The cardiac electrophysiologist is one of the newest additions at Charles Clinic Heart Care, after relocating from Sydney to Launceston in July. 

Joined by his wife Gillian and two sons Thomas, 5 and Josh, 7, Dr Mau said the decision to move to Tasmania was serendipitous. 

“When you make these life decisions, there is usually good things and there is bad things to consider,” he said.

“Looking at the opportunities here involving my work, I needed to look at what I could bring to the community, mixed with a good balance in family life and the opportunity to hone my skills and do what I love.

“It just made complete sense and I am lucky that my family have been supportive.”

Originally from Adelaide, Dr Mau completed his medical degree at the University of Sydney in 2006 and gained his PhD in cardiology at the Royal North Shore Hospital in 2009. 

With a subspeciality in rhythm management, Dr Mau’s field of expertise is in complex devise implantation and his self-confessed “main love” is pacemakers. 

With his experience he brings a range of new skills not previously available in Launceston, including biventricular pacing and complex defibrillator devices. 

“We don’t really have an electrophysiologist working here in the North at all,” Dr Mau said.

“There is electrophysiology services in Hobart, but they are limited.

“Bringing that to a lab up here and bringing a new skills set, and offering that to the patients is all a very new thing.

“Don’t get me wrong – pacemakers go in here at the public and the private, but complex device management is something that is not offered here.

“So that is something I can bring to the table, and it is something that I am interested and passionate about.”

Before taking up his position at the Charles Clinic, Dr Mau completed a fellowship in Wellington, New Zealand – another move across waters that was supported by his family. 

Here, he said he became known as the “camping cardiologist”, after the family decided to live in a tent for a number of months. 

Now settled in Tasmania, Mrs Mau, who has a background in early education, said Launceston offered a wonderful change of pace from their former life in Sydney. 

“Aesthetically it is just stunning,” she said.

“You have all of this nature so close to the city and without all of the traffic.

“The kids definitely love it here.”

Now more than three months into his role at the Charlies Clinice, Dr Mau said healthcare in Tasmania had reached a “crossroads” when it came to supply and demand for services. 

“Quite frankly I was surprised at some of the lack of services offered here in Tasmania,” he said.

“Talking of cardiology, I was surprised that there was such a need for it and that it was so under-serviced and I was surprised that a lot of the things I thought would happen here, don’t happen here.

“I think a lot of it relates to infrastructure, because to offer a service you need more than just an electrophysiologist. You need a lab, you need support services.

“I guess traditionally if it is something that has been sent to the mainland, with a small need that works very well, but as the need grows there comes a point where you think – it makes much more sense to have those services offered within the state.”

According to the Heart Foundation, Tasmania’s rate of death from heart disease is second only to the Northern Territory.

With a focus on prevention and education, Dr Mau said he was looking forward to using his skills to help improve health outcomes in the community. 

“There is such a need here, and I have been really surprised by what cases come through the doors each day,” he said.

“It is a very under-serviced population, and from a cardiovascular heart perspective, quite a sick population on average compared to the mainland.

“I am hoping to offer in the areas we call heart failure, a new management strategy to the population here, that will make them feel better and also confer to them more longevity.

“So we are talking more quality of life, and better length of life. We have a plan to stay here long term and hopefully confer to the community a better outcome. That is the whole idea.”

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