The Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) has named one of its new aircraft in memory of a north Queensland grazier who left the organisation millions of dollars in his will.
Geoffrey Carrick owned Maitland Station in the outback town of Einasleigh until he died last year aged 73.
His property was sold at auction for nearly $10 million with the proceeds to be shared between the RFDS and the Children's Hospital Foundation.
The RFDS has since purchased four new planes and named one of them, a Beechcraft King Air B200, the 'Geoffrey Carrick'.
It departed Cairns on its maiden flight today for a GP clinic at Mr Carrick's hometown of Einasleigh and conducted a flypast over his cattle station.
Heather Stott from the RFDS said Mr Carrick's gift in will was the largest ever to the organisation's Queensland arm.
"We thought [it] was a fitting tribute to one of Queensland's real, quiet, generous heroes," she said.
"We really wanted to show some respect to Geoffrey's memory for this because [it's] such a substantial gift that will save so many lives and improve the health of so many Queenslanders."
A generous but modest man
Geoffrey Carrick was remembered by his friends as a brilliant cattleman who lived a simple life on his remote 138-square kilometre property.
He was a quiet man, except when watching the State of Origin, and never married or had any children.
Ms Stott said Mr Carrick did not like spending money on himself and his house was still as it was in the 1970s.
"He never treated himself to anything," she said.
"His one treat in the summer was a can of cold beer every evening and his one treat in the winter was a can of lukewarm Coke."
But Mr Carrick gave generously to various causes during his life, sometimes mounting bullock horns on timber plaques to be auctioned for charity.
Friend and executor Bill McCullough said Mr Carrick never sought recognition.
"That's the sort of bloke he was," he said.
"He wouldn't tell anybody that's what he was doing. It was his business and that was it."
Joe Barham grew up with Geoffrey Carrick and also worked on his cattle station.
"He's a brother, has been for 68-odd years, and he's been very good and kind-hearted to everybody," he said.
"All our grandchildren, they loved him."
Donations critical to RFDS operations
The RFDS spent $13 million on the four new planes which will transport doctors, nurses and mental health clinicians to and from rural health clinics across Queensland.
The organisation said the aircraft would be able to travel further and more reliably, particularly during the wet season, compared to the Cessna Caravans it recently decommissioned.
Two of the new planes will be based in Cairns, one in Mount Isa and the other in Roma in the state's south-west.
Friend and executor Jim Geaney said it was very moving to be part of the 'Geoffrey Carrick''s unveiling and maiden flight.
"I'm overwhelmed by what the RFDS has done in recognition of Geoff's legacy," he said.
"He would be so proud that he would be helping so many people in the bush."
