William Morrison Bristow is an Australian aviator and former advertising executive. He is best known for establishing Australia's

Angel Flight Angel Flight is the name used by a number of groups whose members provide free air transportation for passengers in need of medical treatment far from home and perform other missions of community service. Such a non-profit organization may be l ...

service in 2003.

Life and career

Early life

Bristow was born in Sydney where he was raised. He attended

Barker College Barker College is an independent Anglican Church of Australia, Anglican Mixed-sex education, co-educational Pre-school education, early learning, primary and secondary Day school, day and Boarding school, boarding school, located in Hornsby, New ...

and then studied psychology at the

University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD) is a public university, public research university in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in both Australia and Oceania. One of Australia's six sandstone universities, it was one of the ...

Advertising

Bristow's father John Bristow was the managing director of Australia's oldest

advertising agency An advertising agency, often referred to as a creative agency or an ad agency, is a business dedicated to creating, planning, and handling advertising and sometimes other forms of promotion and marketing for its clients. An ad agency is generall ...

Hansen Rubensohn which had been founded by Sim Rubensohn and Rubert Hansen in 1929. Hansen Rubensohn was taken over by American company

McCann Erickson McCann, formerly McCann Erickson, is an American global advertising agency network, with offices in over 120 countries. McCann is part of McCann Worldgroup, along with several other agencies, including direct digital marketing agency MRM//McC ...

in 1959. In 1964, Bristow commenced his own adverting career with McCann Erickson which by then was owned by Interpublic. Bristow worked for the agency in Sydney and New York. In 1970, Bristow relocated to Brisbane where he joined the agency Jones Knowles Vinnicombe Shirley as a creative director, replacing Paul Jones who had relocated to Sydney and became known for his work on the '' It's Time'' campaign. In 1973, the agency was also bought out by Interpublic and then became known as Jones Knowles McCann Erickson. In 1978, Bristow established the Knowles Bristow agency with Bruce Knowles. When Paul Cornwell and Kevin Moreland joined the agency, it changed its name to BCM.

Aviation

Bristow gained his glider pilot's licence in 1970 before moving up to be a licensed pilot of

powered aircraft An aircraft engine, often referred to as an aero engine, is the power component of an aircraft propulsion system. Aircraft using power components are referred to as powered flight. Most aircraft engines are either piston engines or gas turbi ...

and helicopters. Identifying a need in rural Australia were local residents were required to travel long distances to access medical services at hospitals in capital cities and large regional centres, Bristow established Angel Flight in 2003. The service which coordinates non-emergency flights for people in rural and remotes areas of Australia to access medical treatment was inaugurated with 80 volunteer pilots. By 2019, Angel Flight was operating with 3000 pilots and 4000 drivers, and had recorded 47,000 flights having carried 100,000 passengers. In establishing Angel Flight in Australia, Bristow is also credited with establishing a system which links health professional referrals between all large city hospitals and outback clinics and remote area nurses. Bristow retired from his role at Angel Flight in 2019.

Awards

He won the Queensland category in the Australian of the Year Awards in 2005, becoming a finalist in the national Australian of the Year Awards which was won by Western Australia's

Fiona Wood Fiona Melanie Wood (born 2 February 1958) is an Australian plastic surgeon and burns specialist working in Perth, Western Australia. She is the director of the Royal Perth Hospital burns unit and the Western Australia Burns Service, and dev ...

. In 2006, the

Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators The Honourable Company of Air Pilots, formerly the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators (GAPAN), is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London. The Company was founded in 1929, and became a Livery Company in 1956. Elizabeth II granted ...

awarded Bristow the Australian Bicentennial Cup. In the

2009 Queen's Birthday Honours The Queen's Birthday Honours 2009 were appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by citizens of those countries. The Birthday Honours are awarded as p ...

, he was made a

Member of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an Australian honours and awards system, Australian honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Monarch ...

in recognition of his service to rural and remote communities by establishing Angel Flight. Also in 2009, Bristow was named as a Queensland Great.

References