RCSWA students have access to two modern three-bedroom, two-bathroom townhouses located next door to each other. There is a very large green park at the front of the homes, and a beachside footpath is located a couple of minutes away - perfect for an evening stroll. The houses are a 15-minute drive to the RCSWA office in South Hedland, with the Health Campus only a couple of minutes further away.

Hedland is the regional centre for health services in the Pilbara. This means that Hedland has the lion’s share of the region’s specialist medical practitioners.

Hedland Health Campus is a modern facility staffed by procedural GPs (District Medical Officers) along with specialist doctors covering paediatrics, obstetrics, surgery, anaesthetics, internal medicine, and emergency medicine. As the regional centre, Hedland receives the more challenging patients from around the Pilbara. The hospital is served by visiting specialists such as cardiology (paediatric and adult), ophthalmology, ENT, orthopaedics, nephrology, rheumatology, and dermatology.

There are also plenty of other health services around the town that the RCSWA works with as part of the Port Hedland program. Hedland is home to a Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) base, and students are regularly rostered to accompany the RFDS doctors on their travels. There is an Aboriginal Health Service, Wirraka Maya, where medical students spend time with Aboriginal Health Workers, doctors, nurses, and allied health staff. Students are also sent to the three general practices in town - Port Hedland Medical Centre, Port Hedland Family Practice and Sonic Healthcare, and the Pilbara Mental Health and Drug Service, our local psychiatric service provider.

The town itself has a young population, so there is no shortage of sporting activities for those who are interested. We have an amateur theatre group, turtles, a swimmable beach at Pretty Pool and a community where newcomers are made to feel very welcome. To find out more about the town and the wider Pilbara region, check out the following links:

• Town of Port Hedland  
• Kariyarra Aboriginal Corporation 
• Australia’s Northwest – Port Hedland
• Parks and Wildlife Service – Pilbara