"Victory"
Rise to Fame
Reverend John Flynn lived in the outback of Australia for the majority of his life, the Royal Flying Doctor Service became a vision as he witnessed the daily struggles of pioneers living in remote areas of Australia. Over the area of approximately two million square kilometers there were only two doctors available to provide medical care. Not only was there a deficiency of doctors but the communication and transport was not adequate enough to provide the best medical help efficiently.
John Flynn enrolled at Ormond College in 1903 for training as a minister studying theology, to begin with he financed his studies by working at Church Home Missionary Centers around Victoria. In 1907 he started a four year course studying divinity at Melbourne University. He graduated in 1910 and a year later he was ordained as a minister to the Presbyterian Church. Throughout his studies, Flynn developed an interest of working in the outback. He assisted other ministers like Donald Cameron and Andrew Barber with missionary work in rural areas of Victoria and South Australia. In addition to his work in the outback, Flynn and Barber published a book of information and hints for people in the bush, “The Bushmans Companion”. During early 1911 Flynn arrived in the Smith of Dunesk Mission at Beltana South Australia, here, Flynn experienced first hand the hardships of the outback life, there was no medical help available for inland residents and travelers. The same year he was assigned by the church to visit the Northern Territory and report its missionary needs. His report included proposals for inland missions which induced the Presbyterian General Assembly to act on his proposals. His report was contemplated and as a result Flynn was appointed head of a new organisation, the AIM (Australian Inland Mission). AIM’s goal is to minister to the spiritual, social and medical needs of people in the outback, Flynn held this position for the next 39 years.
Six years after he was appointed head of the AIM, Flynn received a motivating letter from Lieutenant Clifford Peel, a Victorian medical student, young airman and war hero. Lieutenant Clifford Peel expressed his interest in aviation and suggested the use of aviation to bring medical help to the outback. This letter became a blueprint for the creation of the Royal Flying Doctor Service, however Lieutenant Clifford Peel was shot and died at 24 years in France, therefore he never knew his contribution to the organisation. John Flynn spent the following ten years campaigning for an aerial medical service. His vision became a reality when H V McKay, a long time follower, left a large bequest for “an aerial experiment”. John Flynn’s dream now didn’t seem so far out of reach, the bequest enabled the Flying Doctor Service to begin its journey. Around the same time Flynn met a founder of QANTAS, Hudson Fysh, they signed an agreement to operate an aerial ambulance from Cloncurry, Queensland.
The 17th of May 1928 Australia witnessed the start of a revolution, the first ever of the flying doctors, Dr Kenyon St Vincent Welch took off from Cloncurry, Queensland. The aircraft was as single engine, timber and fabric bi-plane named “Victory”, it was the very first of many aircrafts of the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
Reverend John Flynn lived in the outback of Australia for the majority of his life, the Royal Flying Doctor Service became a vision as he witnessed the daily struggles of pioneers living in remote areas of Australia. Over the area of approximately two million square kilometers there were only two doctors available to provide medical care. Not only was there a deficiency of doctors but the communication and transport was not adequate enough to provide the best medical help efficiently.
John Flynn enrolled at Ormond College in 1903 for training as a minister studying theology, to begin with he financed his studies by working at Church Home Missionary Centers around Victoria. In 1907 he started a four year course studying divinity at Melbourne University. He graduated in 1910 and a year later he was ordained as a minister to the Presbyterian Church. Throughout his studies, Flynn developed an interest of working in the outback. He assisted other ministers like Donald Cameron and Andrew Barber with missionary work in rural areas of Victoria and South Australia. In addition to his work in the outback, Flynn and Barber published a book of information and hints for people in the bush, “The Bushmans Companion”. During early 1911 Flynn arrived in the Smith of Dunesk Mission at Beltana South Australia, here, Flynn experienced first hand the hardships of the outback life, there was no medical help available for inland residents and travelers. The same year he was assigned by the church to visit the Northern Territory and report its missionary needs. His report included proposals for inland missions which induced the Presbyterian General Assembly to act on his proposals. His report was contemplated and as a result Flynn was appointed head of a new organisation, the AIM (Australian Inland Mission). AIM’s goal is to minister to the spiritual, social and medical needs of people in the outback, Flynn held this position for the next 39 years.
Six years after he was appointed head of the AIM, Flynn received a motivating letter from Lieutenant Clifford Peel, a Victorian medical student, young airman and war hero. Lieutenant Clifford Peel expressed his interest in aviation and suggested the use of aviation to bring medical help to the outback. This letter became a blueprint for the creation of the Royal Flying Doctor Service, however Lieutenant Clifford Peel was shot and died at 24 years in France, therefore he never knew his contribution to the organisation. John Flynn spent the following ten years campaigning for an aerial medical service. His vision became a reality when H V McKay, a long time follower, left a large bequest for “an aerial experiment”. John Flynn’s dream now didn’t seem so far out of reach, the bequest enabled the Flying Doctor Service to begin its journey. Around the same time Flynn met a founder of QANTAS, Hudson Fysh, they signed an agreement to operate an aerial ambulance from Cloncurry, Queensland.
The 17th of May 1928 Australia witnessed the start of a revolution, the first ever of the flying doctors, Dr Kenyon St Vincent Welch took off from Cloncurry, Queensland. The aircraft was as single engine, timber and fabric bi-plane named “Victory”, it was the very first of many aircrafts of the Royal Flying Doctor Service.