For the first time, Bill Marsh's terrific collection of outback yarns centred on the Royal Flying Doctor Service are available in one bumper volume. the Royal Flying Doctor Service is a unique icon of Australian culture. Since its beginnings with the Reverend John Flynn in 1928, the RFDS has helped build our nation. the Flying Doctors, and the remote stations and communities that they serve, have become enduring symbols of what it means to be Australian. the Complete Book of Australian Flying Doctor Stories is a fascinating, moving and often hilarious collection of true stories about the life in the Australian Outback. Hear of those whose very lives depend on the Royal Flying Doctor Service, like the man suffering from extreme burns who rode his motorbike eighteen kilometres back across his property to get help while opening and closing every gate along the way because you 'always leave gates as you find them'. Out here, stoicism and a sense of humour go hand in hand, as in the case of the stockman with a compound leg fracture who, when asked by the Flying Doctor if it hurt, replied, 'Oh, it itches a bit.'through fog, lightning, thunder, flooding rains and dust storms, the Flying Doctor braves the elements to get to the remote outback landing strips where they're needed ... and the tales they live to tell will have you shaking your head in amazement.

In the early 20th century, Reverend John Flynn saw the potential for aeroplanes to bring urgent medical care to people in outback Australia. He campaigned for more than ten years to make his big idea a reality. That big idea became the Royal Flying Doctor Service. Today the RFDS is a not-for-profit organisation that provides emergency and primary health care across Australia. From Ned Kelly to Nellie Melba; Captain Cook to Sidney Nolan, the Meet ... series of picture books tells the exciting stories of the men and women who have shaped Australia's history.

John Flynn is one of Australia's greatest folk heroes. His achievements are stuff of legend - no other Australian has had more monuments dedicated to him than John Flynn. Flynn established a network of cottage hospitals, flying doctors, patrol padres, welfare centres and radio transmitters to create a Mantle of Safety that would allow the Outback to be habitable for men, women and children.

The Royal Flying Doctor Service and Country Women's Association have worked together in the bush for more than nine decades. Recently we have used our networks to collect a treasure of stories, anecdotes, prose, artwork and recipes that talk to life in the bush. This publication captures "Struth!" moments - good and bad - with real stories of how Aussies come together in times of need. It will surprise you, make you laugh and bring joy. It is a book about today as much as it is about historical events. And the wry sense of humour that is displayed in sometimes severe circumstances well communicates the Aussie spirit.Proceeds from sales go to the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia and the Country Women's Association of Australia

--------------- NEW BEGINNINGS After her teenage daughter Mia falls in with the wrong crowd, Dr Billie Green decides it's time to return home to far western NSW. When an opportunity to join the Flying Doctor Service comes along, she jumps at the chance. Flight nurse Daphne Prince and their handsome new boss, Morgan Blake, instantly make her feel welcome. HOMESTEAD COMMUNITY Just out of town, grazier Soretta Byrnes has been struggling to make ends meet and has opened her homestead to boarders. Billie, Mia and Daphne decide to move in and are soon joined by eccentric eighty-year-old Lorna Lamerton. FRIENDSHIP AND TRIALS The unlikely housemates are soon offering each other frank advice and staunch support as they tackle medical emergencies, romantic adventures and the challenges of growing up and getting older. But when one of their lives is threatened, the strong friendship they have forged will face the ultimate test... --------------- PRAISE FOR FIONA MCARTHUR 'Like wrapping yourself in a warm blanket and sitting under the stars.' RACHAEL JOHNS 'I never miss one of Fiona McArthur's books.' SAM STILL READING 'An uplifting story of friendship and romance.' BOOK'D OUT 'Whenever I feel like journeying to the ochre and brown glory of the outback with its special brand of people, I know Fiona McArthur will take me there ...' BOOK MUSTER DOWN UNDER

Call the Midwife meets In the Middle of Nowhere in this heartwarming memoir of an adventurous Aussie midwife's life 'catching babies'. Outback Midwife is the story of Beth McRae’s 40 years as a midwife, from her terrifying first day witnessing a birth as a naïve student nurse to her training as a midwife – the days when the words ‘birth plan’ were unheard of and what women wanted was a long way from being part of any plan – to the outback. Beth's career of catching babies takes her from the city to the bush, bonding with people from all walks of life at one of the most important moments in their lives. But there was one more frontier she was determined to conquer. At a time when most people are thinking about slowing down, Beth decides to move to a remote Aboriginal community in Arnhem Land to embark on a whole other adventure.

Originally published by The Australian Inland Mission; Sydney 1916. [Browne, Prior & Co.: Melbourne]. ARCHIVAL REPRINT: Limited Edition, illustrated, vellum acabado.

Stories that take us from the Mallee to the back of Bourke and beyond . an indispensable collection about the enduring appeal of the Australian bush.

Stories and memories that capture the experience of nursing in the bush, gathered by the inimitable Bill 'Swampy' Marsh, bestselling author of Great Australian Flying Doctor Stories and Great Australian Police Stories. I've been a trained nurse for almost sixty years now and I've never once gone to work thinking, I don't want to do this. In fact, I've always said how it's been a privilege to be a nurse in areas where there were no counsellors, no psychologists, nothing – just me. With hearts as big as the outback, rural and remote nurses are a dedicated and gutsy bunch who work selflessly to care for their communities, often in isolated and inhospitable conditions, with few resources but plenty of experience, courage and care. Outback nurses deal with it all: broken limbs, labour pains, snake bites, sunburnt backpackers, lost explorers, vaccinations, defibrillations – even the occasional crook cattle dog. One thing they are never short of is stories to tell. This memorable and eye-opening collection of real-life accounts from nurses in the Australian bush is by turns inspiring, poignant, heartbreaking and hilarious – and Swampy should know. It was while he was researching this book he had a near-fatal fall from a cliff in Kakadu, and experienced first-hand the skill and heroism of these outback nurses in extraordinary situations. Bill 'Swampy' Marsh is an award-winning writer and performer of stories, songs and plays. He spent most of his youth in rural south-western NSW and now lives in Adelaide. Swampy is one of ABC books' bestselling authors of Australian stories; this is his sixteenth book.

General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1912 Original Publisher: The Macmillan Company Subjects: United States History / United States / General Juvenile Nonfiction / History / United States / General Notes: This is an OCR reprint of the original rare book. There may be typos or missing text and there are no illustrations. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. You can also preview the book there.