This paper reports on a qualitative study investigating how Australian health professionals may be developing and deploying essential clinical informatics capabilities in the first 5 years of their professional practice. It explores the experiences of four professionals in applying what they have learned formally and informally during their university education and during workplace learning and training. This study is based on a broad review of the literature on clinical informatics education and training; its findings support international analyses and suggest that new strategic efforts among stakeholders in the healthcare system are required to make progress in building workforce capacity in this field, in Australia and elsewhere.