Uniting Church in Australia
Northern Synod

2012 marks 100 year since the Australian Inland Mission (AIM) began its ministry to serve the people of the inland. Their work was pioneered by the Rev John Flynn, who worked tirelessly to establish a ‘mantle of safety’ over remote Australia. Notably the AIM was involved in building hospitals, establishing the Royal Flying Doctor Service and the development of the pedal radio.  For a brief history of the Australian Inland Mission and its successor organisations, please click here.

A number of events have been planned for Alice Springs and nationally to celebrate Flynn’s vision for the people of the outback and the contribution made by so many in remote Australia.

Alice Springs

14 April : Open Day 9 am to 1 pm
Adelaide House and John Flynn Memorial Church. Two camel riders will re-enact the arrival of a Bruce Plowman and Dick Gillen patrol. There will be unveiling of signs in Indigenous languages. Adelaide House will operate as a living museum with nurses in period costume, regular short talks, and a birthday cake for people who were born there.

15 April : Doreen Braitling Memorial Lecture 3 pm.
Alice Springs town Council’s function room. this is the flagship event of the National Trust’s week, and the speaker will be Max Griffiths, successor to John Flynn and Fred McKay as Superintendent of the AIM. Afternoon tea will be provided.

21 April : AIM Centenary Dinner 6 pm.
On the lawns at Old timers. Tickets $35 per head are available through Adelaide House (08 8952 1856).

22 April : AIM Centenary Service 9 am
On the lawns of the John Flynn Memorial Church. The theme of the service will be Looking Back and Looking Forward – What does it mean to serve the people of the inland over the next 100 years?

For up-to-date information please go to the Alice Springs Uniting church website.

 National Events

10 April 2012:
A commemorative book to celebrate 100 years of support to remote Australia will be released in early 2012. The coffee-table style publication is full of intriguing, stunning and rarely before seen photographs spanning from 1912 to 2012. Published by Wakefield Press, the book is beautifully put together, with captions and stories that have been collected from across the Centenary.

18-23 June 2012
Youth Event, Alice Springs and surrounds.  A youth event to celebrate the Centenary of the establishment of the AIM.  For further details, go to:  http://www.frontierservices.org/component/ohanah/youth-event?Itemid=256

10 August 2012
Centenary exhibition at the National Library of Australia, Canberra. Starting from 10 August 2012, the National Library of Australia will be displaying a history of the work of Frontier Services and its predecessors. The display will be held on Level 4 and will continue well into 2013.

18 August 2012
Next year Frontier Services will again be the charity partner for the Classic Outback Trial. This event aims to capture some of the spirit and essence of the early round Australia trials, but without the extensive timeframes and expenses. More information is available on the Frontier Services website.

26 September 2012. Centenary celebrations will reach a climax on 26 September 2012 when Frontier Services holds a special celebration to commemorate 100 years since the establishment of the Australian Inland Mission. This is the major event of the Centenary year, so make a note in your diaries. People will travel from all over Australia to be there for this historic occasion. The evening celebration will take place at Dallas Brooks Centre in Melbourne in the main auditorium from 7pm until approximately 9.30pm, followed by supper. It will be a liturgical event with commemorative Centenary songs and worship.

27 September 2012
Ex-staff Reunion Dinner. If you have ever worked for Frontier Services or one of its predecessors, why not join our current staff for dinner to catch-up and reminisce about times past! An informal dinner will be held at Geelong College in Victoria, on the evening of Thursday 27 September 2012. This evening will be open to all ex-staff, though to help with numbers for catering please provide us with your RSVP. RSVP forms will be available next year via the website and through Frontier News. For any further information please contact Kate on 02 8270 1361 or kate.h@frontierservices.org.

For more information about the events, please go to:  http://www.frontierservices.org/centenary/our-centenary-year