LEARN the amazing story of John Flynn and the creation of one of the miracles of the outback – the Flying Doctor Service - when you visit the John Flynn Place in Cloncurry.
The air-conditioned interior of this unique outback building with its curving roofline pays tribute to the amazing accomplishments of some of Australian history’s greats. Even if you already know the background of the RFDS, the centre gives you the chance to realise all over again that even today, it would be almost impossible to duplicate the feat that was accomplished more than 80 years ago.

At the time, the aeroplane was still a sideshow wonder and wireless communication of the kind needed hadn’t even been invented. Valuable allies in Flynn’s quest for a ‘baby’ transmitting and receiving set were H. V. McKay, the founder and principal of the Sunshine Harvest Company in Melbourne, and Lieutenant Hudson Fysh DFC, who was a founder of the pioneer airline company Qantas. The dream was realised in 1928 when the ‘Victory’, a single-engined DH50 aircraft, took off with a doctor on board for its first mission. A wonderful surprise in store for people who tour through the John Flynn Place is the museum’s very own ‘Victory’. The complete scale model aircraft is exactly one-third the size of the original.

One of the pieces of historical memorabilia in the centre is the first Traegar pedal wireless. There are old letters written by John Flynn to his father, and these letters give an insight into the personal thoughts of this quiet, sensitive man.

The complex also comprises the Fred McKay Art Gallery, Alfred ­Traegar Cultural Centre, the Allan Vickers Outdoor Theatre and the Cloncurry Gardens.