instead, refusing to let one setback close the door. That persistence paid off: she was accepted into Medicine at Flinders University in South Australia, graduating with her Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery in 1998.

Clare explored a few different areas of clinical medicine before finding her true calling in public health — training as a rural GP in Far North Queensland and the South Australian Riverland, then taking on public health roles across some of the most remote parts of Australia, including WA's Kimberley and Goldfields regions. It was during this time in remote communities that she met her husband, Ravi. The couple settled in Perth, where they're now raising their two daughters.

Clare joined the WA Department of Health in 2019, and within a year found herself at the centre of the state's COVID-19 response — work that earned her a Public Service Medal in 2023 for outstanding public service. She went on to serve as WA's Deputy Chief Health Officer from September 2021, before stepping up into the top job this year.

Announcing her appointment, WA Health Minister Meredith Hammat highlighted Clare's "wealth of expertise in public health, general practice, epidemiology, health promotion and leadership," and her particular commitment to improving health outcomes for Aboriginal and rural and remote communities.

From a Year 10 classroom at SFX to leading the health of an entire state — Clare's story is a wonderful reminder of what hard work, resilience, and a genuine commitment to others can achieve.

Congratulations, Dr Huppatz — we are so proud to call you one of our own!