You can help future generations thrive
“If you start something worthwhile, nothing can stop it.”
These are the words of RFDS founder, John Flynn. For years, he battled to get his idea of an airborne medical service off the ground. Once the Flying Doctor was operational, he believed it would become indispensable. It’s the same belief that leads kind people like you to help carry that promise today.
It has.
Compassionate friends like you understand what’s at stake—that Queenslanders in the Outback deserve the same ‘mantle of safety’ as anyone else, now and for generations to come.
When the time comes to think about the future, many people choose to support the causes that reflect their values and the impact they’d like to have on future generations.
A gift in your Will can help the Flying Doctor continue providing vital healthcare across Queensland well into the future.
If you’ve already arranged a gift in your Will, please consider sending a message via the form. It allows us to thank you for your kindness and, should you wish, recognise your commitment as part of our Gifts in Wills community.
Discover what’s possible
See how your care for Queenslanders in the bush could continue well into the future.
“We are such a big country. The RFDS must never disappear. The isolated areas will have tragedy after tragedy if they can’t get help as quickly as possible.”
– Helen Macdonald
Your care can reach beyond today
Helen grew up on a station 314km east of Birdsville in southwest Queensland’s Channel Country.
They were surrounded by water. The roads were bad. The nearest doctor, travelling east, was a day away.
Helen doesn’t remember when she became an RFDS supporter, only that it’s something that’s been important to her for many years. Perhaps, like her, it’s always mattered to you too.
“I asked myself, ‘How do they keep the planes in the sky?’ And I thought ‘Why don’t I help out?’”
Helen decided to take a further step and remember the Flying Doctor in her Will.
If that’s something you’re thinking about as well, we’d love to hear from you. We’re here to answer any questions and support you as you consider your options.
“One day I was with my solicitor and I said, ‘I’ve been thinking about this’. And he said, ‘Well, would you like to do something?’ So, I said, ‘Yes, I will.’”
Helen had a childhood shaped by the freedom of the Outback, and by knowing help was there when she needed it most. That’s what she wants to protect for the children growing up in the bush today, and the generations still to come. It’s a belief you may hold just as deeply.
For many people, remembering the RFDS in their Will is something deeply personal, tied to the people and causes that matter most to them.
Every gift, no matter the size, can help keep vital healthcare flying for years to come. For some kind friends, dedicating 1% of their estate to RFDS is a way of protecting this service for future generations.
Help connect vital healthcare
The Will that helped us fly
RFDS Founder, John Flynn, devoted years of his life to realising his dream of an airborne medical service.
Seeing people lose their lives before they could reach a doctor affected him deeply. He understood that the emerging technologies of flight and aviation could help overcome the tyranny of distance and deliver life-saving medical care to people who needed it.
Among his supporters was Hugh McKay, an industrialist. When McKay died in 1926, he left a gift in his Will for ‘an aerial experiment’. Less than two years later, a single engine biplane called Victory took off from Cloncurry, carrying the first flying doctor.
Today, supporters continue to help bring John Flynn’s vision to life in different ways. Whether you’re making a gift today or considering how you’d like to support future generations, every contribution helps keep vital healthcare within reach.
McKay’s gift was instrumental in the establishment of the Australian Inland Mission Aerial Medical Service, which became the RFDS.
For nearly a century, people have been able to count on the Flying Doctor. Whether, like Helen, you have a long-standing connection to the Flying Doctor or, like Hugh McKay, you believe in our mission, please make sure future generations of Australians can count on us too.
Please help us make sure distance doesn’t stand in the way when someone needs urgent care now, and in the future.
Have questions? Our team is here to help.
Contact us via email at [email protected] or by phone on (07) 3852 7501 for a confidential conversation.