‘Preserving and promoting the St John heritage’
The front cover of St John History Volume 15 displays the 2013 portrait of the Hon. Dr Neil Conn AO GCStJ, by the Sydney artist, Evert Ploeg. The painting is the official St John Ambulance Australia portrait commissioned to commemorate the two triennia that Dr Conn served as the Chancellor of the Priory in Australia of the Most Venerable Order of St John, 2007–2013. The Priory customarily commissions portraits of its Chancellors as they approach the end of their period in office. The portraits have then been displayed in the various headquarters buildings the Priory has occupied, where they form an important part of the Priory Heritage Collection. The collection now includes seven such portraits, one of each of the eight distinguished Australians who have served as Chancellor in the seven decades since the Priory was established in 1946. On 24 June 2014, Dr Conn formally assumed office as the Lord Prior of the Order, that is, the Order’s principal administrative officer and its third most senior member after the Sovereign Head and the Grand Prior. He thus became the first Australian to hold this key position. The speech that Dr Conn delivered during his Lord Prior’s installation ceremony at the Priory Church of St John in Clerkenwell, London, on 5 November 2014 is the leading article for this edition of St John History. The Conn portrait now hangs in the Australian Office of St John Ambulance Australia at 10 Campion Street, Deakin, Australian Capital Territory, where it has joined the portraits of previous Chancellors. St John History THE JOURNAL OF THE ST JOHN AMBULANCE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF AUSTRALIA ISSN 1445-7490 St John History Volume 15 VOLUME 15, 2015 i ‘Preserving and promoting the St John heritage’
St John History is the annual ournal of the Historical Society, and is provided gratis to all financial members of the Society. Correspondence about articles in the journal should be directed to the Editor, Dr an Howie illis. Volumes 1–14 of St John History are available online at the St John Ambulance Australia national website st ohn.org.au about click on History . nformation about the Historical Society may be obtained from the e ecutive officers President Dr Allan Mawdsley Treasurer Mr Gary Harris mawdsley melbpc.org.au garylharris optusnet.com.au Secretary Mr James Cheshire Editor Dr an Howie illis jmmc cheshire.net.au iwillis o e mail.com.au Deputy Secretary Dr Edith hangure edith.khangure ambulance.net.au