Flynn, John (1880-1951), was an Australian Presbyterian minister who gained worldwide fame for his work with the Australian Inland Mission and the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia. In 1912, he recommended that the Presbyterian Church extend medical and religious facilities to the remote areas of Australia. Following his recommendation, church authorities founded the Australian Inland Mission. Flynn was superintendent of the mission for almost 33 years. In that time, he founded 15 inland hospitals. He became known as Flynn of the Inland. With the arrival of radio, Flynn had a means of overcoming the problem of long-distance communication in the outback. In 1928, he founded the Aerial Medical Service, which later became the Royal Flying Doctor Service, in Cloncurry, Queensland.
Flynn was born in Moliagul, Victoria, on Nov. 25, 1880. He became a Presbyterian minister in 1911. Flynn died in Sydney, New South Wales, on May 5, 1951.
See also Australian Inland Mission ; Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia .
