July 1956 School Magazine

Brisbane Girls' Grammar School Magazine

July, 1956

July, 1956

Brisbane Girls' Grammar School Magazine

THE JOHN FLYNN MEMORIAL CHURCH AT ALICE SPRINGS. Everyone has heard the name of John Flynn, who, by his work as Superintendant of the Australian Inland Mission and his founding of the Flying Doctor Service, "brought gladness and rejoicing to the wilderness and the solitary places" . He saw the vast, span:ely populated areas of Inland Australia as a challenge, and he set out to overcome the problem created by distance, poor means of transport, and lack of funds. His enthusiasm and determination never waned through the years of difficulty, and he was rewarded by success, firstly with the transmitting of wireless messages and then the in- auguration of the Flying Doctor Service . Increased financial support by people throughout Australia, and a willing band of helpers, lessened the difficulties; and long before Flynn died he had achieved his aim of "spreaing a mantle of safety over every inland home". But he was never satisfied; "his eyes were never on the horizon, they were always beyond it" . Since his death in 1951, Flynn' s work has been carried on with the same success as formerly. One of his early ambitions was to build a church in Alice Springs from where services could be broadcast to the people of the outback. As this am- bition was never realised, it was thought that a fitting tribute to the great man would be to build such a church as a memorial to him. Gradually the dream began to materialize, and after two years of work, the unique John Flynn Memorial Church was completed, (I say unique because there is no other church quite like it anywhere). Its structure reflects the character of the pioneer Flynn, and at the same time retains the outdoor atmosphere so dear to the heart of every Inlander. The church is built facing East-West towards Todd Street, named after the builder of the Overland Telegraph. One is immediately impressed by the unusual shape of the structure, for the dipping roof of the sunken vestry is symbolic of the dip in the wings of an aircraft. The walls are pink and white, and made of blocks of locally qua rried crushed marble set in con- crete. The lower side walls are of glass to allow the trees and sky to be seen from inside. One enters through massive plate glass doors openjng to the north, and over a bridge spanning the semi-circular pool of water which extends along the north wall of the church. The interior is as unusual as the exterior, for everything breathes the spirit of Flynn and that of the wide, open spaces. 24

The Eastern Shield Wall of red sandstone, with its large illum- inated cross made up of small St. Andrews Crosses, appears to be suspended in mid-a ir, and this is symbolic of Flynn the Visionary, his head in the clouds, bearing the message of the Cross to the outback. At the rear of the Church is the Western Shield Wall reaching to the floor. This is symbolic of Flynn's practical side, the man of action with his feet on the ground Behind this wall is the Cloister of Exhibits, where such relics as the first pedal wireless transeiver, a model of the first Flying Doctor Aircraft, a small typewriter, maps and personal writings of Flynn can be seen. The large doors opposite the entrance to the Church lead to the semi-circular Pioneer's Remembrance Garden, surrounded by a wall six feet high, in which are set plaques to pioneers who, in earlier days, contributed to the development of the country in general, and the A.I.M. in par- ticular. Saturday, 5th May, 1956, was the most importa nt day in the history of Alice Springs, for the population had grown to twice its normal size with visitors including high dignitaries of Church and State who had come from a ll over Australia to a ttend the opening of the John Flynn Memorial Church. Though everyone was disappointed at the overcast sky and signs of rain, uncommon in Central Australia, the Church and its grounds were filled to capacity. The ceremony, con- ducted mostly out of doors, was quite short, and moving in its s implicity and sincerity. Noteworthy features of it were the re- lating of the steps towards the building of the Church, the speech made by the Governor-General-"the Centre can no longer be described as the dead heart, it is alive and pulsing"- and the actual opening ceremony, when Mrs. Flynn handed the keys of the Church to the Governor-General, who then unlocked the doors and entered. The Church, though built by Presbyterians, was dedicated for the use of the United Church in Northern Australia, a co- operative movement among three Churches which was sup- ported by Flynn, and is another example of his farsightedness and tolerance. As a jewel in an already beautiful town, the Church now stands open to worshipper and tourist alike, a memorial to our greatest modern pioneer who, though already a legend, is re- membered by all with affection and gratitude as "Flynn of the Inla nd" . M. STUBBS-BROWN, VI A.

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