“FLYNN OF THE INLAND"

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 86, 12 April 1938, Page 6

“FLYNN OF THE INLAND"

AUSTRALIAN MISSIONARY

WORK IN THE EMPTY SPACES TO PAY VISIT TO WANGANUI The Australian missionary who has won the picturesque title of 'Flynn oi the Inland,” from the book of that name by lon L. Idriess, is to pa) a visit to Wanganui at an early date. He is tile Rev. John Flynn, 0.8. E., superintendent of the Australian inland Mission, the growth of which has been almost entirely due to his activity and energy in establishing contact between the scattered settiers of Central Australia.

The story of the Australian Inland Mission aoundantly illustrates the parable of the mustard seed. Back in 1839, Mrs. Smith, of Dunesk, daughter of Baron Erskine, ‘'bought property in South Australia which she gave to the Free Church ot Scotland to aid pioneer work.” A beginning was made at Belt.ana, some 30U miles north of Adelaide, but it was not until 1912 that the task of ministering to the spiritual needs of the settlers of the vast territory known as the Inland was commenced. The Australian Inland Mission was born in 1912. A young man named John Flynn, who had been working for the Smith of Dunesk Mission, was commissioned by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Australia to visit the Northern Territory and report. Twelve months later his report inspired the church to undertake the work and the mustard seed began to grow. Survey and Exploration The early years of the mission were devoted to exploration and survey. Mounted on a camel and leading such spares as were necessary, the pioneer travelled inland. The tracks that linked the townships were broken into stages according to the location of tnc watorholes. Camels, horses, rude sulkies and buggies were the principal methods of conveyance and journeys were always long and often risky. The exploring missionary heard tales of tragedy and of heroism, and felt to the depth of his being the perns and the r.sks these people were taking. John Flynn dreamed of a chain o'f cottage hospitals roughly 300 miles apart, and no fewer, than a dozen of these hospitals, usually staffed with a matron and an assistant are already in( operation. In the fullness 01, time came the ambulance, the aeroplane, and the Hying doctor. But the problem was to find the means of sending messages from me homes to the head station, where the aeroplane and the doctor were. lelephones were out of the question. Dreams and thinking and more dreams and experimenting, and one day the pedal transmitter became a reality. With one of these the veriest tyro can transmit his call to the ‘‘mother station.” Through them it is possible for home to call up home and enjoy a wireless telephone conversation over a range of from 150 to 600 miles. The distances remain. Australia is 2000 miles across. Cloneurry where there is a “mother station” far inland from Townsville in the north, is a clear 1000 miles away from Fori Headland, a west coast town roughly halfway between Darwin and Perth. Yet Cloneurry can talk to Port Headland. The vast inland is no longer lonely. “Over its stout - hearted people,” as His Excellency the Gover-nor-General (Cord Gowrie) sand recently, “has been spread a mantle of safety.” Besides all these things there arc five patrol padres placed 'at strategic points, and five or six mission and welfare centres.