bryce-biography

pictures // Your Biography Assessment // The Reverend **John Flynn**, (25 November 1880 – 5 May 1951) Rev. John Flynn was born in Moliagul, Victoria, 45 kilometres west of Bendigo, on the 25th November,1880. He was the third child, the son of Thomas (father) and Rosetta (mother), however his mother died in child birth causing him to spend the first five years of his life in Sydney being raised by his mother's 18 year old sister. John was around 16 when he decided to join the ministry, he studied theology at Ormond College, at the University of Melbourne. On the 24 of July, 1911, Flynn was ordained into the Presbyterian Church, and arrived in Beltana, in the north of South of Australia to take up missionary work. Flynn was an energetic worker and had already had some training in missionary work in victoria, he was a keen photographer and writer. In 1910 he published a book of hints for outback people and started publishing a weekly news paper 'the outback battler, in addition to his missionary work.

In 1912 the church asked him to prepare a report on religious conditions in the Northern Territory. After some conferences in Melbourne and Sydney he travelled to Darwin by ship where he visited Katherine, Bathurst island and the Adelaide River researching for his paper. Because of his report the church went on to start up lots of Inland Missions, later that year it was named Australian Inland Missions (A.I.M.). Flynn was appointed Superintendent of the new body, a position he held all his life.

Flynn soon became interested in the idea of establishing an aerial medical service in outback areas. Soon many people had adopted and liked the idea so several articles appeared in news papers and magazines all over the country, also recommending a service like this. Flynn pushed the idea through his own magazine,'the inlander' which began in 1913. Flynn was almost unstopable, working hard at organising people and resources until in 1928, the first medical flight of what was to become the Royal Flying Doctor Service, was made from Cloncurry in Queensland.

Radio was still being perfected Australia at this time but Flynn saw the impact it could have for outback communications. In 1929 Alfred Traegar who worked with Flynn as his radio expert launched a pedal radio set at a cost of only $65, and another of Flynn's ideas became reality. Flynn had been made a member of the Wireless Institute of Australia in 1925. In 1931, aged 51, Flynn married Jean Baird, a secretary with the AIM.

By November 1939, all states had their own Aerial Medical Service, and the Australian Inland Mission operated hospital-hostels in remote areas over most of the country. At this time there were 200 outpost radios and six aircraft with pilots and doctors attached to the Aerial Medical Service. Flynn was appointed Moderator-General of the Prebyterian Church in Australia in 1939, a position he held until 1942. In May 1950, Flynn attended what was to be his last Flying Doctor Council meeting, he died of cancer in Sydney on May 25th, 1951. His body was cremated and the ashes rest under the Flynn Memorial just west of Alice Springs in the shadow of Mt. Gillen. In 1976, the ashes of his wife, Jean, were also placed there. The burial service for Flynn on the 23rd, May, 1951 was linked with the Flying Doctor network and was heard at remote stations and settlements all over the outback.

Flynn's work is shown throughout the outback in many ways. The Royal Flying Doctor Service and the Australian Inland Mission are working memorials to his drive and ideas. In 1956 the Flynn Memorial Church was dedicated in Alice Springs; at Threeways, north of Tennant Creek a massive monument marks the junction of the Barkly Highway from Queensland and the Stuart Highway to Darwin, it is called the Flynn Memorial. Flynn once said. ' If you start something worhthwhile - nothing can stop it.' A former Governor General of Australia, Sir William Slim once said of Flynn.' His hands are stretched out like a benediction over the Inland.' The outback owes much to 'Flynn of the Inland', and he will be remembered well by the hundreds of thousands of people who have benefited by his work at the flying doctors service.

bibliography: 'John Flynn', Peter W. Wilkins, //the rev. john flynn,//2006,26/8/2010,[]