Ramsay Newsroom

The group is made up of mental health medical staff who motorbike around Australia, providing free assistance to men in the bush, and has so far helped approximately 1000 rural men.

The keen riders have just notched up their 40,000th kilometre after riding from Ramsay’s facility, The Adelaide Clinic, to Darwin.

The group’s first stop was Port Augusta, where they provided free men’s health checks at Wharfest, an annual festival for families.

Psychiatrist and Psychs on Bikes founder Dr Joe Dunn said: “In rural and remote Australia, the suicide rate is nearly double what it is in the cities. So naturally we want to help, we want to break down the barriers around mental health.”

They then headed north for presentations to senior students at the Coober Pedy School, and Tennant Creek Senior School and to staff at the Alice Springs Hospital Emergency Department, attracting extensive media interest along the way.

The convoy also attended the Psychs on Bikes half-day conference at Tennant Creek and started a program to assist school students to understand and repair their motorcycles.

“We try to achieve some great outcomes in the community while having a really good time along the way,” Dr Dunn said.

The group started eight years ago when Dr Dunn, his son and two other colleagues decided to ride across the Nullarbor Plain. They soon garnered additional support from the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses.

Now the group takes on two major rides each year and a few smaller rides in between, providing free health checks for men at each stop.

Psychs on Bikes now has 250 members, but the group is looking to expand and is inviting all health professionals to join, even those who don’t ride motorbikes.

“Once people know about us and start to get involved with the idea and realise our purpose, they are really rusted on,” Dr Dunn said.

You can email psychsonbikes@gmail.com if you are interested in becoming a member.