The rural community has outshone Tamworth, Gunnedah and the Liverpool Plains where the average first dose rate is 73.7 per cent.

And, it's all without government-run mass vaccination clinics, vax-a-thons or hubs set up by the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

When it comes to second dose, the difference is even more stark as the region sits on 63.5 per cent - more than 20 per cent higher than the average of the other three.

So with such a high take up of the jab, the Leader decided to speak with the town's mayor Eric Noakes about what's driven locals to roll up their sleeves.

"I don't know if it was the age of the population, but there's a lot of farmers up here and they spent half their lives vaccinating stock against disease so they probably realise the importance of it," he said.

"And maybe they just didn't believe all the hype that was put by every second person that thought they were a doctor on Facebook."

He said a lot of credit has to go to Dr Adrian Allen and his team at Walcha General Practice, who Cr Noakes said were ahead of the eight ball very early on.

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Not long after COVID-19 first hit regional Australia 18 months ago Dr Allen set up a testing clinic and began engaging and educating the public about the virus. It was a "McDonald's style" drive through where he would also administer the flu jab.

Once the vaccinations became available, the practice was again on the front foot with its advertising of the fact - especially given it had bookings open for Pfizer shots very early on.

Cr Noakes praised Dr Allen and his staff for their foresight and said it has been a major contributor to the high rates.

But he said the public needed to be acknowledged too, with bookings coming thick and fast while hesitancy remained fairly high in other areas.

Ultimately, he said the entire experience has made him extremely proud to the be the leader of the community.

"It makes me really proud, some people say its because you're a small community but it's all in proportion," he said.

"It's all been done internally so it's not because we're a small community, it's just because of the passion by a doctor and his staff and then the community."

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