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The inspiration for St John Ambulance volunteers arose many years ago and was based on the activity of the early Knights of St John, also known as Hospitallers. As this name implies, their major role was to care for sick or injured pilgrims travelling to Jerusalem at the time of the Crusades, beginning some 900 years ago.
When the Crusades came to an end the Knights of St John were forced to move from Jerusalem. They spent many years on Rhodes and later Malta. The association with Malta is carried on to the present with the St John Ambulance eight-pointed badge often being referred to as the Maltese Cross. Napoleon Bonaparte deposed the Knights of St John from Malta and the various national groups of Knights dispersed.
The English section was revived in the early 1880s, and this led to the formation of its three main branches:
- The St John Ambulance Association, formed in 1877, to teach first aid to the public
- The Ophthalmic Hospital, formed in 1882, and located, significantly, in Jerusalem
- The St John Ambulance Brigade, formed in 1887, to provide trained uniformed First Aid personnel at public events.
Queen Victoria was so impressed by the work of St John Ambulance volunteers that she granted St John a Royal Charter in 1888. So today St John is a Royal Order of Chivalry with Queen Elizabeth II as its Sovereign Head.
In Australia, St John Ambulance was first established in Melbourne in 1883. St John in South Australia began soon after, in 1885, with the establishment of an Association (Teaching) Centre. The Brigade (Operations Branch) began much later in 1914, and was followed much later again by the Community Care Branch in 2003. This last mentioned branch provides social support for elderly or disabled people in the community. St John Ambulance ran the State’s ambulance service for over thirty years beginning in the early 1950s.
From these few words it can be seen that St John Ambulance has a long and proud history. This history is promoted by the St John Historical Society in South Australia. This group meets monthly and has established a museum of St John memorabilia. Membership is free. Anyone wanting more details can contact the Chairman, Dr. Brian Fotheringham, through the reception desk at St John Headquarters in Unley, SA. There is also a National St John Ambulance Historical Society that meets annually and publishes quarterly newsletters and a comprehensive annual journal. The contact person is St John historian Dr. Ian Howie-Willis, who can be reached on iwillis@ozemail.com.au
Another, more global source of information about St John Ambulance is the international website http://www.orderofstjohn.org/
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