Fact sheet 159 – Reverend John Flynn and the Australian Inland Mission

John Flynn: 'Flynn of the Inland'

John Flynn was born in 1880 and educated in Melbourne. Ordained as a Presbyterian minister in 1911 he was commissioned by his church to visit the Northern Territory in 1912 and report on its missionary needs. His report, 'Northern Territory and Central Australia – A Call to the Church', was considered by the Presbyterian General Assembly and as a result he was appointed field superintendent of the Australian Inland Mission (AIM), a position he held for the next 39 years.

The vast distances of the Territory and the lack of adequate medical facilities concerned Flynn and from 1917 onwards he founded a series of nursing services in remote locations. Taking advantage of the rapid development of aviation in the 1920s, Flynn was instrumental in the formation of the AIM Aerial Medical Service in 1928. The effectiveness of the service was ensured by the invention of the Traeger pedal radio in 1929. With several name changes, the AIM Aerial Medical Service became the Royal Flying Doctor Service in 1954.

Flynn was also concerned with providing shelter for the older population of Central Australia and in 1949 he designed the first cottage to be built at the Old Timers' Settlement in Alice Springs.

John Flynn was awarded an OBE in 1933, and served as Moderator-General of the Presbyterian Church from 1939 until 1942. He died in July 1951 and his ashes were placed in a commemorative grave on Larapinta Drive, a few kilometres west of Alice Springs. A church dedicated to Flynn's memory was completed in Alice Springs in 1956.

A novel by author Ion Idriess, loosely based on Flynn's life, was published in 1932 under the title Flynn of the Inland.

Records held by the National Archives relating to John Flynn

A number of records relating to John Flynn, the Australian Inland Mission and the Royal Flying Doctor Service are held by National Archives' offices in Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Darwin. A selection of items held is listed below.

Records relating to John Flynn and the Australian Inland Mission

John Flynn & Flynn memorials

Canberra

	NT, Flying Doctor Service – Federal Council commemorative structure to Rev. Dr John Flynn	1944–51	A431, 1951/1271
	Very Rev. John Flynn – honour	1950	A463, 1959/3703

Sydney

The men who knew Flynn (audiotape)	1933–71	C102, FD24
Flynn, Very Rev. Dr John – founder, Australian Inland Mission (audio tape)	1947	C102, REL6
John Flynn memorial church – laying foundation stone – speech by Prime Minister (audio tape)	1954	C102, REL30

Melbourne

Rev. John Flynn – memorial church named after the founder of the Flying Doctor Service

1941–60

M914, NT752

Darwin

	Commemorative structure – Rev. Dr John Flynn	1943–59	F1, 1952/1065
	Australian Inland Mission requests – reference John Flynn's grave and Old Timers' home, Alice Springs	1955	F1, 1955/1263

Australian Inland Mission & the Royal Flying Doctor Service

Canberra

Aerial Medical Service. Australian Inland Mission	1929–39	A659, 1939/1/8365
Medical services. Australian Inland Mission. Aerial Medical Service	1929–39	A1928, 652A/4 part 1
Medical services. Australian Inland Mission. Aerial Medical Service	1929–39	A1928, 652A/4 part 2
Subsidy to Australian Inland Mission in respect of Aerial Medical Services	1933	A6006, 1933/07/11
Australian Inland Mission (Flying Doctor Service) hostel and nursing home, Alice Springs	1939–52	A452, 1952/400
Book of photographs taken during a flight around Australia visiting Flying Doctor bases	1939	A1861, 6923

Melbourne

	Flying Doctor Service minutes of meetings, bulletins	1932–40	MP347/1, 132/101/182
	Iron and Steel – Australian Inland Mission. Materials required for erection of Old Timers' huts at Alice Springs	1951	MP61/1, 2/176/1701

Brisbane

Scripts of talks broadcast by the ABC, Brisbane – presentations by V McKenzie (Includes a talk titled 'The Australian Inland Mission')

1939–64

BP257/1, item 12

Adelaide

	Hospital at Cook, hostel at Tarcoola, hostel proposed Kingoonya, Flying Doctor Service accommodation for nurses at Rawlinna	1935–61	B300, 7779, part 1
	Hospital at Cook, hostel at Tarcoola, hostel proposed Kingoonya, Flying Doctor Service accommodation for nurses at Rawlinna	1935–61	B300, 7779, part 2

Darwin

Flying Doctor. NT medical service	1934–38	F1, 1936/631
Flying Doctor. Barkly Tablelands	1937	F1, 1937/375
Flying Doctor. NT medical service	1937–39	F1, 1939/6
Government aircraft – Flying Doctor	1937–39	F1, 1940/360
Doctor service circulars	1941–53	F742, 1945/289M

For more information

You can obtain more information about the record series listed above (and the items within the series) from RecordSearch, the Archives database. Follow the links in the series lists to go directly to information on that series. Searches using the keyword terms 'flynn', 'inland mission', or 'flying doctor' will identify relevant items. You can also use RecordSearch to find out about the agencies that created the records and to locate more records on your subject. You might also explore PhotoSearch to find out if there are photos pertaining to your subject.

RecordSearch and PhotoSearch are available online or in all Archives reading rooms. Reference staff are available in the reading rooms to help you, or email ref@naa.gov.au.

Records held in other locations

A collection of the personal papers of John Flynn is held by the National Library of Australia. See Fact Sheet 2 – Addresses of other archival institutions for contact details.

Fact sheets