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As previously indicated, Flint Spring is assumed to have been named after him. Mount Ebenezer, south south
west of Alice Springs on the road to Ayers Rock (Uluru) was also possibly named after him.
SAPP no 54, ‘Half-Yearly Report on Northern Territory to June 30 1886’, 1886; Copy of Flint’s map, with corrections by Winnecke (original
source unknown, possibly AA); D Blackwell & D Lockwood, Alice on the Line, 1976; F J Gillen, Gillen’s Diary, 1968; T G H Strehlow,
Songs Of Central Australia, 1971; P Taylor, An End to Silence, 1980; CCNT, Alice Springs, copies of records of OTS Service by E E S Flint
and other minor references; E J Harris, Diary copy held by CCNT, Alice Springs (September–December 1871); J F Mueller, Diary copy held
by the CCNT, Alice Springs (September December); M C Hartwig, ‘The Progress of White Settlement in the Alice Springs District and its
Effects upon the Aboriginal Inhabitants, 1860–1894’, unpublished PhD Thesis, Adelaide University, 1965; R G Kimber, unpublished research
material.
R G KIMBER, Vol 1.FLOOD, THOMAS A’BECKETT (TOM or T A B) (1905–1991), farmer, manager and sportsman, was born in
Ireland in 1905, and attended Christian Brothers and Xavier Schools in both Ireland and England. Whilst at these
schools he played Gaelic football, soccer, rugby union and cricket. In England he was School Captain too and, as
he also did well scholastically, his leadership qualities were evident early in life.
He migrated to Australia in 1923, having been preceded by his father who was a successful businessman—
‘father of the motor body industry in Australia’, in Flood’s words, and ‘foundation President of the VACC’.
Flood went ‘on the land’ and took to playing Australian Rules football like a duck to water; he was to insist,
after also playing rugby league, that of all football codes it was ‘the greatest of them all.’
During his time as a farmer he sewed 412 bags of wheat in a day, at a time when 100 bags was a fair day’s work,
and thereby created a new Victorian record.
After a time he married, his wife being a member of the well known South Australian pastoral family, Bowman.
She had gone to Royal Melbourne Hospital for training. Sadly their four children all died in their infancy and,
after such tragedy, their home and all their possessions were destroyed by fire. The couple’s Christian faith and
their strength of character enabled them to cope.
At the outbreak of the Second World War Flood enlisted. He was later to summarise his service thus: ‘I saw
service in the Middle East and the South West Pacific area, largely as a Staff Officer on 1st Aust. Corp. Headquarters
after I zigged when I should have zagged on the assault on Lae.’
After the war he became a key figure in the organisation Commonwealth Hostels. This evidently resulted
in him being sent to Alice Springs to take over the company’s operations there: modified Army barracks on the
corners of Stott Terrace and Todd Street were the initial buildings.
Flood’s job was to ‘clean up’ the hostels, which had a ‘wild’ reputation. Initially he tackled the task in a
combination of Sergeant Major and Major styles (both of which ranks he had once held). The wildest of the young
men were given their marching orders, and every worker and every boarder quickly learnt the new rules. Once they
had been established on a ‘give everyone a fair go’ basis, Flood relaxed a bit.
His wife joined him in the Alice, but her health was deteriorating. She was eventually obliged to return to
Melbourne for her greater comfort and care, where she died in 1968. Flood was shattered but, as though to
compensate for her loss, he threw himself into the constructive and cooperative life of the town.
At the Hostels he established a recreation hall, encouraged formation of table tennis teams, provided an annual
‘get together’ barbecue and dance at which older town residents who had once lived at the hostels welcomed newly
arrived government workers, and generally encouraged friendly social activities. Always a hard worker during the
day, he relaxed over a few beers every evening and, although not a heavy gambler, was interested in horse racing.
His name ‘T A B’ obviously enough derived from his initials, but instantly became associated with the betting
which had the same initials.
There could not have been any service or social club, any beneficial town organisation, any sporting club
(which he perceived as beneficial to the development of the town), any enterprise to do with the well-being of the
town that he did not support. He joined many of them and served on advisory committees, worked hard behind
the scenes, and generally contributed. Throughout his years in Central Australia he was also a great supporter of
movements such as Legacy, and probably the greatest supporter of ‘Guide Dogs for the Blind’ that Alice Springs
has ever known.
Illustrative of his endeavour was his organising of a fifth team in the local Australian Rules football competition.
He signed members, formed a supporters’ group, organised trainers, held social meetings, created a constitution,
cajoled opponents to the concept, gave it the name Melanka, after the hostel in Alice Springs, and led the entire
group of players and supporters to the Central Australian Football League’s special meeting to consider the matter.
The voting was close, but in 1970 the team was accepted into the competition and, by the second game, Flood had
organised a set of new team Guernseys. Although prepared to step aside, the players and supporters insisted he
be the first President. In this role he not only barracked for Melanka, but also encouraged all other teams to join
in social evenings. For his endeavours he was awarded the Northern Territory’s major ‘Aussie Rules’ honour,
the Harrison Trophy, and was later to be awarded the first life membership of Melanka. When the latter name
was changed to Wests, this life membership was recognised in the constitution of the club. The Flood Medal has,
throughout the club’s existence, been an annual award in his honour.
Women’s basketball, netball and softball teams were all given equivalent support.
After completion of the modernised Melanka Hostel in the early 1970s Flood retired to Mornington in Victoria.
However, no sooner had he settled in than Cyclone Tracy hit Darwin at Christmas time, 1974. Two days later
Flood was in Darwin, and for three months voluntarily assisted in the organisation and clean up, primarily giving
practical help in office work. That was the kind of man he was.