John Flynn

John Flynn was born on November 25, 1880, in Moliagul, Victoria. Appointed in 1912 as the first superintendent of the Australian Inland Mission, Flynn traveled extensively across the harsh, isolated deserts of Central Australia, witnessing the tragic deaths of bush pioneers who lacked access to medical treatment.

Flynn envisioned combining newly invented wireless radio with aviation. Partnering with inventor Alfred Traeger (who designed the revolutionary pedal radio generator) and Qantas founder Hudson Fysh, Flynn launched the Australian Aerial Medical Service in Cloncurry in May 1928. His Royal Flying Doctor Service became a global benchmark for emergency telemedicine, earning Flynn immortalization on Australia's twenty-dollar banknote.