An Evening with the Royal Flying Doctor Service
A recent evening with the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) offered a fascinating look at an organisation many Australians know well, but perhaps not as fully as they might think.
The familiar image is, of course, the aircraft. But Richard Royle, Chair, Royal Flying Doctor Service (VIC), shared just how much sits behind it. Its work now extends across mental health, specialist care, community transport, telehealth and a range of services designed to make healthcare more accessible to people living outside metropolitan areas.
Among the stories shared, one of the most memorable was Flying Doctor Memory Lane.
The program gives people in palliative or end-of-life care the opportunity to visit somewhere personally meaningful — perhaps a family home, a favourite beach, a wedding or a much-loved sporting ground. Supported by medically trained volunteers, these journeys are less about treatment than about memory, connection and dignity.
Drawing on the language of aviation, Peter Leggett, Chairman & Chief Investment Officer, Arrow Private Wealth, spoke about having a flight plan, being prepared when conditions change and, above all, remembering the purpose of the journey.
Earlier in life, attention is often directed towards building — a career, a business, a home, a family and a sense of security. Later, different questions can begin to take greater prominence: time with family, experiences still to be shared, causes that matter and what might ultimately be left behind.
Peter described this as a distinction between ownership and stewardship: not simply considering what has been accumulated, but what purpose it might ultimately serve.
The Flying Doctor’s work provided a practical example of how resources, preparation and generosity can combine to create something enduring — often for people those supporting the organisation will never meet. RFDS noted that philanthropy continues to play an important role in helping it extend services and reach regional communities.
By the end of the evening, the idea of legacy felt broader than simply what is passed from one generation to the next.
It could also be found in the people we influence, the organisations we support, the memories we create and the things that continue to matter after our own involvement has ended.
