TEAM
Meet the Vets
Our experienced team of veterinarians are dedicated to delivering the highest quality of care and compassion to ensure that your furry family members lead healthy and happy lives.
Amanda-Lee Charman
Veterinarian – BVBiol BVSc (Hons)
Amanda-Lee graduated with honours at Charles Sturt University. Her passion is to help foster the human/animal relationship so that the owner and their four-legged family members nurture a special and unique bond throughout the stages of the patients’ life.
She is an advocate for preventative health and also enjoys managing the animals in their senior years through geriatric medicine. Amanda-Lee has completed further veterinary study through Massey university, is the current Vice President of the ACT Veterinary Board is the current Australian Veterinary Association ACT policy council member and committee member. Outside of work Amanda-Lee is also a lover of exercise, quilting and is learning to play piano. She lives with her partner Marty, her two goats, Garry and Gavin, and Creature, her beloved Devon Rex.
Victoria Dortkamp
Veterinarian – BVSc (Hons)
Victoria graduated from the University of Sydney with first class honours in 2014. Since graduation Victoria has worked in mixed animal practice in northern NSW, small animal practice in Sydney and completed a rotating internship at the Small Animal Specialist Hospital (SASH) in Sydney.
Victoria and her husband moved to Canberra in late 2018 and Victoria joined the Manuka Vet team. Victoria enjoys all aspects of being a small animal vet with a special interest in internal medicine and oncology. She enjoys building relationships with her patients and their owners.
Outside of work she is kept busy with her young son and two small dogs - a Dachshund and a Pembroke Welsh Corgi.
Alice Lawson
Veterinarian – BVSc
A University of Sydney graduate, Alice has lived and worked in the UK and China as well as Tasmania, Victoria, NSW and now the ACT. After spending some years in mixed animal practice, she has now focused on small animals; she enjoys working with animals that are truly part of the family.
Since graduation, she has undertaken further study in internal medicine, clinical pathology and surgery. When away from work, Alice is busy raising her four school-aged kids and looking after the family’s small property. This gives her the opportunity to still be in touch with rural life including horse riding and breeding. Alice’s day starts with jogging her dogs and finishes with her pulling them all out of the kids’ beds where they are invariably found hiding under the doonas.
Dr. Steven Kijlstra
Veterinarian – BVSc (Hons)
Dr. Steven Kijlstra is an integral part of the team at Manuka Vet Hospital, offering his expertise in veterinary medicine and ultrasound on a weekly basis.
His passion for veterinary science is matched by his dedication to providing compassionate care, blending the latest in medical technology with a genuine understanding of the needs of pets and their families.
n his personal life, Steven enjoys the companionship of his family, including his wife and young son, along with their lively Koolie x Kelpie. This blend of professional dedication and personal experience fuels his approach to veterinary care, emphasizing empathy, excellence, and continuous learning.
Dr. Kijlstra looks forward to contributing to the health and happiness of your pets at Manuka Vet Hospital, delivering exceptional care with a focus on diagnostic imaging and internal medicine.
Tim Jensma
Veterinarian
Dr Tim completed a Bachelor of Science at ANU but then thought he would like to be more involved with animals and become a veterinarian, graduating from Sydney University in 2008.
Tim first worked in a rural mixed practice in Queensland and accidentally stumbled upon his future wife while up there. This ultimately led them both to move to his hometown of Canberra and Tim continued his career with the Capital Paws Group. Tim has travelled extensively with his wife, with several overseas postings and adventures in between. Tim has worked in London, Melbourne and most recently Papua New Guinea, but thankfully for us Tim thinks it may be time to settle down with the family in Canberra. Between his travels you may have seen Tim anywhere from Kippax to Queanbeyan and Weston Woden in between, but he now calls Manuka Vet home.
Tim has broad interests including coffee, motorbikes, aquarium fish, gardening and hiking, but a lot of his time is now spent with his two young children.
Alexandra Willi
Veterinarian – Mag. Med. Vet
Alexandra graduated from the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna Austria in 2013. Shortly after, she moved to Texas to complete an equine internship.
Looking for new challenges along with her love of travel, she moved to Australia in 2015 where she continued to work in equine practice. Alexandra joined the Manuka Vet Hospital team to fulfil another new adventure and
loves working with small animals.
Alexandra and her partner share their lives with their loved pets, Leo the cat and Austin the dog. In her free time, you will find Alexandra riding her horse Billy on the bush edges of Canberra with Austin hot on her heels.