The South Australian Frontier Services Support team held a celebration on 29 July 2012 at the Adelaide West Uniting Church to celebrate Frontier Services and 100 years of support for the people of remote Australia.

A booklet of history entitled ‘Then and Now’, compiled by the South Australian Support Team was launched by Rosemary Young, Frontier Services National Director. The booklet details the history of Frontier Services and its predecessors in South Australia. Rev Bob Macintosh, a former flying Patrol Minister hosted the day and Jan Trengove, Chairperson of the Frontier Services Board was the official key note speaker.

The event was a great success, with many old friends, supporters and members of the wider community coming together.

“It was wonderful to see so many people associated with the ministry and mission of Frontier Services and its predecessors celebrating together the work that has been such an important part of the life of the church for a century,” said Rosemary Young

“I want to personally congratulate the team on an outstanding event. Truly, as a celebration, it was unrivalled. It was just so heart-warming to see so many people participating and to see the story shared in that way.”

The SA Support Team put on a fabulous spread for over a hundred people who attended the ‘smoko’ afternoon tea which was held after the celebration.

Frontier Services is a charity and national agency of the Uniting Church, which grew out of the work of visionary John Flynn. At the end of 1910, he accepted a placement at the Smith of Dunesk Mission in Beltana, 540km north of Adelaide. It was the beginning of his dream to work in the outback. During his time there, Flynn envisioned how he would provide a ‘mantle of safety’ to the people of the outback.

Flynn’s report to the Assembly of the Presbyterian Church resulted in the establishment of the Australian Inland Mission.

Frontier Services, the successor in the Uniting Church to the Australian Inland Mission, continues to provide a network of care and support for people in remote areas.

Through the friendship and care of the two Patrol Ministers in South Australia based out of Hawker and Orroroo, the Community Support Service and Community Health Service in Andamooka and the Marla Community Health Service, Frontier Services continues to extend the mantle of safety to the people in remote parts of the state.