John Flynn (minister) John Flynn (minister) John Flynn (25 November 18805 May 1951) was an Australian Presbyterian minister who founded the Australian Inland Mission (AIM) which later became Frontier Services, as well as founding what became the Royal Flying Doctor Service, the world's first air ambulance. Educated at Snake Valley, Sunshine and Braybrook primary schools, he matriculated from University High School Parkville, aged 18. Unable to finance a university course, he became a pupil-teacher with the Victorian Education Department and developed interests in photography and first aid. In 1903 he began training for the ministry through an extra-mural course for 'student lay pastors',
Australian Inland Mission Hospital, Birdsville Due to the lack of local timber, the town's remoteness and the lack of good access by roads or rail, which created prohibitively high transportation costs, almost all the town's early buildings were built of local sandstone. The population peaked in 1895 at 220. The Presbyterian Australian Inland Mission (AIM) leased the Royal Hotel buildings (erected from ) from 1923 to 1937 as their first bush nursing home, or hostel in Queensland. At that time the AIM was headed by its founder Rev. Dr John Flynn, who was working toward establishing a flying doctor and air ambulance service for remote