Fiona Lowe

Outback Romance

©The RFDS©

The Royal Flying Doctors' Service

©Flying Doctor Books©

Today, eighty years on, the RFDS has six divisions who combined, serve all of Australia. It continues to be a not-for-profit charity and depends on commonwealth grants and generous donations. You too can help. All donations over $2 are tax deductable.

One man and one vision, combined with the technology of the day, saw the idea of medical care to the isolated people of the outback become a reality. The Rev John Flynn served the outback communities and realised that distance was their greatest tyranny.

He established bush nursing hospitals as part of the Australian Inland mission (AIM) but they only scratched the surface of a much bigger problem.

By 1918 the plane was establishing itself as a reliable form of transport and the radio, although very new, was proving it could link people thousands of miles apart. On 15 May 1928, the Aerial Medical Service was established as a one

year experiment at Cloncurry in Queensland. After many years of dreaming, hard work and planning the Flying Doctor Service was a reality.

'Victor Charlie Charlie' to 'Mike Sierra Foxtrot' Do you read me? The RFDS is quintessentially Australian and has even generated a poplular television series in the 1990s. "The Flying Doctors" combined the ruggedness of the outback with the hardworking and often heroic staff of the service,as well as throwing in some romance. Six series were made and although long-gone from Australian TV screens, this very popular show still airs in Europe.