Flying Padre marks 80 years in the skies

With celebration events recently held in Darwin and Katherine, The Salvation Army’s Flying Padre service marked 80 years of reaching outback families across the Northern Territory(NT), Queensland and Western Australia (WA).

The service began in 1945 when Vic Pedersen, a Salvation Army officer (minister) took to the skies to bring prayer, encouragement and practical care to people in remote Australia. From the outset, the Flying Padre was there in everyday isolation as well as during floods, fires and drought — reminding communities that they were seen, valued and loved.

Celebrating a lifeline

The anniversary drew former and current flying padres, families supported by the service and community members to mark what many described as a ‘lifeline for the bush’.

“For 80 years, the Flying Padre has been more than a flight — it’s been a lifeline,” said Peter Sampson, The Salvation Army NT External Communications Manager. “It shows what the Salvos are about — going the extra mile, sometimes quite literally, to reach people where they are.”

The events included a celebration service at Darwin Salvation Army Corps and an open day at Wally’s Hangar in Katherine.

Stories from the bush

Station owners shared how visits from flying padres shaped their lives.

Queensland grazier, Gai White said Salvation Army chaplain Mark Bulow “never judged” but listened with understanding. “He was always just a phone call away,” she said.

Northern Territory station owner Moira Lanzarin told the crowd, “Angels really do have wings. I speak on behalf of all the families touched by the padres — they are there when you need an ear.”

Station owner and Salvationist Bess Hart, who became a member of The Salvation Army alongside her husband Ted after years of support, said, “The Salvos have been the ones who’ve been our backstop.”

Territorial Commander of The Salvation Army Australia, Commissioner Miriam Gluyas said hearing these stories was a highlight of the anniversary. “This is an incredible ministry that has meant the world to people living in rural and remote parts of the country. Our ‘salt of the earth’ chaplains have been in the lives of people on these properties for 80 years, and this continues from generation to generation. It’s an enduring legacy.”

One story of survival

The Flying Padre’s history is filled with remarkable moments. Not long after the service began, Vic Pedersen was flying a mother and child to a remote mission when smoke haze forced an emergency landing on a tidal flat in the Kimberley. Stranded with just two pints of water, the trio faced days in searing heat.

In his records, Pedersen recalled praying for help when five-year-old Bruce, the boy he was carrying, spotted fresh water rushing across the flat. They dug a hole to catch it and survived five days before rescue. “Using my water bottle to boil and distil water was, I’m sure, divinely inspired,” he wrote. “It gave us all the water we needed — and hope.”

Looking ahead

The Flying Padre service continues to be a vital presence in times of drought, flood or cyclone, but just as importantly, in the everyday reality of isolation. Chaplains conduct weddings, funerals and school lessons, visit families on remote stations, deliver supplies and simply offer a listening ear. Planes remain essential to reaching people who may go weeks without a visitor.

Commissioner Gluyas said the ministry now needed new pilots and sponsors to keep the aircraft in the air.

“Getting to remote communities is key and so are our planes,” she said. “We need the next generation to rise up and keep this incredible ministry alive.”

As the Flying Padre marks 80 years, its purpose remains unchanged — to bring connection, compassion and hope to some of the most isolated corners of Australia.

Content courtesy of the Salvos Online editorial team, with special thanks to Kirrilee Nicolle.