The headwuarters of the RFDS in Stuart Tce.
An RFDS 'Dove' at the Central Australian Aviation Museum.
See also
The idea of a flying doctor was put forward in an article by young Australian medical student, Clifford Peel, which appeared in Flynn's quarterly magazine, 'The Inlander', in October of 1918. In 1920 Flynn wrote his own story in the magazine entitled 'Flying Doctor- Why Not ?'
In 1926 the Presbyterian Church's Australian Inland Mission (AIM), with which Flynn was a Minister, approved the establishment of a Aerial Medical Service, (AMS) and on August 2nd, 1927, Doctor George Simpson flew out of Cloncurry in western Queensland with Qantas pilot Captain Evans to tend a miner, Tom O'Brien, at Mt. Isa. O'Brien had fallen from a bucket in the shaft of the Black Star Mine and was suffering with a broken pelvis. (one earlier medical flight had been made between Longreach and Liandia Station in June 1921).
The AMS was still not to become official until March 27th. 1928 when, under the control of the AIM, it set up in Cloncurry and employed its first doctor, Dr. K. St. Vincent Welch, who was appointed from 23 applicants and arrived on May 15th. He flew his first mission on June 8th to a combined 'shotgun wedding' and delivery of the baby.
At this time there was no radio communication between the Cloncurry base and the outstations. This problem was solved by young Adelaide radio genius, Alfred Traeger, who had joined Flynn in 1926 as his wireless expert. He invented a set powered by foot pedals to produce a morse code signal which became the 'Traeger Pedal Radio', one of which is on display at the Alice Springs R.F.D.S. museum. These basic sets were installed on the outstations but eventually 'keyboard morse', and later voice transmission sets, replaced them. Power for these later sets was provided by car batteries. In 1934, 30 outstations were linked to Cloncurry by radio.
In the 1930's the AIM relinquished its control over the service and a national organisation was formed with State sections. Alice Springs came under the South Australian section, now renamed the Central Section Inc. In 1941 it became the ' Flying Doctor Service'. and in 1955 the prefix 'Royal' was granted by The Queen.
The Alice Springs base was established in the western section of the complex in 1939 and comprised a radio section and radio officer's residence. Later the second building (which now houses a museum opened by the Northern Territory Chief Minister, Paul Everingham, in September 1980) was opened. In May 1965 the building at the rear was dedicated to provide a home for the School of the Air which moved to new premises in 1978 and the building is now the communications and administration centre for the base.
Some 130 stations are in regular communication with the base and there are another 102 mobile stations. The centre handles 40,000 telegrams and 'red phone' calls a year to and from outback stations and settlements, and services some 30,000 people plus an increasing number of tourists. In the year ended June 1980, the service flew 1.050 hours on evacuation flights and 188 hours on regular clinic services. It has 3 Piper Navajo planes which cover an area of around 500,000 square kilometres.
Nationally, the RFDS has 14 bases run on a budget of around $9 million a year, largely made up from public donations, It provides 29 aircraft which fly some 65,000 flights each year, evacuating more than 9,000 patients. It services over 2,200 outstations annually. In a year 65,000 patients are attended, not including 20,000 radio consultations and a further 3,000 serviced by the Flying Dentist. In Alice Springs the RFDS provides radio communication, aircraft and crew. The Northern Terrritory Department of Health supplies the medical service.
The Alice Springs base conducts tours on the half hour which include a 12 minute audio-visual display, a museum of radio and medical equipment and a comprehensive photographic gallery showing the history of the service.
There is an admission charge and the base has tours every half hour.
It is open:
Mon. to Sat 9am-4.00am
Sun. 1.00pm-4.00pm
Closed Christmas Day and New Years Day
Enquiries or donations to:
THE SECRETARY.
Royal Flying Doctor Service,
Stuart Tce. Alice Springs. 0870.
NORTHERN TERRITORY.
Telephone 08 8952 1129.
