Flying high at Broken Hill’s newest tourist attraction

February 10, 2025February 10, 2025

Article supplied by RFDS. Broken Hill’s latest tourism experience has opened its doors with the Royal Flying Doctor Service’s (RFDS) new Outback Heritage Experience officially open to visitors thanks to $5.5 million in funding support from the NSW Government.

The upgraded attraction is co-located with the RFDS’s 24/7 operational base and shares the important story of the RFDS in outback Australia and captures the resilient spirit of the communities it has serviced for more than 96 years, thanks, in large part to the contributions and stories of the many communities and supporters who have helped the RFDS to operate for almost a century across Far Western NSW.

Celebrating a long history in the Far West

“The Far West is an important home for the Royal Flying Doctor Service. It is the location of one of our first bases, and remains one the largest RFDS bases in Australia,” Greg Sam, CEO of the Royal Flying Doctor Service South Eastern Section, said.

“From one Flying Doctor and a pilot, through to the team of more than 100 health and aviation specialists we have in Broken Hill and the surrounding area, our story is intertwined with the communities we support. It is this shared and unique history that visitors can expect to be immersed in at the Outback Heritage Experience.”

Minister for Regional NSW Tara Moriarty said the attraction will celebrate the service while adding to Broken Hill’s tourism draw-cards.

“The Royal Flying Doctor Service provides a vital service to remote and regional NSW, with so many lives been touched by the important work they do and the NSW Government is proud to support this fantastic project highlighting the amazing work undertaken by the RFDS,” Minister Moriarty said.

“The newly opened Outback Heritage Experience will let visitors experience a unique combination of history, aircraft and technology as they learn about the proud tradition of the Royal Flying Doctor Service,” Minister Moriarty said.

“We thank the NSW Government for helping to bring this new facility to life – it not only acknowledges the tremendous work of our people, but will serve as a constant reminder of the determined and courageous spirit of the communities that call the Far West home,” Greg Sam said.

Roy Butler, MP for Barwon expressed his gratitude for all the RFDS has done in the Far West.

“Very few organisations can say that they have as a deep a connection to a community as the Flying Doctor. Not only do they provide essential and lifesaving services to communities far and wide, but they also attract skilled specialists and tourists into the Silver City.

“The RFDS has also been a part of the lives of people in outback NSW for nearly a century, providing for the health needs of people in remote areas, stepping up to ensure there are services where none exist and provide services that the government and other operators can’t provide.

So it is important to tell that story, not just for tourists, but for all those whose lives have benefited from the service. The new Outback Heritage facility is a fitting tribute to the organisation and the people of the Far West, it is another attraction that will bring more tourists out west for a unique experience and will help the local economy” Roy Butler said.

A boost to tourism

The new tourism attraction will bring more visitors numbers to the region, support the local economy, and create new local jobs, which will build on the $216 million spent on tourism in Broken Hill in 2023.

Broken Hill also took out the number two spot of the Wotif Aussie Town of the Year awards for 2024, demonstrating yet again how the Silver City continues to punch above its weight as a destination for intrepid travellers, adventure seekers, history buffs, music lovers, architecture enthusiasts and foodies.

“It’s another wonderful attraction which, alongside the history of the town, the vibrant cultural scene and major events, will ensure new and regular visitors keep coming back to Broken Hill over and over again,” Greg Sam said.

“We hope the new Outback Heritage Experience will introduce future generations to our organisation, and inspire people to become supporters, nurses, doctors, pilots and other specialists and professions that we need to help this region to thrive.

The new facility is housed in a refurbished hangar

About the new facility

Housed in a refurbished hangar, the Outback Heritage Experience includes a museum with interactive displays, tributes to the doctors, pilots and flight nurses who have worked for the service, a movie theatre and shop. Visitors can also stroll through a showcase of aircraft dating back to the 1930s.

The upgrades also include accessibility improvements and new carparking to improve access for all vehicle types – a major drawcard for Broken Hill’s popularity as a Drive Tourism destination.

The upgraded Outback Heritage Experience is one of two RFDS tourism attractions in NSW – one in Broken Hill and in Dubbo.

Visit the new Outback Heritage Experience

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Your appreciation empowers emergency care

February 10, 2025February 10, 2025

Article supplied by RFDS.

Thanks to the thoughtfulness of our supporters, Emergency Retrieval team members were inspired working through the holiday season.

Here’s what some of our frontline staff had to say about these beautiful messages.

“It’s so wonderful to have our hard work appreciated. Whenever we go out on a job we are met with immense gratitude – These cards are a lovely seasonal addition. We wouldn’t be able to do what we do without the support we receive, and this service wouldn’t be nearly as fun without the incredible communities that colour and flavour outback Australia. Thank you all so so much!”

Dr Mina Arsanious

“So great to receive this card and lovely message.”

Shannon Nott, Executive General Manager Health & Clinical Services/Chief Medical Officer

“It means the absolute world to have our hard work within the Primary Health Team appreciated and acknowledged and know that the work we are doing is not going unnoticed.”

Abbey Barratt – Primary Health Nurse

“Thank you for all the support and thoughts, we appreciate your support.”

Jayden Foster, Senior Base Engineer

“Receiving such a special card makes us feel appreciated within our role.”

Kerry-Lee Hassan – Flight Nurse

Thank you for your beautiful messages. We also have a special video for you – click the button below to see what you achieved in 2024!

Watch the Video

Kerri Rothery (left) - Team Leader – Primary Health and Abbey Barrett (right) - Primary Health Nurse receiving Christmas card

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The RFDS committed to the Best for the Bush – in partnership with the Australian Government

December 19, 2024December 19, 2024

Article supplied by RFDS The Royal Flying Doctor Service is delighted to have yesterday signed a long-term Strategic Partnership with the Australian Government until 2031-32, cementing the shared commitment to together improve the health of people in rural and remote communities.

This Strategic Partnership aligns with the ongoing support for critical RFDS services by the Australian Government and follows the Federal Budget announcement in May of this year of an additional $71.3million over 3 years for the RFDS to support the delivery of essential health services. The funding enables the RFDS to continue to deliver primary healthcare, mental health and dental services across rural and remote areas in the face of rising costs.

Speaking at the signing of the Strategic Partnership, Federal Minister for Health and Aged Care, the Hon. Mark Butler MP said:

“Over nine decades, the RFDS has provided a lifeline for people who live, work and travel in rural, remote and very remote Australia”

“The strategic agreement between the Commonwealth and the RFDS is part of our commitment to working together as genuine partners to improve health outcomes for people in the bush. Our government is committed to ensuring no-one is left behind in having access to health and medical care”.

“This additional investment from the Albanese Government ensures the RFDS can continue to provide world-class healthcare services”.

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The Murray’s are forever thankful

December 19, 2024December 19, 2024

Article supplied by RFDS

This year we are celebrating the 25th anniversary of our Dubbo base and reflecting on our incredible stories of lives saved.

Will Murray was just two years old, and one of the first people rescued by our original Emergency Retrieval team at Dubbo.

Will was tragically run over by a tractor on his family’s sheep and cattle station in Louth, NSW, causing serious internal injuries.

His mother Liz vividly remembers the terrifying moment, being far from any major hospital and an ambulance that had to travel from Bourke 130kms away.

Thankfully our Emergency Retrieval team mobilised from Dubbo and transported Will and his parents Liz and Gary back to Dubbo where they met a paediatric trauma team from Sydney and were then flown on to the Sydney Children’s Hospital by Air Ambulance.

Will was placed in a coma until hospital staff discovered the extent of his injuries which were life-threatening. He remained in a coma in intensive care for the next several days while staff monitored his internal bleeding and he underwent daily CAT scans. Thankfully Will recovered and two weeks later, he was able to return home.

Today, 27-year-old Will is living a healthy life. The Murray’s have never forgotten the life-saving role the Flying Doctor played, but it was only made possible because of supporters like you, who care about families like the Murray’s.

“It’s hard to put into words the gratitude we feel,” Liz shared. “The Flying Doctor gave us our son’s future, and for that, we’ll be forever thankful.”

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Flying dentist Dr Vai is changing the face of outback oral health

December 19, 2024December 19, 2024

Article supplied by RFDS.

The word is spreading across many of Australia’s most remote and rural communities that the ‘Flying Dentists are coming’. And the ever-expanding RFDS program to introduce regular and essential oral health services into some of Australia’s most remote and isolated regions is certainly giving many outback communities plenty to smile about. Research already shows a clear link between oral disease and specific health conditions and chronic diseases including diabetes, aspiration pneumonia and adverse pregnancy outcomes. But equally, poor oral health can also have negative impacts on speech, sleep, productivity, self-esteem, psychological and social wellbeing and relationships. Put simply, better oral health means a better quality of life for those living with chronic or life-changing dental issues. In episode #120 of the Flying Doctor Podcast, we meet one of the Flying Doctors working on the very frontier of outback oral health care delivery. RFDS Senior Dentist Dr Vaibhav Garg – or Dr Vai has his patients and work mates like to call him – has experienced his fair share of international oral health adventures during his career.

Dr Vai is pictured receiving his 2024 rural and remote health professional of the year award

But it is the time ‘Dr Vai’ has spent in some of Australia’s most remote and isolated communities that he credits most, for inspiring him to make remote oral health care his life’s work. And it was a tiny, WA wheat belt town called Wongan Hills, that became a pivotal sliding doors moment for a young dentist simply wanting to ‘make a difference’. Having recently been named the Rural Health Pros’ Rural/ Remote Health Professional of the Year, Dr Vai has big plans for the future of outback oral health care and the role that the RFDS can play in making a difference in some of Australia’s most isolated communities. Dr Vai is honoured to have spent time developing his skills in East Arnhem land, working and learning from the indigenous elders and communities about what they want and what they need from any future oral health services. Dr Vai is also a passionate advocate for making oral health an accepted and respected part of a holistic approach to western medicine, given how important the mouth and teeth are to the general health of the entire human body.

Dr Vai is pictured with some of his specialist dental team in Alice Springs

In this insightful Flying Doctor podcast interview, Dr Vai also shares how a series of ‘sliding door’ moments during his formative, student years led him away from his initial dreams of a city based ‘dental profession’ and brought him instead to a career path that continues to bring him incredible opportunities, travel adventures and a true sense of purpose and passion. From chewing fibrous plants in Uganda to treating remote communities in the mountains of Peru, Dr Vai has also experienced goanna hunting, traditional ceremonies and bush tucker education during his time in many remote indigenous communities of Australia . Importantly, Dr Vai says his incredible SA/NT RFDS team of fellow dentists, hygienists and specialised dental assistants play a crucial role in everything he does. Conducting regular clinics across SA/NT every month, Dr Vai and his team use state-of-the-art mobile dental equipment to deliver a complete suite of preventative, early intervention and treatment services ranging from simple check-ups, x-rays and hygiene services through to fillings and extractions.

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A mercy flight to Townsville was baby Selene’s only option

November 5, 2024November 5, 2024

Article supplied by RFDS.

The community of Townsville will always remember the Christmas of 2019 as a time of catastrophic floods. But the Taylor family will always recall that Christmas in Townsville for a totally different reason. Because it was also the Christmas that they very nearly lost their one-year-old baby girl, Selene, to a rare bacterial complication from tonsilitis. That ‘complication’ caused a large abscess to form on Selene’s throat, which very quickly developed into a life-threatening situation for the normally bright and active toddler. In Episode #115 of the Flying Doctor Podcast, Selene’s mum Hayley shares her family’s terrifying ordeal – along with her memories of the incredible kindness of strangers. After being told that a mercy flight from their hometown of Bucasia (near McKay in Qld) to Townsville was Selene’s best chance of survival, Hayley suddenly found herself sitting on an RFDS flight, with her gravely ill daughter by her side. With no shoes, no wallet and no phone charger, the next few days would be a rocky Christmas holiday story for everyone involved.

Selene spent many days in Townsville hospital and Ronald McDonald House

Hayley recalls that when she first noticed Selene’s symptoms – including a high fever, lethargy and obvious discomfort – she did what any worried Mum would do. She took her straight to the local hospital. But with Christmas holiday chaos impacting staff availability and waiting times, Hayley and her sick baby waited many hours in their local rural hospital’s Emergency Department before a Doctor promptly diagnosed Selene as having ‘viral tonsilitis’. Hayley and her baby were sent home to rest and recover. But Selene didn’t recover. Her symptoms increased and she developed a large lump on the side of her neck, that Hayley thought might be the beginning of mumps. Hayley called the 13 HEALTH hotline for advice and an ambulance was immediately dispatched. Selene’s condition was rapidly deteriorating and she began struggling to breath. Thanks to the prompt action of both ambulance and hospital staff, baby Selene was stabilised and multiple scans and tests soon revealed the seriousness of her condition.

Selene (pictured with mum Hayley and her younger sister Marcella) is now a happy and healthy 7 -year old

The decision was quickly made by local Doctors to airlift Selene to Townsville hospital – as flying her to Brisbane meant a longer flight, that Doctor’s told Hayley could be the difference between her ‘surviving the flight or not’. Hayley recalls the incredible care and support she received from RFDS staff that day and how much of a difference that care made to her ability to cope with such an extraordinarily stressful situation. Later, Selene would be become one of the youngest patients in Australia to undergo an emergency tonsillectomy. And thanks to the staff at Townsville Hospital and Ronald McDonald House, Hayley and Selene would also make it onto the very last flight out of Townsville, before the 2019 floods stopped all flights in and out. Today, Selene is a happy and healthy 7-year-old and Hayley has been participating in the 2024 Oceans to Outback Challenge, as her way of saying ‘thank you’ to the RFDS and the many ‘kind strangers’ who helped her family out, when they needed it the most.

A snake bite can change everything in a split second

November 5, 2024November 5, 2024

Article supplied by RFDS. “They say that life can change in a split second, and for me, it was a split second. Tom just stopped breathing,” said Tom’s wife Nicole.

What was meant to be an ordinary day in Coonabarabran for Tom quickly turned life-threatening when he was bitten by a snake. Tom jumped out of his ute to greet his wife and was struck by a snake. He felt a light sting on his foot, almost like a scratch. He looked down to see the tail of the snake slithering off into the bushes. Thinking it was likely a ‘dry bite’ considering there was no pain he wasn’t too concerned.

With only a 25-minute drive back into town, Tom decided to drive his ute. By the time they reached Coonabarabran rural hospital and Nicole had gone for help, it was almost too late.

Tom couldn’t move. Immediately after Nicole reached him, he fell unconscious in his car in the hospital car park.

Over the next gruelling hour, hospital staff continued working on Tom, stabilising him enough to rush him inside to a hospital treatment room. They connected with a medical team at Dubbo Base Hospital, who called our Emergency Retrieval team to mobilise to Coonabarabran immediately.

When an emergency occurs in the bush, people like Tom and Nicole are incredibly vulnerable. When snake bites are involved, time is even more critical. Your support is essential to ensuring our Emergency Retrieval team is ready and equipped to act.

It only took a split second for everything to change for Tom and Nicole, and it’s generous supporters like you who helped him get the emergency care he needed when his life was at stake.

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Student nurse Laura was told she would never walk or talk again

October 3, 2024October 3, 2024

Article supplied by RFDS.

On a ‘random Thursday night’ in January 2023, student nurse Laura McKenney’s life changed in an instant. As a passenger is a car that crashed near the WA town of Pingrup, Laura was thrown and then crushed by the same vehicle, as it rolled back over her. Laura was not wearing a seat belt. Earlier this year, Laura and her family visited the RFDS base at Jandokot and met the WA RFDS retrieval nurse, Lisa, who assisted Laura that night. Nearly two years on from her accident, Laura and her older sister Emily are ready to share their family’s remarkable journey and Laura’s inspirational recovery from a severe head injury and resulting stroke. In episode #110 of the Flying Doctor podcast – with their Champion Ocean to Outback Fundraiser hats firmly in place – these WA ‘Laura’s Army’ legends are also keen to thank all the first responders and RFDS front-line staff who helped to save Laura’s life that fateful night.

Hours after her accident, Laura's family were told she may never wake up. Let alone walk or talk again.

Laura’s memories from the night of her accident remain (unsurprisingly) hazy. But she does remember that there was speed and alcohol involved. Luckily, the driver and the other passenger in the car that night walked away with only minor injuries. But after she suffered an accident-induced stroke enroute to hospital, Laura’s parents and family members – including her older sister Emily – arrived at the hospital to the news that nobody ever wants to hear. Doctors warned the family that Laura may not survive. If she did, it was unlikely she’d ever regain consciousness. If she woke up, there was very little chance she would ever walk or talk again. The 21-year-old underwent an emergency Craniotomy to relieve the pressure on her brain. But it was many more weeks until her family would start to see ‘the real Laura’ come back to them again. For Laura’s loved ones, those next few weeks in hospital – waiting for her to show any signs of comprehension or recovery – were excruciating.

Laura was a happy-go-lucky student nurse before a car crash changed her life forever.

This October, Laura and Emily and their incredible ‘Laura’s Army’ team of supporters, will once again take on the RFDS fundraising Oceans to Outback Challenge. Last year, they not only managed to raise over $21,000 for the RFDS, but incredibly, Laura herself clocked up over 30km of walking as part of the group’s marathon efforts. Not bad for a girl who was told she’d be lucky to ever walk again! But you only have to talk to Emily or any of Laura’s family members to know just what a fighter this young woman is. Every day, Laura’s hard work and determination comes shining through. And every day, this extraordinary young woman is getting stronger, faster and more focused. Laura may have her own, real-life army. But every day, she’s also conquering her own battles with courage and grace – by taking one determined step at a time.

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Operation Mitchell Plateau

October 3, 2024October 3, 2024

Article supplied by RFS. It was a team effort when the RFDS was called to retrieve a woman who broke her leg hiking in one of WA’s most hard-to-reach locations.

It started with a frantic satellite phone call from the bush. A distressed woman contacted the RFDS to say she was part of a group who’d set off from the Mitchell Plateau in the Kimberley, planning to hike to the spectacular Mitchell Falls. Another woman in the group had slipped into a deep crevice between boulders, breaking her lower leg.

Reaching her was not going to be easy. The accident happened about a two-day walk from the closest airstrip, and the location was inaccessible by road or boat.

It was established that the hiker had a “tib-fib” fracture, where both bones in the lower leg are broken; a serious injury that needs prompt medical attention.

These breaks are very painful and need to be splinted quite quickly to ensure good blood supply and that you will be able to save the leg

Dr Michael Leith

A crew made up of Dr Michael, Retrieval Nurse Cassie Gaff and pilot Bryn James flew to the Mitchell Plateau, landing on a dirt airstrip. They piled into a tourism helicopter that had room to fit a stretcher and set out to find the injured woman. Spotting the group of hikers in the rugged landscape felt like looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack.

“We were flying around and had to land every half hour to call her on the satellite phone because it was too loud on the helicopter to hear anything,” said Dr Michael. “The hikers tried to give us directions and co-ordinates, but unfortunately what they gave us wasn’t quite right.”

The group put up large yellow tarps to increase their visibility. Other helicopter pilots in the area were told to keep an eye out for them. The hikers were finally spotted perched on the side of a cliff.

The next challenge was finding a safe place to land the helicopter. It needed to be on the same side of the Mitchell River as the patient – the RFDS crew didn’t fancy a river-crossing in croc-infested waters. The closest place to land was about a kilometre from the patient – and the terrain was so treacherous it took an hour to reach her on foot.

When they reached the makeshift tarp tent, the hiker was in a lot of pain. Her pulse was faint and Dr Michael was concerned about a drop in blood supply to the lower part of her leg.

“Cassie and I got to work putting in intravenous lines and giving her pain relief, trying to keep her comfortable while we put her into traction and straightened her leg out,” he said. “In a hospital, patients would usually be sedated for that but it wasn’t possible in this setting and this lady was very stoic.”

Now faced with moving the injured woman to the helicopter, Dr Michael was assisted by his colleague Bryn, the helicopter pilot and others from the hiking group to carry the woman on a stretcher, up and down over boulders and through long, snake-infested grass.

“I could see the patient breathe a sigh of relief once we were in the air,” said Dr Michael. “We even got a nice scenic flight past Mitchell Falls on the way out which she really appreciated because she hadn’t made it to the waterfall on her walk.”

The woman was flown to Broome on the PC-12 aircraft and from there to hospital in Perth on the Rio Tinto PC-24 jet, where she underwent surgery.

The dramatic turn of events hasn’t turned the woman off hiking and she’s apparently eager to complete her Mitchell Falls adventure in the future.

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Royal Flying Doctor Service WA expands Medevac Service

August 28, 2024August 28, 2024

Article supplied by RFDS.

The Royal Flying Doctor Service Western Australia (RFDS WA) has expanded its aeromedical retrieval capabilities through a new partnership with PHI Aviation.

This collaboration extends RFDS WA’s offshore medevac services to support client operations in the Bonaparte Basin.

Key highlights of the expanded service:

A dedicated doctor and paramedic/nurse retrieval team stationed at PHI’s Darwin base.

The team provides rapid medical evacuations for critical cases in remote offshore areas, and search and rescue operations.

This builds on RFDS WA’s medical evacuation services from PHI’s Broome base.

The partnership with PHI strengthens RFDS WA’s position as a leader in remote healthcare, serving the world’s largest and most remote health jurisdiction. It also generates additional revenue through a profit-for-purpose model, supporting RFDS WA’s mission to provide vital medical services to our communities.

RFDS WA conducts over 10,000 aeromedical retrievals annually, and this extension enhances our capacity to save lives in even more remote locations. The collaboration with PHI Aviation opens doors for potential partnerships with other companies operating in the region, to further extend RFDS WA’s reach and impact.

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