Our Veterinarians

Practice owner, Dr Julian Nalliah graduated with a Bachelor of Veterinary Science with Honours from the University of Queensland. With 20 years’ experience as a veterinarian, Dr Julian brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience in both small animal medicine and surgery.

Dr Julian is proud that Daisy Hill Vet is a family-owned practice, which means he is able to care for your animals on a very personal level. He has been performing referral orthopaedic and complex soft tissue surgical procedures at Daisy Hill Vet Clinic for the past 5 years and is now thrilled to be able to care for patients full-time as practice principal.

As a highly respected veterinarian amongst his vet colleagues, Dr Julian has a strong interest in musculoskeletal disorders such as cruciate ligament injury and rehabilitation after surgery, including custom-made knee braces. As part of his dedication to animal welfare, Dr Julian has attended further education in the field of veterinary behaviour and can help you and your pet have a happy life together. Dr Julian provides his clients with the same quality of care that he would expect for his own beloved pets, Daley (a retired seeing-eye dog) and Alfie (a very tolerant cat).

Dr Julian grew up in Brisbane and has fallen in love with the close-knit Daisy Hill community where he and his family live. He is excited to be supporting and getting involved with multiple community events in the local area.

Aside from his furry and feathered patients, Dr Julian is a family man and enjoys spending his time in the community with his wife, Chloe and their two children. While not working, Dr Julian can be found mountain biking at Daisy Hill Forest, playing basketball and renovating the family home.

Dr Katie is an exceptional small animal veterinarian, with particular interests in internal medicine, oncology and pathology. She enjoys the problem-solving nature of medicine of dogs and cats and her friendly and approachable manner has made her extremely popular amongst her clients and colleagues. She has completed extra study in the areas of pathology, gastrointestinal disease and dermatology.

Katie’s inspiration to become a vet was partly because she grew up on a sheep property in the Northern Tablelands of NSW (Niangla) and then, after her family made the switch to avocado farming (Alstonville), they kept a self-sufficient hobby farm consisting of pigs, chickens and various other farm animals. Her most vivid animal memory during this time was nursing her 9-month-old Labrador after a left fore limb injury left him paralysed in this leg. As a child, Katie became proficient in bandage changes and this experience made her determined to pursue a career in veterinary science to be able to help other animals.

Besides being an active member of the Daisy Hill veterinary practice team, Dr Katie is a mother of 4 young children, and prides herself in being organised, efficient and remaining calm in stressful situations. These qualities she has as a mother, enhance her ability to manage difficult cases in vet practice.

During her working holiday in the UK with her husband, who is also a vet, she developed a passion for Spanish culture and cuisine. She also prides herself in her personal fitness and manages to remain fit and healthy whilst simultaneously raising 4 children! Her sporting interests range from cycling to bushwalking.

Her family would not be complete without her own collection of pets at home, including ‘Badger’, a wire-haired Dachshund, ‘Pat the Cat’, a long-haired fluffy ginger boy and ‘Pekoe’, a snuggly Burmese cat named after Katie’s favourite style of chai tea.

With experience in both general and specialist practice, Dr Irving is a multi-skilled veterinarian who is dedicated to his profession and has brought a wealth of knowledge to our practice.

Born in Canberra, Irving moved to Singapore as a 7-year-old then returned to Australia to complete his tertiary education and has called Australia home for almost 20 years. Initially he completed a Bachelor of Commerce, but Irving soon realised he wasn’t an ‘office-type’ and that his heart was in animal care, so he enrolled at the University of Queensland, graduating from a Bachelor of Veterinary Science with Honours in 2014.

Dr Irving has completed an Internship in Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care at the Animal Emergency Service and then worked in private practice. After this, he received additional speciality training at the University of Queensland in the field of Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia, where he managed anaesthetics in both small and large animal species, including complicated high-risk cases. Dr Irving achieved Membership into this field by examination into the Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists in 2021.

Dr Irving loves the combination of biological science with the practical and problem-solving skills required to be a vet. He prides himself on his gentle handling techniques, his empathetic nature and taking the time to get to know his clients’ pets. Dr Irving particularly loves the team culture at Daisy Hill Vet Clinic and working with such a talented group of professionals while looking after the local community’s pets.

Dr Irving enjoys all aspects of general practice but finds dermatology and pain management particularly rewarding as it allows him to collaborate with his clients to improve the welfare of their pets. Irving can converse in Mandarin and enjoys accommodating his Chinese-speaking clients.

When not working as a vet, Irving enjoys eating out with friends, playing board or video games and listening to a wide variety of music. He and his partner own a little menagerie at home, living with their Chihuahua, Aiko, who is treated like royalty and 3 cats, Momo, Yuna and Saffy.

Dr James brings a wide range of skills to our practice, and not just veterinary ones! Initially starting his working life as a chef, Dr James then moved on to graphic design, before deciding to retrain as a veterinarian at the University of Queensland.

It might seem like a big leap from chef to veterinarian, but for Dr James it was all down to a growing interest in the science behind both cooking and gardening that led to him to pursue a career with a focus on science and medicine.

Now firmly part of the team, Dr James enjoys both the theoretical and practical nature of his work, and the chance to interact with a wide range of patients during the day.

Dr James has a particular interest in ultrasound as a non-invasive, quick, and painless way to take a look inside his patients before making a diagnosis. He is also often spotted at courses and seminars as he keeps up to date with all the latest initiatives in veterinary science, and has his eye on some further surgical training in the future.

In the clinic, Dr James has a soft spot for golden retrievers, but at home he spends his time tending the family’s pet chickens and fish.  Medicine runs in the family for Dr James. While he is treating our beloved patients of the animal variety, his wife is treating humans as an emergency department doctor.

Dr James has slotted right into the close-knit team here at our practice, supported by our highly skilled nurses and his fellow veterinarians. We’re enjoying having Dr James around too – his chef skills are much appreciated when someone is having a birthday. His carrot cake is exceptional!