Active in Australia for over 130 years, St John Ambulance Australia is a self-funding, charitable organisation active in all States and Territories, dedicated to helping people in sickness, distress, suffering or danger. Providing services to a broad scope of the community, St John Ambulance Australia is the country's leading supplier of first aid services and training.
Our Mission
To make first aid a part of everybody’s life with at least one person educated, equipped, and prepared to provide first aid in every home and workplace, and at every public gathering.
St John Ambulance Australia is a charitable, non-profit, humanitarian organisation whose primary focus is teaching first aid. St John has been helping the Australian community for more than 138 years, and our members and volunteers continue to be passionate about their service to humanity, and building resilient communities through relief of sickness, distress, suffering and danger.
St John is active in all states and territories, providing:
The Order of St John is a major international charity, accredited to the United Nations, whose organisations provide first aid, health care and support services in over 40 countries around the world. The Order's charitable work is carried out by the St John Eye Hospital Group in Jerusalem and St John Ambulance organisations worldwide - with volunteers and staff of over 400,000.
The Order of St John traces its origins back 900 years to the Knights Hospitaller from whom St John today derives its inspiration and maxims – Pro Fide Pro Utilitate Hominum, 'For the Faith and in the Service of Humanity.'
The Order of St John itself is an Order of Chivalry of the British Crown with 25,000 members around the world. The full name for the Order of St John is The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem.
St John Ambulance Australia's national Clinical Governance Committee is tasked to advise the National Board on clinical issues relevant to the work of St John.
The scope of the Committee's advice includes (but is not necessarily limited to):
• monitoring first aid protocols and skills standards, and providing authoritative advice on the theory and practice of first aid
• determining whether change is required in first aid practice as relevant to the national Training Program, e-learning and print resources
• determining whether change is required in first aid procedures used in Event Health Services and related services.
The Committee
The Committee is comprised of the Chair, the Deputy Chair, and up to eight members, chosen for their clinical, medical or emergency expertise in a range of first aid fields e.g. emergency medicine, paediatric medicine, sports medicine, paramedicine/ambulance, nursing, and advanced life support. Members of the Committee are volunteers, meeting twice a year, including out-of-session teleconferences when required.
The Clinical Governance Committee:
Committee members
Human Research Ethics Committee
St John Ambulance Australia encourages members to carry out research in areas related to the organisation by offering research grants and research ethics approval. Each year, SJAA advertises the availablity of research funding to both internal members and to relevant external research institutes. SJAA's Human Research Ethics Committee receives funding applications; reviews the ethical component of these submissions, and advises the Clinical Governance Committee. The CGC then considers the merit of each submission for possible funding support.
The St John Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) is registered with the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC). The Committee represents a range of members of the community, and is responsible for reviewing research applications to ensure human research conducted is ethical and meets relevant standards as set out by the NHMRC.
The St John HREC is committed to meeting the requirements of The National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (2007) (National Statement (2007) and all its guidelines. Please refer to the National Statement if you have any comments or complaints.
The Committee
Professor Peter Leggat, Chair
Dr Elizabeth Ellis
Mr Jamie Ranse
Mr Tony Rolfe
Ms Amanda Smith
Ms Amy Winner
Mr Howard Wren
St John Ambulance Australia's Ophthalmic Program aims to raise funds to continue support of the St John of Jerusalem Eye Hospital Group (SJEGH), and ophthalmic activities in remote Australia.
St John Ambulance Australia has a very close relationship with the SJEHG in the Middle East, providing funding and support to the Hospital for 140 years. The SJEHG is the main provider of eye healthcare for Palestinians in East Jerusalem, and many patients are referred from medical centres across the West Bank and Gaza. As it is the only charitable provider of eye healthcare, the importance of the hospital for the region cannot be overstated. Explore the SJEHG's website to find out more about the Hospital and to read engaging stories of the work done there: https://www.stjohneyehospital.org/
Read about the history of the St John Eye Hospital Group (flyer)
Read about the Mobile Outreach unit of the St John Eye Hospital Group (flyer)
The St John Ophthalmic Association was established to provide a forum for communication between ophthalmologists around the globe—all united by an interest in, and desire to support the work of the St John Eye Hospital in Jerusalem. Please contact your regional Chair of SOA for further information about how, as an eye healthcare professional, you might be able to contribute to eye health in your region or internationally:
David Verity, SOA – Europe, info@SOA.global
Anne Coleman, SOA – Americas, doctor_coleman@yahoo.com
Nitin Verma SOA – Asia Pacific, nitver3@gmail.com
The role of the St John Hospitaller has its roots in the original Order of Hospitallers founded over 900 years ago during the Crusades, and in the medieval Grand Priory of England of over 400 years. Today, the Hospitaller manages the relationship between the Priory and the St John of Jerusalem Eye Hospital and other regions which require eye health care.
The current Hospitaller is Dr Nitin Verma FRANZCO, MD, MMeD, Dip NBE. Read about Nitin, here.
World Sight Day is on 13th October so from the 13th-20th October, we will celebrate Ophthalmic Week at St John. The purpose of Ophthalmic Week is to raise awareness of our continued support of the St John Eye Hospital Group and to promote and celebrate the work that goes on in Ophthalmic around Australia.
The Eye Quiz is on again! From 24th August, every Wednesday for 8 weeks, there will be one question sent to Spotlite subscribers. If you get them all correct, you will go into the draw to win a voucher for Sunglasses Hut or a copy of our new publication titled A Beacon of Hope. Winners will be announced during our Ophthalmic Webinar on 13th October, 2022. More details to come.
During Ophthalmic Week, and more generally during October, we encourage all divisions to celebrate our Ophthalmic Program by running a night focused on an aspect of the program. It could be about first aid for the eyes, the St John Eye Hospital in Jerusalem. Resources below are there to support you and ensure that you have the information and activities you need.
In the Nineteenth Century a group of citizens revived the Order of St John in England, drawing their inspiration from the example of the Knights of St John who in medieval times, offered care and shelter for pilgrims and crusaders. St John Ambulance was subsequently formed to put its humanitarian ideals into practice in the new industrial society, promoting the cause of first aid for the sick and wounded through volunteer effort—a novel concept at the time and a much-needed one.
The movement spread to Australia in 1883 and has since developed into the organisation that we know today. The work of the Order of St John is carried out in many countries around the world. St John is a Royal Order of Chivalry with the King as its Sovereign Head.
A Beacon of Hope. The St John of Jerusalem Eye Hospital Group.The St John of Jerusalem Eye Hospit al Group is one of the world's most significant specialised ophthalmic institutions. It has always been run by the Order of St John, and has always been, and continues to be, a charitable institution. A Beacon of Hope tells the story of the Hospital and its staff over the past 140 years of its unique existence. Download the Order Form.
To become a member of your State or Territory Historical Society, please complete the Membership Application form. Email or post the completed form to your State or Territory Membership Officer (see contact details).
St John History is the official journal of the St John Ambulance Historical Society of Australia. It appears annually and aims to report on the Society's important developments and events. As the Society's principal publication, it is distributed to all financial members. Included in each edition of the Journal are the papers delivered to the Society's most recent history seminar that takes place each year during the St John Ambulance Australia annual convention. Correspondence about articles in the Journal should be directed to the Editor, Dr Matthew Glozier: mrg@sydgram.nsw.edu.au
One St John is an online history journal distributed by St John International, once a year. It is a collection of new and previously published articles (from St John History), usually based on a specific theme (e.g. medals of St John; St John in the World Wars).
St John historical societies are tasked with a significant job looking after historical items. Caring for your St John treasures provides you with some does and don’ts of collection management. This clear and concise document will you help boost your collecting and preservation skills as you take the dive into the Heritage of our institution, but may not know where to begin.