John Flynn

John Flynn (born Nov. 25, 1880, Moliagul, Vic., Australia—died May 5, 1951, Sydney, N.S.W.) was a moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Australia (1939–42) and missionary to the country’s wild central and northern inland, who in 1928 founded what later became the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia.

After serving as a staff member of the Presbyterian Home Mission in Victoria (1902–10), Flynn moved to South Australia and was ordained in 1911. In September 1912 he presented a report to the Presbyterian Church assembly on the hardships of life that he had observed in central and northern Australia. The church responded by establishing the Australian Inland Mission, which Flynn directed until his death. Before 1920 Flynn had conceived of a plan that would provide medical care by airplane to remote areas. He spent several years developing a communications network between rural outposts and a medical base established at Cloncurry, Queen.; the service began operations in 1928.