Toowoomba Airbase flags rich culture

The walls of the Toowoomba Airbase are draped in history and culture and represent each of the staff members who have worked at the hangar, Madolyn Sushames writes.

Flight Critical Care Paramedic Anthony Clark asks each new starter to the Queensland Ambulance Service or LifeFlight to bring a flag from the country they’re from to hang on his ‘flag wall’.

“It’s a good conversation starter and when people come in, especially the international doctors, they know we’re going to embrace their culture and learn about where they’re from. Everyone loves it,” Anthony said.

As a former Australian Defence Force solider, Anthony has always been passionate about history.

“I thought we’ve got this whole concrete wall here let’s start doing a flag wall of all the people who have worked for QAS or LifeFlight,” Anthony said.

Flight Critical Care Paramedic Anthony Clark started the flag wall at the Toowoomba Airbase.

Anthony has learnt, however, there is a particular way to display each flag after one of his friends who served in the army as a Regimental Sergeant Major pointed out to him.

“He’s a very ceremonious person and is right up with the flag protocol and there is quite a significant protocol with hanging flags in order and where they sit,” he said.

“He’s been keeping a keen eye on the flags from the road when he drives pass and has given me a few tips on how to hang them properly and which way they face.”

“A few of them look like they’re facing the wrong way but that’s how the country hangs it so as long as they’re facing the right direction and hanging the right way that’s ok,” he said.

Anthony said Commonwealth country flags hang on the left-hand side and the others on the right with the two outer flags being English and America.

It all started with an Australian flag given to one of the pilots from his brother who was a drone pilot in Afghanistan.

“It sat in the nose compartment of his drone that flew many missions in Afghanistan supporting Australian troops, so there’s a bit of significance there,” Anthony said.

“The cable on which the flags are hung is the original winch cable off our very first helicopter that we had in Toowoomba 14 years ago.”

About 20 flags from all over the world now hang proudly in the Toowoomba hangar.

“It just keeps growing and growing, I think we’re going to fill that whole wall,” Anthony said.

About 20 flags from all over the world hang proudly at the LifeFlight hangar.