Rev John Flyn: The Australian outback's visionary

The Royal Flying Doctor's museum in Alice Springs

Even today the Australian outback is one of the remotest places in Australia. I did not see a single soul or sign of human activity during my day long journey by the Ghan train from Darwin; the capital of the Northern territory, to Alice Springs; the heart of the outback. It was just vast stretches of arid red land and desert vegetation - beautiful to the eye, but arduous for those living there.

An unexpectedly inspiring stop in the charming  town of Alice Springs is the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia museum. Its founder, Rev John Flyn, began his missionary work in the Australian inland after World War 1, and soon realized the extreme isolation of the people living there, especially in terms of medical care. Only two doctors served the whole of the northern territory (almost 1,5000,000 sq. km). Any serious illness meant death because of the lack of timely access to medical care. Flyn understood that communication and aviation were key in reducing the people's isolation, but both were in their infancy in the early 1900s.

Flyn first made his case by publishing an article written by a young medical student, Clifford Peel, who was killed in WW1. Peel argued that air transport, especially for ambulance work, was crucial for the outback. Peel's letter became the foundation for Flyn's relentless campaign for an aviation based medical emergency service for the area. Luck is opportunity meeting preparation, and Flyn had two fortuitous instances. The first was a generous fund provided by his long time supporter, H.V Mckay; the second was the support from Hudson Fysh, the founder of QANTAS. The first flying doctor flight finally became a reality in 1928.

Prototype of the interior of the Flying Doctor's plane

The final crucial link: communication, was provided by Alfred Traeger, with his pedal operated generator to power a radio receiver; the pedal ensured that the operators hands were free. People could now call in for emergencies. Later transistor radios allowed doctors to consult with their patients in remote areas. 

While the flying doctor service in itself was a monumental achievement, Flyn wanted to ensure that the medical care provided was of the highest quality. He enlisted the support of trained nurses, and Sister Lucy Garlick, came up with the innovative body chart where the different parts of the body are numbered, making it easy for the patient to convey their symptoms. A standardized medical chest with numbered medicines was also created for patients to begin treatment before the doctor arrived. The former prime minister of Australia, Robert Menzies, called the Royal Flying Doctor's service "the greatest single contribution to the effective settlement of the distant back country we have seen in out time."  

Today the accessibility of the outback to medical care is much improved, but the Flying Doctor services continues to play an important role in the area by providing regular clinics for the people of the outback, in addition to its emergency services. It has also expanded its activities beyond the outback with most of its revenues today coming from transferring patients between hospitals in cities. But the pioneering work of John Flyn continues to be inspirational. His vision, however improbable at that time, was clear, and born out of deep love for his people. This enabled him to persevere through the technological and financial challenges - it took more than ten years for his vision to be realized. Rev John Flyn's story set against the backdrop of the vast and isolated outback is a reminder of the power of ideas and determination.
  

Flyn commemorated in the Australian 20 dollar note. The body chart is also visible here.

Queen Elizabeth using the Flying Doctor's radio services to address people in remote areas during her 1963 visit