Community & Business
2 July, 2026
PROBUS Club June Meeting Report
The June guest speaker was local pharmacist, Ruby Schembri.
By Margaret Schier, publicity officer
At the June meeting of Gilgandra PROBUS Club, president Linda Wykes presented Margaret Robins with her life membership badge and thanked her for all she has done for for the club. Linda also welcomed Robyn Turner with her badge as our latest new member. There were eight apologies.
Tour director Denise told us details of a trip to Canowindra and a possible outing to Bilby Blooms at Binnaway. Some members are on the sick list and welfare officer Pat Thompson is contacting them.
Following morning tea, our guest speaker Ruby Schembri spoke to us about her ‘journey’ to become a community pharmacist. She wondered what wisdom a 25-year-old could offer a room full of people with more life experiences than she had.
Ruby you certainly did that and we enjoyed listening to your story. At her year six investiture mass, Emma Robinson was the guest speaker. She spoke to the students of leadership and service, qualities to make a good leader. Ruby did not know then Emma would become her boss years later. Following her HSC at Gilgandra High School, Ruby considered various careers to train for still not sure pharmacy was for her.
Her then boyfriend Andrew completed his Army training and was sent to Townsville for four years and Ruby went too. Still not sure of her career path a phone call with her mum convinced her to enrol in pharmacy at James Cook University where in the first two years the focus was on chemistry, biology, and anatomy. She was glad when the following years became pharmacy focused.
Then followed therapeutics which involved how diseases develop, different systems of the body work and medicines used to treat various conditions. In her honours year, she received four special awards singularly and in a group. She had placements in Port Douglas, Emerald, and Mt Isa.
Following graduation, Ruby and Andrew moved back to NSW and she started her internship at the Gilgandra Pharmacy, this involved assignments, assessments, competencies, workplace training, and endless studying. She studied before and after work and every chance she could.
A rewarding part of her internship was delivering a health promotion to high school students. Finally, she sat for her two registration exams one written held in Sydney, and one a oral exam. Six weeks later she received the good news that she had passed.
Emma nominated Ruby for 'Intern Pharmacist of the Year' with three other finalists. She won the award and travelled to the Gold Coast to receive it earlier this year.
Ruby thanked her parents, partner, family, friends, lecturers, mentors, and colleagues. We thank you Ruby for being such an inspiration and Gilgandra is proud of you.
