Hang on a minute. The village has been taken over by a motorbike mamma!

Well, not exactly. But, some of the residents got a bit of a kick out of ribbing the new director about being a ‘bikie’.

“Biker, not bikie,” Sue corrects them.

Motorbikes just happen to be the passion, along with caring for the aged, of Sue Thomson, who has taken on the role of Director of Care at the Inverell facility.

So, don’t be deceived by first impressions – Sue is a kind hearted, caring, passionate and dedicated person who has already made a lasting positive impression on everyone she has met and works with.

Sue finds that motorbikes are an easy and cheap form of transport, as well as being fun, and she probably enjoys the look of surprise on other people’s faces when she rides up on her bike and takes off her helmet.

Sue was born in Manilla, NSW. Both her parents lived in Inverell before they were married and later moved from Manilla to Warialda.

Sue spent her formative years in Warialda and completed her registered nurse training at Tamworth Base Hospital in 1982.

During this time she met her husband David, who was born and raised at Yallaroi.

The couple have three children all now aged in their 20s.

Sue said her nursing career has taken her to North Queensland, both coastal and inland, to central NSW and the far north coast of NSW.

It has also brought her back to the Inverell area.

“During this time I have managed aged care facilities for a number of years for large corporate organisations and for community organisations,” she said, who managed two aged care facilities on the north coast in her last position.

Sue joined the team at McLean last December and is responsible for all care and clinical management in the Argyll Centre, Beresford Coward Hostel, Arrawatta Lodge, Hector Wing and the Grace Munro Centre.

The completion of additional university studies over several years has added to Sue’s skills and knowledge.