Reverend John Flynn

Essay by XdemiA+, June 2008

download word file, 3 pages 0.0

Reverend John Flynn

Introduction

Reverend John Flynn was born on the Moliagul, Central Victoria on the 25 November, 1880. His mother died during his childbirth. By 1903 he had already wanted to become a Presbyterian minister, and entered Ormond College, a college of the University of Melbourne to study Divinity (Christianity). He graduated in 1910 and was ordained in 1911.

The Beginnings of John Flynn's interest in Flying Doctors

While John Flynn was in the Northern Territory in 1912, he presented his own report about the Northern Territory and Central Australia to the Home and Foreign Missions Board. This report recommended the Australian Island Mission , an organisation dedicated to bringing church services and health care to the outback, to take more action in Regional Australia, such as medical services.

In 1923, Flynn began the printing of the "Inlander", a quarterly magazine that would continue to be printed until November 1929.

The "Inlander" printed an article on outback aviation and it's potential. A Second article written also by John Flynn, entitled "Flying Doctor-Why Not,' which would be a major contributing factor for Flynn to begin the Royal Flying Doctor's Service. In 1933, Flynn was made a member of the Wireless Institute of Australia.

The Royal Flying Doctor Service

In 1934, the Australian Aerial Medical Service was formed (later to be called the Royal Flying Doctor Service), and gradually established a network of bases nationwide. Flynn remained the public face of the organisation (through name changes to its present form) and helped raise the funds that kept the service operating.