Dr Gina is the co-owner of Herries St Dental with Dr Steven Humphery. Gina grew up in Chinchilla and graduated as a dentist from the University of Queensland in 1999. After graduation, she took a position in Roma for 12 months with Queensland Health, before settling in Chinchilla where she worked for the next 18 years in the local private practice, becoming a co-owner in the final 5 years. In 2018, Gina relocated to Toowoomba and in 2021 she and Steven purchased Herries St Dental. Over the years, Gina has developed an interest in most areas of general dentistry including orthodontics, endodontics, oral surgery and cosmetic and restorative dentistry and likes to continually improve her skills through further education. She believes in providing quality treatment with a preventative approach and aims for lasting results and great patient relationships. Gina also has a strong association with the Australian Dental Association Queensland where she was a member of the ADAQ Council for four years. She is married with three teenagers, two pugs and a free-range guinea pig. She enjoys supporting the arts, gardening and staying fit and healthy.
Dr Steven grew up in Chinchilla and after school he graduated with a Masters degree in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Queensland. Steven worked in Brisbane for a few years before deciding to study Dentistry, drawing on the advice and experience of Dr Richard Outridge (his wife's Uncle) in making this decision. The technical “hands-on” aspect and the ability to directly care for patients’ oral health are aspects of Dentistry that Steven enjoys. He graduated as a Dentist from Griffith University in 2013 and moved to Roma, briefly working for Queensland Health, before taking a position in Toowoomba in private dental practice. He moved to Herries Street Dental in 2016 and enjoys the wide variety that general dental practice offers. He has a particular interest in preventative, restorative and orthodontic treatment as well as oral appliances for sleep apnoea. Steven strives to deliver quality dental treatment in a relaxed and friendly environment. Steven and his wife have three young children and he enjoys spending time with family and friends and attending community events in Toowoomba.
Dr. Sid Jacob graduated from James Cook University in Cairns in 2015 and has been working at Herries St Dental since 2017. He has amassed a loyal following of patients who travel from all corners of the Darling Downs and Greater Brisbane area to see him. Sid is sought out by his patients, often through word of mouth, due to his comprehensive approach to dentistry and kind spirit. He is experienced in all aspects of general dentistry and provides orthodontic treatment as well. Outside of work, Sid enjoys photography and gardening. He is an avid fan of live music and attends concerts regularly.
Jamie grew up on the Western Darling Downs on a sheep, cattle and grain farm. Before graduating from the University of Queensland in 2011 with a Bachelor of Dental Science, Jamie was an airline pilot with Qantas Airways. He flew both the Boeing 767 and 747 on international routes. He still has a keen interest in aviation and enjoys travel with his family. Jamie joined the practice in 2021 and has quickly become a trusted dentist to many patients. Jamie enjoys working as an amateur mechanic having restored a classic mini. Jamie has worked in private practice since his graduation and in addition to all general dental disciplines, has a keen interest in oral surgery including implant placement and wisdom teeth extraction. He is a member of the Australian Dental Association and endeavours to keep up to date with the latest techniques.
Simone is our Children’s Oral Health Clinician, who specialises in providing dental treatment to our younger patients. With years of experience, Simone is passionate about what she does. She delivers high quality dental care in a fun, supportive and welcoming environment. Simone’s focus is on preventative and minimally invasive procedures. She always makes her patients feel comfortable and safe, with a caring and gentle approach. Simone aims to establish a relationship of trust and confidence with both parent and child, and is passionate about treating anxious children/patients with developmental and behavioural conditions.
Belinda has been a dental assistant at Herries St since 2015 and prior to that she worked as a lab assistant for a specialist orthodontist practice, so she has a wealth of experience to offer. She is married to Dom and has two adult children and loves running her farm where she has a menagerie of animals including cattle, sheep and goats that follow her around. She has been known to bring a baby goat to work and bottle feed it in her breaks! We are very grateful for Belinda as she is our main lab assistant: proficient in making retainers, mouthguards, bending wires and helping with pouring and trimming stone orthodontic study models, dental x-ray tracing and model measuring for our orthodontic workups. She brings a wealth of experience and her modest, low fuss attitude is a wonderful asset to the practice.
Danielle has been a dental assistant since 2016 and holds her Certificate III in Dental Assisting. She works primarily in the front office Reception where her kind happy and caring nature has made her a favourite with our patients. Danielle is married to Steve and has two children as well as three border collies and a cat. It is really quite amazing all the details that she can remember about all of our regular patients, as she really cares. She is interested in fitness, caring for her family and watching them grow.
Catherine has been with Herries St Dental since 2020 and holds her Certificate III in Dental Assisting. Catherine is our Practice Manager. She always strives to excel in all she does and her aim is to help Dr Steven and Dr Gina to maintain the highest level of practice organisation and safety and to help our staff to reach their full potential and obtain job satisfaction and growth. This specialised support allows our dentists to provide the best possible care for our patients.
Brittney is one of our amazing dental assistants and she mainly works with Dr Steven. Brittney was originally one of our wonderful patients and we suspected she had the right stuff to work in our industry when she told us she was watching Youtube videos of people having their teeth cleaned. We were so right! She is reliable, hardworking and passionate about dentistry. Brittney has formalised her training and has completed her Certificate III in Dental Assisting in 2023 - an achievement we are very proud of.
Steff joined the practice in 2021 and is a skilled receptionist and dental assistant. She works primarily with Simone and is absolutely wonderful with children. Steff shines with her positive attitude and the vibe that she brings to everything she does. Steff has formalised her training by completing a Certificate III in Dental Assisting in 2023. Steff fulfils multiple senior roles within the practice: assistant, reception, maintenance of equipment liaison person, financial reporting and accounts and co-ordination of our social media content. Steff is known to be super competitive, especially when it comes to soccer, but in anything really. She will go above and beyond to help our patients or other staff members which is greatly appreciated. Originally from Stanthorpe, she can also handle the cold!
Eliza joined the practice in 2021 and she fulfils several vital roles within the practice behind the scenes. She manages our Sterilisation Room guiding this critical area of the practice through the day. She also helps to complete change-overs in treatment rooms to ensure the rooms are adequately cleaned between patients in an efficient manner. Eliza is also very capable in our laboratory where she makes 3D printed models, retainers and mouthguards. Eliza also orders all our dental supplies keeping the practice stocked with with the best materials at an efficient level. We would be lost without Eliza!
Deni-Eve joined the practice in 2022 and is one of our talented dental assistants. Dr Sid and Deni-Eve make a smooth and seamless dental team. Deni-Eve excels in all aspects of dental assisting and can also be found in Reception on some days. We are very proud of the fact that Deni-Eve successfully completed her Certificate III in Dental Assisting in 2023 and she is a vital and experienced team member.
We are proud to have an experienced and dynamic Dental Assistant like Kristy in the team. Kristy holds a Certificate III in dental assisting and is extremely experienced in this industry. Kristy works as both an assistant and within our front office team. In her spare time, Kristy has a very special interest in speed and adrenaline: she drives race cars and enjoys racing cars in competition. Kristy is reliable, energetic and assists at a very high level and we are delighted to have her in our team.
Jordyn joined the team in 2023 and has achieved a Certificate III in Dental Assisting. Jordyn is an extremely proficient dental assistant in all aspects of assisting and also works in Reception to serve our patients. We are very appreciative of the contribution Jordyn provides to our team.
Jo is a familiar face to many of our patients as a long term and very experienced member of our dental assisting team. Jo has a wealth of experience as a dental assistant and enjoys contributing to the dental health of our patients and making their dental visits as comfortable as possible. Dr Jamie and Jo make a dynamic dental team. Jo enjoys spending family time with her children and grandchildren, is an amazing cook and a very talented embroiderer.
Charity started with the HSD team in January of 2024. Charity brings a wealth of dental experience having started as an assistant in 2020 as a student and she has also obtained her Certificate III in 2021. Dr Gina and Charity form a fantastic dental team. Charity is known for her love of a good cup of tea, beach day trips and hitting the gym. She has a beautiful border collie called Hanky. You may meet Charity chair-side where she enjoys all aspects of dentistry, or also on our reception desk.
Charlie joined the HSD team in October 2024 and is quickly becoming a great DA. She loves camping, showing cattle, spending time with family & friends. She has two brothers and one sister, so never a dull moment in her family! “Working at Herries Street Dental is always rewarding—everyday brings something new, we laugh a lot, and it's great to see patients leave with more confidence in their smiles.” We are proud to have Charlie as part of the team.
Siane joined the team in October 2024. She is passionate about horse riding and currently pursuing her studies at university. She has a twin sister and three younger brothers, two of whom reside in Melbourne. “I thoroughly enjoy working at Herries Street Dental, where the team is incredibly welcoming, we share plenty of laughs, and I find the opportunity to learn various dental procedures that are interesting and rewarding.” Siane is a valued HSD team member.
Herries St Dental was founded in 2010 by beloved local dentist Dr Michael Wilsen. Michael’s vision was to establish a practice where people from all walks of life could obtain good quality dentistry at a reasonable price. This included more complex dentistry such as implants and orthodontics.
He believed in the philosophy of treating every patient like a cherished member of his family and treating his staff with respect and care. With this worthy ethos, the practice grew and Herries St has been a trusted workplace for quite a few like-minded experienced dentists over the years.
In 2021, Dr Steven Humphery and Dr Gina Irwin purchased the practice from Dr Wilsen when he decided to retire from dentistry. Interestingly, Gina and Steven already had a connection – they both grew up in the small town of Chinchilla, 2 hours west of Toowoomba and attended Chinchilla State High School approximately 6 years apart!
Chinchilla is a small place so their families are friends as well. This relationship has formed a solid foundation of trust. They share similar values, priorities and treatment philosophy which makes for a harmonious and dynamic workplace.
At Herries St Dental we believe in treating every patient with kindness, respect, care and the thoughtful and thorough consideration they deserve. We recognise that each individual has unique needs and requirements, including physical, social and emotional considerations.
Our shared long-term goal is to help our patients and their families to maintain good oral and dental health and wherever possible use our experience to guide, educate and advise them to prevent future pain and problems. We aim to provide consistently great service.
We appreciate our loyal patients who share our values, put their trust in us and will do all we can to serve them to the best of our ability. We strive to provide good quality dentistry, consistent and long lasting results and also to do all we can to be there for our patients in times of emergency.
We also believe in a workplace where all the staff are treated well, given opportunities to shine and be paid fairly. Our aim is for all staff to feel valued, respected and appreciated by both the management, co-workers and our patients. We aim for our staff to feel fulfilled and happy at work and urge them to seek to continually learn, improve and develop new skills, for the betterment of the practice and themselves.