Photo Gallery

Our Photo Gallery

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	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. Our first Aircraft, nicknamed "White Wings" – Click HERE to see has it's own picture page.