THE HOSPITALLER

A Publication of the of Saint John of Jerusalem— Hospitaller HM King Peter II Constitution— HRH Prince Karl Vladimir Karadjordjevic of Yugoslavia GCSJ

Volume 1 Issue 1 July 2014

Editor: H.E. Conventual Bailiff Grand Master’s Serbian Flood Appeal Fred Maestrelli GCSJ OMSJ Grand Hospitaller P.O. Box 192 Penshurst NSW 2222 AUSTRALIA “We would like to thank all those wonderful people who have donated to this appeal up to now and we very much hope with all our WIFE & HUSBAND OF hearts that we are able to reach our target THE GRAND PRIORY before too long. OF AUSTRALASIA AWARDED The situation in Serbia and Bosnia- Herzegovina has stabilised in relation to the The Grand Master has rain but the current receding of the waters been pleased to bestow has only gone to bring new problems as the Cross of Merit on well as make the damage all that more the Grand , clear! HE Conventual Bailiff We will continue to serve the most urgent Shane Hough GCSJ cases as best we can and look forward to OMSJ. The Grand Mas- HRH Prince Karl Vladimir doing more as new donations come in. Karadjordjevic of Yugoslavia GCSJ ter has also been Once again, thank you so very much! pleased to bestow the

Cross of Merit with Crown on Vladimir and Brigitta Karadjordjevic” Sallyanne Hough DCSJ Donations are still urgently needed and can be made by visiting this web page. CMSJ. The medals and diplomas will be pre- sented in London in July http://www.gofundme.com/993b3c Editor 2014.

Inside this issue:

Priory of England 2

NSW Investiture 3

Priory of Queensland 4

Priory of St. Margaret of 5

On the road to ruin 6 Grand Priory of Scandi- 12 navia

Priories of and 13 Victoria Senior Officers 14

Vale 16 Elevations Book

1 Members of the Priory joined, at the far left by the Reverend Canon Andrew Stevens and at the far right by the Grand Marshal

GM and Mr Ian Rank-Broadley FRBS

Mrs Doreen Keogh, the Secretary General HE Bailiff Alastair Redpath- The GM and Mr Adrian Stevens GCSJ OMSJ and the GM Popescu The high alter and reredos, St Margaret Lothbury The Acting Chamberlain, Chevalier Robin Drawwater KCSJ attending on the , HE Grand Dame Elizabeth Carey-Sheill GDSJ The Priory of England Patronal Day

The GM and HE Grand Dame HRH Princess Brigitta of Yugoslavia GDSJ

The Priory of England Patronal Feast Day took place on 21 June 2014 in the presence of the Grand Master, HRH Prince Karl Vladimir Karadjordjevic of Yugoslavia GCSJ and Grand Dame HRH Princess Brigitta of Yugoslavia GDSJ.

Members and their guests gathered in the beautiful and historic Church of St Margaret, Lothbury in the City of Lon- don. The original church, built in the 12th Century, was rebuilt in 1440 but destroyed by the Great Fire of 1666. The current church, designed by Sir Christopher Wren, was completed in 1692. The organist, Chev. David Roberts- Jones KSJ, was delighted to learn that the organ had been played by Felix Mendelssohn!

During the service, Grand Dame Elizabeth Carey-Sheill GDSJ was installed as the Prior of the Priory of England by the Grand Master. After the Mass, conducted by the Priory Chaplain, Chevalier Bishop Paul Hendricks GCSJ, with the gracious permission of the Bishop of London, an official reception was held outside in the Church's Courtyard Garden during which the Grand Master presented copies of the Jubilee Presentation to the sculptor of the Medal, Mr. Ian Rank-Broadley FRBS, the Keeper of Coins and Medals at the British Museum, Mr. Philip Attwood and the Keeper of Coins and Medals at the Fitzwilliam Museum, Mr. Adrian Popescu. The Grand Master also took the opportunity to thank Mr. Tim Fattorini for the wonderful work his company had done in striking the Medals and the Secretary General for his persistence and determination in seeing the project through.

The members of the Priory are now looking forward very much to the Priory Investiture in October 2014 which will be attended by the Grand Master and Princess Brigitta as well as by the Grand Marshal HE Bailiff Harald Løvheim GCSJ OMSJ MSSJ who had also travelled to London for the Feast Day Celebrations, and the Grand Prior, HE Bailiff Alex Dalgleish GCSJ MMSJ.

2

New Knights

Priory Members

PRIORY OF NSW INVESTITURE 14 JUNE 2014 St James King St Sydney, in the heart of the legal and Parliamentary district, was the venue for the Investiture of Tim Foster, Nathanael Primrose-Heaney and Wilson Wong as Knights of Honour. The was be- stowed by HE Conventual Bailiff Emeritus E A Rich GCSJ CMSJ MSSJ. Following the Investiture, Priory members and guests adjourned to Cello’s for the traditional celebratory lunch. Diplomas were issued to the newly-invested Knights by the Acting Prior Chevalier Schon Chevalier Tim Foster Condon RFD KCSJ. Chevalier Nathanael Heaney The Grand Hospitaller, HE Conven- tual Bailiff Fred Maestrelli GCSJ OMSJ, had the pleasant task of issu- ing promotion diplomas on behalf of the Grand Master, to Chevaliers Peter Shilton to of Justice, Schon Condon to of Justice, John Posener to of Justice, Geoff Bartels to Knight of Grace and Jason Li to Knight of Grace. Chevalier Schon Condon, Bailiff Fred MAJ the Chevalier Rev. Rob Suther- Chevalier Wilson Wong Maestrelli land was recognised as being awarded the Conspicuous Service Cross in HM the Queen’s Birthday Honours, as was Mrs Cath- erine Barker for being awarded the Order of Aus- tralia Medal.

Chevalier Peter Shilton and Grand Hospitaller 3

Pictured is Chevalier Newly Invested Knights and The Baron Andre von Zeppelin receiving his diploma from Prior BRIG the Chevalier Rod West George Kearney and Chamberlain Rob De Martini

Investiture Priory of Queensland

The Priory of Qld Investiture Service was held on Friday evening, 13 June 2014 at St. Stephen’s Cathedral, Brisbane. Eight Knights and Seven Dames were invested.

It was a special night for the Gold Coast as Chevalier The Baron Andre von Zeppelin was elevated by HRH The Grand Master to Knight Grand Cross of Justice. And one of the Commandery's new investees BRIG. Rod West, CSC (former Commanding General, Joint Headquarters Transition Team – Iraq) was chosen as the valedictorian to respond on behalf of all new investees at the Banquet.

Retiring Commander of Brisbane Commandery, Chevalier Commander Charles Clark was honoured by HRH The Grand Master with presentation of the Medal of Merit of St. John (MMSJ)

4 PRIORY OF ST. MARGARET OF SCOTLAND The Priory of St. Margaret of Scotland held a Meeting on the evening of Saturday 21 June 2014. During the meeting Prior Lady McQuarrie GCSJ MMSJ presented two certificates to Bailiff Alex Dalgleish GCSJ MMSJ, the first to certify his appointment as Grand Prior of The United Kingdom, France and Ireland and the second to certify his elevation to the Rank of Bailiff. In addition to his position as Grand Prior, Alex will continue to serve the Priory in his role of Chan- cellor & Treasurer.

Following this presentation Lady McQuarrie invited the Grand Prior to make the necessary proc- lamations in respect of two promotions:

Chevalier Kenneth John McLachlan to the Rank of Knight Commander of Grace; and Chevalier James Stuart Watson to the Rank of Knight Commander of Grace.

Congratulations were extended to both Knights on their well-deserved elevations.

On the morning of Sunday 22 June 2014 the Priory celebrated the Feast of our Patron Saint at Ayr St Columba being the Church under the charge of Chevalier the Reverend Fraser Robert Ait- ken KSJ MA BD. During a most impressive Service the Reverend Fraser Aitken was inducted as Chaplain to the Priory by our Prelate the Reverend T Graeme Longmuir GCSJ MA(Oxon) BEd FASC. This induction was not only appreciated by our members but also by the very large con- gregation within the Church.

Prior Lady McQuarrie con- gratulating Chev Alex Dal- gleish on elevation to Bailiff and promotion to Grand Prior -

Prelate Graeme Longmuir, Prior Lady McQuarrie & Chaplain Fraser Aitken

Mrs Monica Dalgliesh and Grand Prior Alex Dalgleish

Grand Prior Alex Dal- gleish congratulating Chev Kenneth McLach- lan on his promotion to Knight Commander HE Grand Prior Alex Dalgleish and Prior Lady McQuarrie

5 On the Real Road to Ruin On 13 May 2014, a massive low-pressure system began to develop over a large area of South- eastern and Central Europe. Dubbed Cyclone Tamara, it had, by the 18 May, deluged Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina with the heaviest rainfall in 120 years of recorded weather measure- ments, causing widespread destruction. In Serbia, the towns of Obrenovac, Sabac, and Svilajnac were quickly identified as those most brutally damaged by the floodwaters

Many individuals, organizations and nations both gave and prom- ised Aid immediately although the news and other media compa- nies around the world were more than slow in reporting this natural disaster. My wife and I set up an appeal, as did many others, in order to raise funds to provide vital supplies of food and fresh drinking water to those areas that had been worse hit. We will be forever grateful to all those who gave to our cause and we hope that we will be able to continue to contribute to the ongoing humanitarian efforts, which will be needed for a very long time to come.

Obrenovac: 6 June 2014 I left for Serbia in order to see for myself the extent of the damage and to find out how we could be most effective in channeling aid into the worst hit areas. Our first stop was in the town of Obrenovac, about 30 kilometers southwest of the Serbian capital Belgrade, where some of the most devastating flooding took place. As we entered the town we were met by police and military personnel who advised us of the pos- sible health dangers of our visit due to the various bodies of water contaminated with faeces and other dangerous waste. Although the town authorities had been able to pump out hundreds of thousands of gallons of this effluent, it was reported that 6 areas of great danger still existed. Immediately on entering the town you are filled with a great feeling of foreboding. You can see that things are not right; the faces of the authorities are stern, preoccupied and concerned. It is like you are entering a town in the aftermath of a major nuclear disaster. The stench from the fumes and the stagnant water irritates your senses and, even after prolonged exposure, doesn't seem ever to go away. You worry that the flimsy facial masks that are being worn by the people are inadequate against airborne infections, but perhaps they offer some hope. We stopped off at a medical station that had been set up that morning in a tent. The staff were there to examine and advise some of the citizens who were drifting back to the town, hoping to identify what was left of their houses and possessions. I spoke to the doctor in charge. He told me that although it was a very emotional job, he and his colleagues had to focus on practical measures to prevent the spread of infection. They were also acting as an operational treatment centre for a variety of other medical conditions. As I looked around the area I could see pools of stagnant water lying only a few meters away. Across the road, the blocks of flats bordered one such pool which was alive with mosquitoes. There was a strong and unpleasant smell in the air that could only get worse as the temperature climbed to the mid-30's. On our way to the church, we passed the main hotel: even now it still acts as the crisis headquar- ters. The military have the main responsibility, as the whole area has been designated a disaster zone. At the church we were able to inspect the remaining supplies of fresh drinking water and other liquids that we had delivered the day before. Much of it had already been handed out. Without these supplies of fresh water and food, the citizens would face even greater risks of dis- ease and would starve. We then drove to the Town Hall to meet the Mayor of Obrenovac. As we entered the building we saw that the entire ground floor was ruined. The floor was covered in mud and littered with man-

6 gled and now useless office equipment, but otherwise empty. The walls were still saturated and in one or two rooms the water was still seeping out of the walls and ponding on the floors. On the stairs we saw many items of damaged furniture, which the workers had struggled to bring up from the ground floor in the hope of saving at least some of it. We were then met by the Mayor. Dressed in a tracksuit and trainers, he apologized for his infor- mal dress explaining that all his belongings had been ruined by the floods. Being involved hands- on all through the crisis, he had not been in a suit since the morning before the floods began. The Mayor told us how the catastrophe had unfolded. The thing that truly shocked me was the speed with which the floodwaters rose: a matter of some two hours. At one point, at the site of the football stadium, the water level was nine meters high. The slow pace at which the waters have receded has also created a big problem. Not only be- cause in some areas it was six days before anyone could walk around again, but also because soaring temperatures have combined to give rise to the very real danger of the spread of dis-

ease. For this reason the army has been quick to begin spraying the roads, ground and proper- ties with some very serious chemicals: almost as if it were a case of the lesser of two evils. Our next stop was at the main school in Obrenovac. Here we saw the marks of a massive and destructive force. The entire ground floor was damaged and many rooms were still full of con- taminated water and mud. The majority of the school's records were stored in a room on this floor and have been severely damaged. The authorities hope that after disinfection and a chemical drying process, some of the thousands of handwritten documents may be able to be copied and transferred to electronic files. We met up with a group of Polish volunteers who had come to help with the filthy job of cleaning out the effluent and mud. Such volunteers have meant that the enormous job of cleaning up has progressed more quickly than first imagined. The school director asked me to help her in collect- ing funds so that they could rebuild the school as quickly as possible in order not to cause any break in the vital schooling of the students. Leaving the town centre we made our way towards the outskirts of the town. It was here that we saw a picture of devastation straight out of a disaster film. The army had already been busy for several days throwing out all damaged possessions from the flooded houses onto the side of the roads. As brutal as this may seem, it is done in order to minimize the chances of fatal infections due to the amount of time these houses had been partially submerged in contaminated water. The sur-

7 One of the main roads into Svilajnac. One of the streets in the centre of Svilajnac

rounding gar- dens and fields are also off- limits and in some of these we could still see small lakes of very danger- ous and infec- tious waters. The army told us that we would have to either chemi- cally clean our shoes or better still, throw them away af- ter our visit to these areas. I was moved The morning after the rain had stopped (there is heating oil in the waters) and saddened to see just how little protection they themselves had because of the lack of equipment for dealing with these sorts of conditions. After visiting some 35 houses, which had been partially or completely damaged by the floods, we left Obrenovac for the town of Paracin.

Paracin: 6 June 2014 Paracin is a town which lies about 160 kilometers south of Belgrade. During the floods this town also saw some of the worst damage caused by the very fast and violent waters. Again, like in Obrenovac, the speed of the onslaught was incredible and we made our way to see the many marks of the aftermath. We were met here also by the town's Mayor and he explained the situation to us. The main town had been awaiting high waters and, of course, some flooding but as the River Crnica lies some 3.5 meters under the height of the river bank, it was never thought that the waters could rise to such a devastating extent. But they did! And the waters rose in a very short amount of time. We were introduced to the director of the Technical School, which lies only a few meters from the bank of the Crnica River. He was in the school at the time the waters broke over the riverbank and because the school itself lies some 2 8 meters under the level of the riverbank it was like a tidal wave when the water began to rush in. The main doors of the school were literally blown in by the force of the deluge and the ground floor was under nearly 3 meters of water in just over ten minutes. Thank goodness all the stu- dents who were present joined the rush for the first floor, which luckily remained free of any wa- ter. Also like in Obrenovac, hundreds of homes and offices have been ruined at ground floor level by the flooding, with many families facing the prospect of having lost much or all of their possessions on that floor. The only luck in all this seems to be the speed with which the waters receded in the following days. This itself lessened the risk of any infection although the town also had to be chemically sprayed, but not to the extent of Obrenovac.

Being warned of infections from the dust

Flooding lower level of school

The toilet doors were removed by the force of the flood waters

9 One week after the rain had stopped Five days after the rain had stopped the water mark clearly visible on the wall

We visited the local downtown area, which seems to have been able to start functioning again fairly well. The Mayor is proud to say that both power and water have been re- connected but for obvious safety reasons all citizens have been advised not to drink any tap water and to boil it for cleaning purposes. Cooking is also ad- vised with only bottled water for now. Many private houses had been hit very hard in the small streets in and around the town centre and here too we saw much of the furniture having to be thrown away in the majority of the 23 that we visited. The Mayor thanked us for our donation and delivery of humanitarian materials but pointed out that they are now in desperate need of vast sums of financial aid in order to rebuild the town. I was asked to accept the technological school as a project but it was clear that any help whatso- ever would be more than welcome.

Svilajnac: 7 June 2014 The next morning we made a very early start for the town of Svilajnac. Yet another town which saw some very bad flooding indeed. The question in writing this report is, how to avoid repeating myself every five minutes. The truth is that I can't! The destruction and/or damage that I saw in every town we visited was so similar in magnitude that one had to ask oneself which town one was in at that moment. Svilajnac was no exception to this. We met up with the vice-Mayor who took us to various areas of the town in order to show us the very slow process of rebuilding and the continued duties of cleaning up. She thanked me for our donation and also for the great efforts of the volunteers that we had arranged in Svilajnac just after the waters had receded enough to begin the cleaning op- erations. Like elsewhere, the Mayor pleaded with us for help in collecting serious amounts of funds in order to rebuild parts of the town that were damaged the most. Given the importance of education, it was no great surprise that we were taken to the local school again. The damage was as clear to see as in the other towns. The saving grace was that the wa- ters hit during the evening. Any earlier and there would have been 450 children in the school and, as the director openly admits, there could have been many fatalities. Having only the ground floor, however, teaching has come to a complete halt so it was identified as being in major need of immediate and substantial funds in order to rebuild as soon as possible. We went to see the private residence areas and were met with the very same situation as before. Some of the people had lost everything in their bungalows whilst others were blessed with two- storey houses. The estimated cost of the damage for Svilajnac alone is 25 million Euros

One of the very unpleasant points about the flooding in Svilajnac was the fact that major supplies of heating oil were mixed with the floodwaters, adding to the extent of the damage and later pro- ducing a vile stench in the air around the town. Sadly, this contamination means that many gar- 10 dens and agricultural land will have to be inspected before there can be the production of any- thing edible. It is estimated that 350,000 litres of oil flowed into the water in the street in the pic- ture of the yellow house and the white van alone.

Topola Topola is a town about 80 kilometers south of Belgrade. It is the town in which my family has our Church and mausoleum. It is also the town where the floods claimed their first victim with the drowning of the fireman, Dejan Lazarevic, during rescue missions that were in operation through- out that day. Out of all the towns we visited over the two days, Topola might at first appear to have been one of the lucky ones as far as property damage goes, but in the cost to life the floods have left their mark in more ways than one. Although the damage factor cannot be so readily seen as one en- ters the town, it does not take much hunting around to discover the many houses and other struc- tures that have sustained various degrees of damage. The most serious (and expensive) of these is the vital bridge which connects the nearby town of Blaznava to other regional villages and towns including Topola. This bridge was hit with such force that the foundations have suffered irreparable damage and it must be knocked down and rebuilt. To give an idea of the volume of water involved, the normal width of the river is approx 20 meters and it is usually a meter or two in height. On the day of the flooding the river swelled to a width of 180 meters and a height of 4.5 meters! We went to visit the family of the late Dejan Lazarevic and pay our respects. The courage of the family can only be matched with that of the late father of two. He was trying to get out of the tor- rent, after saving a man who fell into the river, when the buckle on his harness failed due to the force of the water and he was swept down river. His body was only found four days later when the waters receded. When we met the Mayor of Topola we were told that sadly many livestock were lost here too, as is the case elsewhere in the floods. As these animals were the sole livelihoods of many of the vil- lagers, there is a great question as to how they will now make their living or manage financially in general. We left a series of donations but in truth these were mere drops of water in an ocean of needs, no matter how welcome!

Conclusion Words will never be able to express my gratitude to all those who have given their support to my appeal. I ended up taking a sum of over 20,000 Euros to Serbia and I still have a feeling of utter despair, despite having been able to cover a lot of immediate humanitarian needs with this amount. The simple truth is that this thing is massive. More massive than even I could imagine. Adding up all the conservative amounts of costs in each town, I came to a figure of some 250 - 300 million Euros just to cover the initial repairs and rebuilding. It is like standing before a five- mile-deep pit with a ten-foot ladder but, as with the joke about how do you eat an elephant? It is a case of a bite at a time! This is exactly how we are going to have to face our challenges in my homeland over the coming years: a bite at a time. In this way I would appeal to you all to continue to do what you can in or- der to support my beloved Serbia and her peoples in rebuilding the properties that have been damaged and the lives that have been affected by the recent floods. Thank you all once again for your wonderful response and caring reactions! God bless you!

GRAND MASTER

11 GRAND PRIORY OF SCANDINAVIA In the foreground the Prior of Denmark INVESTITURE Members of the Priories of Denmark and Nor- way and their guests gathered at the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel in a very hot and sunny Copen- hagen on 24 May 2014 for the Grand Priory of Scandinavia Investiture. Many stayed at the ho- tel, which is the work of the celebrated designer Arne Jacobsen and perfectly positioned close to Tivoli Gardens and Central Station.

The Investiture was conducted by the Grand Commander, HE Conventual Bailiff Anthony Sheill GCSJ CMSJ MSSJ and Meritorious Ser- Fr. Claes delivering the homily vice Medals were presented on behalf of the Grand Master by the Ambassador to the United Kingdom, HE Bailiff Alastair Redpath-Stevens GCSJ OMSJ.

At the Investiture Banquet, the Grand Marshal, HE Bailiff Harald Løvheim GCSJ OMSJ MSSJ, presented the Grand Commander with a large portrait painted by Chev. Odd Borre Sorensen, KCSJ . The Grand Commander expressed his gratitude to the Grand Priory and explained that it was now very clear to him why the Registrar The new investees General had been so keen to take a series of photographs from various odd angles!

The Grand Prior, HE Bailiff Morten Skolmo GCSJ, expressed his thanks to everyone for attending the Investiture before confirming that he would be standing down in the late Autumn. He was warmly thanked for all of the work that he had done for the Grand Priory before it was announced that the Grand Master had ap- proved the appointment of the current Prior of Denmark, Chevalier Poul Heile Pedersen, as The Registrar General and the Grand Commander share a his successor. moment

The , had there been one, for the person who had travelled the longest distance to attend would surely have gone to Chevalier Barnie McKinnon KSJ, from the Independent Priory of New South Wales. Despite the long distance, his humour and enthusiasm were as cracking as his shirts.

This was the second Investiture in Copenhagen and it was every bit as good as the first. Long may the tradition continue and the Grand Priory of Scandinavia flourish. 12

Priory of France The Priory of France held its Patronal Feast Day at the his- toric Lérins Abbey, a Cistercian Monastery on the island of Saint-Honorat, one of the Lérins Islands on the French Rivi- era. The original monastery was founded by Saint Honoratus in about 410 AD although the current buildings date from the late eleventh to fourteenth centuries. It had been Saint Honoratus' intention to lead an eremitic lifestyle, but he was soon joined by so companions that a cenobium devel- oped. The monastery was disestablished in 1787 and the island became the property of the state. It was later bought by the Bishop of Fréjus in 1859 and within 10 years he had founded the monastic community that remains to this day.

Priory of Victoria On Saturday 15 February 2014 a Garden Party was hosted by Chevalier Enrico Bettoni KSJ & Dame Elisabeth Bettoni DSJ, at their home with all proceeds raised in aid of The Mother and Child Relief Fund (OSJ). The Priory of Victoria helped the St. John The Baptist Association cele- brate the Patronal Feast of the Saint on Sunday 22 June. Members of the Priory are always invited to attend and take part in the procession. The Investiture Service this year will be held at Melbourne University Trinity College Chapel on Friday 11 July. The Officiant will be the Con- ventual Chaplain Chevalier The Right Rev. John Parkes AM KCSJ, Melbourne University Trin- Bishop of Wangaratta. Knights, Dames family and guests will enjoy the ity College Chapel Banquet which follows at University House. 13

At 16, Tony gained employment as a Jackaroo on “Cambo Cambo” with J.H. Doyle Estates, a 15,000 acre property at Collarenebri in New South Wales, running 4000 sheep. It was tough work: up at 5am to milk cows and prep. horses, working the land during the day, and then bal- ing wool until midnight during a shearer’s strike. He earned 1 pound a week. Still he enjoyed his time there and after a year he was rewarded with a 5 shilling raise. After two years at “Cambo Cambo” Tony returned home to work with his father as an Overseer. It was an enjoy- able time in his life. With a tennis court next to the house, friends gathered on Sundays for matches. Tony also loved playing cards. Each week he would saddle up and ride 8 miles to a friend’s place to play. It was on one of these occasions that he was introduced to his future wife.

In 1948, aged 21, Tony married Gloria Gordon and four years later their daughter Vivienne was SENIOR OFFICERS born. He joined the Military Forces part-time OF THE ORDER and spent 6 years managing properties around HE Conventual Bailiff Emeritus Blayney, Wellington and Parkes districts and, working on his wife’s family farms, as a cattle E A Rich GCSJ CMSJ MSSJ and sheep breeder. In 1957 Tony and his sec- ond wife Rosemary welcomed a son Anthony. Edward Anthony “Tony” Rich was born on 10 June 1927 at Marrickville Sydney, the eldest Tony joined the Regular Army in 1957 at the son of James Rich and Winifred Keeble, who age of 30. Following recruit training in Kapooka, migrated to Australia from England after serving th he completed Corp Training at the School of in the 10 Hampshire Regiment in World War I. Artillery North Head and was posted to the Corp Tony grew up on the 2000 acre property “East Training Wing as a Technical Storeman. After Rossgole” near Aberdeen, where his father was two years he was posted to the Artillery Wing at employed as a station hand. The family were the Royal Military College Duntroon in Canberra impacted severely in the Great Depression where he served for three years before applying when the property owner stated he was unable to the Military Police. Tony joined the Military to pay his staff, so Tony’s father had little choice Police South Head based at Watsons Bay in but to stay on the farm and work for free. At 1963, completing courses and training to be- night, his mother and father would set rabbit come a Staff Sergeant and then Warrant Offi- traps around the property and sell the catch to cer. feed the family. In 1969, with the war in Vietnam escalating, At age seven Tony left home to attend boarding Tony underwent 3 weeks of battle training then school in the Hunter Valley. He was quickly boarded a plane with 120 troops for a tour of identified by the nuns as a “rebel” and fre- duty, posted to the Australia Forces Provost quently found himself on the wrong end of the Unit Vung Tau South Vietnam. The next 12 cane. While the punishments and experiences months proved to Tony how wrong they were to were harsh, Tony was grateful to the nuns for go to Vietnam. He left feeling that at the end of teaching him discipline and how to look after the day they had achieved nothing other than to himself: lessons that would later set him in good ruin a lot of lives and destroy a beautiful coun- stead for a life in the army. try. He was proud to have been to Vietnam but

14 sorry that he did not help to achieve a better sion programme by appointing suitable younger way of life for the Vietnamese people. members to management positions within the Priory. For his service Tony received the Vietnam During Tony’s term as Prior, some $220,000 Medal, Vietnam , National were raised for donations to cancer and diabe- Medal, Defence Force Service Medal and Ac- tes research and many smaller beneficiaries. tive Service Medal 1945-1976. He also received Most notable was the Priory assistance to the a Mention in Dispatches and Letter of Commen- Westmead Research Hub in acquiring an Illu- dation from Commander Australian Forces Viet- mina® Bead Station 500G Genotyping System nam. (The Illumina 500 Project), successfully raising $120,000 to assist in the purchase of this vital Tony returned to Melbourne after Vietnam and equipment. was posted with the Military Police to CMP Unit 1 Comm Z Provost Company in Victoria as a In 2004 Tony was appointed a Bailiff Knight Quartermaster, before being promoted to the Grand Cross. Toward the end of his term rank of Warrant Officer Class 2. He served at as Prior he helped organise and host the Sover- various districts, including 3 MP Coy and 55 MP eign Council Meeting held in Sydney in Septem- PL in Perth, where he took a job as a Platoon ber 2007. At the Council he was appointed a Sergeant Major. He enjoyed travelling around member of the Le Petit Conseil, the Governing Western Australia, north to the outback Pilbara body of the Order worldwide, with the rank of and south to Albany. He could have retired Conventual Bailiff, and held the position of there but with family in Melbourne he applied to Grand Chancellor then Grand Marshal until be posted back to the east coast, before being 2010. He returned to the position of Grand discharged in 1979 aged 52 years. Chancellor from 2010-2012. Tony has been awarded the Medal of Merit, Medal of Merit with When he returned to civilian life, Tony utilised Crown and the Meritorious Service Medal for 25 his military police skills by becoming the Ar- year’s service. In 2012 Tony was appointed to moured Car Division supervisor for Mayne conduct investitures in NSW and the ACT with Nicholas in Melbourne. He spent three years in the rank of HE Conventual Bailiff Emeritus. this role before moving back to Sydney, where he bought a Newsagency in Eagle House, Mil- In late 2013 Tony retired to country Victoria sons Point which he sold two years later. where he is enjoying a more relaxed and healthier lifestyle than was possible in suburban In 1984 Tony purchased a Farm Holidays Sydney. Agency which he ran in partnership with wife Rosemary. The business involved arranging Tony is looking for sponsorship from his many farm stays for people on working farms all friends within the Order as he has entered "The across Australia. It was necessary to travel to Age Run Melbourne" and on 27 July, will make the farms to check their suitability, so the couple the 5 km walk to raise money for the Grand spent 4 years travelling around meeting farmers Master's Serbia Flood Relief Ap- and visiting farms in every state, making a lot of friends along the way. Tony retired in 2000. peal. Sponsorship may be made by direct credit to the Bendigo Bank BSB 633000 - ac- In 1983 Tony became a Serving Brother of the count number 150084838. Sovereign Order of St John of Jerusalem, , Commandery of NSW and a year later was invested as a Knight of Honour in the Priory of NSW. He has since held every office in the Priory. In 1999 Tony became Prior of NSW, a position he held for 8 years.

During his term of office as Prior in NSW, Tony was instrumental in increasing the fundraising efforts of the Priory and embarking on a succes-

15 VALE Dept. Aust. Consolidated ELEVATIONS 2014 Industries Sydney; and Congratulations to all the Knights and Dames who have LTCOL THE Patents Examiner, Can- had their contribution to the Order recognised by the CHEVALIER berra. Grand Master. Along the way he became JOHN DE TELIGA a Foundation Member of DENMARK O’Shea Leanne Joan DG KCSJ the Australian and New Rasmussen Carl KG Roberts Peter William KG With the passing of LTCOL Zealand Assn. for Ad- Kjergaard Kathrine DCG Savage William Russell KG NORWAY the Chevalier John De vancement of Science; Wright Bruce KG Carlsen Carl Andreas KG Wright Jamie Turner KG Teliga, KCSJ on Wednes- Honorary Chairman of the Foldvik Fred KG Taylor Mollie Lois DCG day, 2 July 2014, the Gold Visiting Committee to the Stave Sven KG Haire James KGCH Coast Commandery has School of Chemistry, Uni- Walther Tore KG Noack Noel Henry KGCH lost one of its most stal- versity of NSW. Honorary Westby Bjorn Ole KG Hart Robin Byrne KJ wart supporters. Life Member of the Sydney Olsen Hilde Mari DG Russell Ian Murray KJ A man whose character University Union; a Mem- Westby Liv Mona DG Rees David Thomas KCJ and social skills were cher- ber of the Assn. of Profes- Christiansen Jarle KCG Von Zeppelin Andre KGCJ ished by many, he brought sional Scientists; and a NEW SOUTH WALES Clark Charles MMSJ life into any discussion Member of the Australian Bartels Geoffrey KG Hough Shane OMSJ Li Jason KG Hough Sallyanne CMSJ with a well timed comment: American Assn. Posener John KJ Sellars Robert PRIOR forceful, but inoffensive, John's wife, Jo, was born Condon Schon KCJ EMERITUS and always laced with a in Cardiff, Wales, and lived Shilton Peter KGCJ SCOTLAND dash of good humour. This through The Blitz before QUEENSLAND Watson James Stuart KCG rare skill, honed by a back- attending Cardiff Business Airey Ian Lintern KG McLachlan Kenneth KCJ ground of achievement Collage for Secretarial Clarke Shireen DCG WSTERN AUSTRALIA and people management, Training. Jo first met John Fisher John Maxwell KCG Munro William KG was part of his nature and when he spent time with Flanagan Richard KCG Williams Ken KG made those in his com- British Nylon Spinners in Freeman David Harold KG Basanovic Mara DCG Haliday Michael Joseph KG Edwards Jeremy KCJ pany feel immediately at Pontypool. Some 20 years O’Rourke Michael KG ease. after their first meeting His war service (1942- John sent her a letter, and 1946), included 505 days from then on they corre- in New Guinea. An infan- sponded regularly. Jo tryman, sniper, range- came to Canberra, and taker, and mortarman, and they married in 1978. The finally peacekeeper, he couple led a busy life in passed through the ranks Australia, joining many from Private to Lieutenant organisations. Colonel, but in his own Over the past 30 years words, was just part of the John and Jo have made 80% of Aussie diggers yearly charitable and phil- who were good soldiers. anthropic visits to Christian John was born in Sydney endeavours in the United and educated at St. Kingdom and Europe. John’s, Campbelltown and John was invested into the Waverly College. He Order in June 2004, and graduated from Sydney honoured by HRH The University with a Bache- Grand Master in 2013 by lor of Science Degree in elevation to the rank of Chemistry, Geology and Knight Commander of Management. This and his Grace. postgraduate studies in Chevalier John is survived The book by Chevalier The Reverend Dr David chemical engineering by Jo, a son and two Duchesne GCHSJ MSSJ, on the early develop- meant he was well daughters. An Order Me- equipped for his subse- morial Service will, by gra- ment of the Order and the Hospitaller Brothers, quent employment as Cus- cious permission of the is a compelling read and should be included in toms Analyst in Sydney; Grand Master, be held in your “Bucket List”. Analyst for Labs. in Aust. honour of John's life in Aluminium Production August. Copies are still available at an affordable cost of: Commission in Bell Bay Tasmania; Chief Chemist $A40.00 if posted within Australia; and for British Nylon Spinners $A55.00 if posted outside Australia. in Melbourne; Laboratory Email: [email protected] Manager and Manager of to obtain your copy. Central Science Services

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