Sharing the bigger picture of what we do with Australians everywhere was part of the inspiration behind building Dubbo’s new big attraction, the RFDS Visitor Experience. We knew how fascinated visitors would be to explore the authentic stories behind one of our national icons.

While the entire Visitor Experience is a revelation for everyone who visits, there’s one part of it that many visitors say has opened their eyes the most. It’s a section we’ve called ‘Rural and Remote’.

Visitors get to meet some of the great Aussie heroes who live and work in the outback, through our interactive video roundtable. Visitors simply touch the screen on the questions they most want answered and our heroes will share their stories through video.

These everyday Aussies bring to life a range of stories that describe life in the outback and explain the ‘Help on the Horizon’ experience from their own unique perspective.

There’s Brendan Cullen, who manages the 60,000 hectare Karrs Station. Brendan shares the ups and downs of life in the outback. The highs can be high. But some of the lows can be truly low, sometimes cripplingly so.

Brendan’s story is one of real heroism, not only to live the tough and isolated life of the station manager, but to share his own story within his broader community. He is helping others struggling with the same challenges to understand that they’re not alone and that help is always on the horizon.

When you come to explore the RFDS Visitor Experience for yourself, you’ll find another unique perspective of outback life from Brendan Cullen’s young daughter Charli.

You’ll hear about the kind of life that Aussie kids get to live in the outback - and the work ethic they learn at a young age. When you’re growing up on a station or farm, everyone needs to help out. But it’s not all hard work. Charli has some special four-legged friends who she gets to spend plenty of time with.

Then there’s Bernie O’Connor, a young Aussie boy helping his mother and father to manage their farm. Bernie shares his stories about school and life on the farm with a smile and a laugh and a real passion for the outback life. Like all the characters you’ll meet in ‘Rural and Remote’, one of the most important things to Bernie is his family.

The power of peace of mind

As you listen to their stories, you realise that a common thread throughout each story is what ‘Help on the Horizon’ has meant in their lives.

It’s a term we know well in the RFDS, but it actually means something different to each person we help. Everyone has their own story about the hardships they’ve faced and the situations they’ve been in, whether dangerous emergencies or the darkness of isolation and loneliness.

Throughout these stories, you’ll come to hear how the reassurance that ‘Help on the Horizon’ isn’t just important when people need assistance. To the broader outback community it’s about knowing that assistance is there - if you should ever need it.

We look forward to welcoming you to the Visitor Experience in Dubbo to see it for yourself. The RFDS might be heroes to the people of the bush, but our supporters are the heroes to the Flying Doctor. Our life-saving work is made possible by the generous contribution of people just like you, and by visiting our Visitor Experience you help fund our vital work.