Flying
volunteer teams are farewelled at their local airport
by families and friends, as they set out in their Cessna
for a week of activity inland. Their investment of time
and skill will advance the quality of living considerably
in remote places.
The
patrol team conducts school classes and family seminars;
delivered drought support, and supplies during flood,
fire or medical emergencies. Outback Patrol is the best
known Church agency in many isolated townships.
Outback
Patrol is part of the Australian Christian Church, and
many of it's workers, teachers and proponents have become
part of Outback Patrol. Col. Jim Irwin, Apollo 15 Commander,
the man who drove the moon buggy and found the Genesis
Rock, spent time with Outback Patrol in 1987. Church leaders
congratulate the workers in this imaginative work. Jim Irwin's obituary is at : http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/jbirwin.htm
This
team needed two planes to carry them around and this is
on arrival at far west Tibooburra. They set out for the
township for their humanitarian and educational work.
They've been doing this here since 1961.
Aviation
by light planes opened up the Australian inland as early
as the 1920's with Rev. Len Daniels, the world's first
flying padre, and the Rev. John Flynn, founder of the
Flying Doctors. Here Les Nixon pilots a Beech Bonanza
on his way from Tibooburra to Birdsville, in the course
of his patrol work. The deserts have been conquered.
A
regular training program has been conducted at Outback
Patrol Institute for twenty years for the benefit of locals
to upgrade their teaching skills and train patrol workers.
Here is a normal Institute class with expert Garry Coleman
showing how to stimulate their students to wish to learn.
Two thousands students have graduated from the Patrol
Institute.
Volunteer
pilots are the lynch-pin to the success of the venture,
to carry teams to outback work. Recently, a patrol plane
carried tradesmen from Melbourne to Derby for a rebuilding
job on a house. He is Tumut businessman Phil Crocker with
his Bonanza on the way for patrol work. It's Outback Patrol's
backbone.
Singer
and TV presenter Martha Nixon talking to 500 high school
students during assembly at a western Sydney school. Notice
the focused attention they are giving to their guest.
They value honest information.
Old
identities return to Tibooburra with Outback Patrol for
a reunion. Pilot Les Nixon has contacts with families
in almost every remote place. He is now teaching the grand-children
of those he taught there in the 60's.
Popular
inland pastime, a 'woolshed jamboree' with musical identity
Richie Gunston, former Australian western and yodeling
champion. A night of music, fun and entertainment is the
backbone of the outback way of life. What the Flying Doctor
is to their medical needs, Outback Patrol is to their
human, social and spiritual needs.
No
electricity, mid-winter 1C cold night and they still gather
for the kind of night Outback Patrol turns on. When a
communicator can reach children, he is able to reach their
parents, too.
Here's
the founders of Outback Patrol at work outback. Les and
Martha Nixon seem always welcome in outback homesteads.
They say the family is the backbone of the nation, and
they're doing their best to help hold it together.
Melbourne's
Donald Prout, exponent of teaching skills, journalist
and author and researcher always draws interest from
his students. Here, he's at Georges Hall, HQ for Outback
Patrol.
Les
Nixon teaching at Charleville's School of the Air in '94.
His students from all classes quickly called in to join
his impromptu class, after being away for a couple of
years. OP teachers open up School of the Air Scripture
classes, then hand them over to locals to carry on the
good work.
Bourke
School of the Air student taking her weekly Scripture
class from Outback Patrol. Two way discussion continues
between the student and the teacher. Explorers Magazine
is provided as resource material, to every student on
School of the Air networks in Australia, whether we teach
them on air, or not.
Teacher
Karen Parisi meets her Hay students during mini-school
in '95. They talk to her each week on air, and love to
meet each other on these excursions. The Departments of
Education provide the class time, but depend upon Outback
Patrol to teach.
The
work of Outback Patrol is based at this modest office
HQ at Sydney's Georges Hall, adjacent to Bankstown Airport.
Teams train, prepare, flight plan from here, and return
with their reports of progress. Explorers Club Air classes
originate from here as well and Institute classes are
conducted each Tuesday night during school terms.
Flying Teams
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