Some indviiduals are farsighted seers—prophets of the future, of trends to come. John Flynn was for the inhabitants of the Australian outback possibly their greatest prophetic voice. In the early 1900s,Flynn envisaged a network of care for those in isolated regions and founded the Australian Inland Mission (AIM). His foresight spread across decades of conflict and depression, boom and stagnation into the twenty-first century. Flynn's vision arose from humble origins and was built on work already underway.Born on 2 November 1880, Flynn was the second son of Thomas, a teacher of limited means, and Rosetta Flynn. After attending rural schools and boarding at the then private University High School in Carlton, Melbourne, financial constraints meant that Flynn was unable to enrol at the University of Melbourne. This led to employment as a pupil teacher with the Education Department and he also undertook training in photography, in which he delighted, and first aid.
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