From very simple and humble beginnings, the iconic
Royal Flying Doctor Service Base symbolises the generous nature of the Australian people. Out of a necessity, the Reverend John Flynn laid the foundation to the RFDS in the early 1900’s to provide an medical treatment to people located in
remote areas of the Outback. The
Alice Springs base was opened in 1939 and now includes a complete aero-medical service, a preventative health services program, a communications base plus a worthwhile museum and tourist facility that welcomes tens of thousands of visitors each year. The organisation almost exclusively
relies on generous donations; there are hardly any public funding sources or government grants available, which makes the Flying Doctor Service an even more remarkable phenomenon.