One of the many Australian's who have helped to improve the world in which they lived was John Flynn. He was born in Victoria on 1880 and died in 1951. His family were not wealthy and he was unable to complete Tertiary Education. He became interested in Religion and was ordained as a Presbyterian Minister in 1911. Over the next few years he was to work in the Northern Territory where he first planned for a medical service using aviation and radio. At this time he met and befriended Huson Fysh who was to form the airline known today as QANTAS. This was certainly to help.

A radio was developed which used pedal power and allowed the people of the remote outback to communicate for the first time. Flynn had no technical expertise but had great enthusiasm. The first flight of the Royal Flying Doctor Service was made from the Cloncurry base in May 1928. Flynn overcame the many problems experienced over the next few years and persuaded the Presbyterian Church to hand over the service to a national organisation which would lead to quicker expansion.

There are now 14 bases which cover two thirds of the continent. 33 aircraft fly over 5 million miles each year bringing attention to more than 100 000 patients of whom 9 000 are transported to hospital. Routine visits are made to remote settlements. Small hospital where there is no resident doctor are admistered by the R.F.D.S. People travel up to 50 miles or more to visit an R.F.D.S. clinic where the local doctor may be 300 miles away.

Great use is still made of the radio (now no longer pedal powered and advice is given on many minor medical problems which do not mert a visit. Hundreds of station homesteads, police stations, mission stations and lighthouses etc carry one of the standard R.F.D.S. medical chests.

I think we can say that John Flynn made a difference and improved the world in which he lived!

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