The BULLETIN The Order of St John of Jerusalem Knights Hospitaller THE GRAND PRIORY OF AUSTRALASIA Under the Royal Charter of HM King Peter II of Yugoslavia THE PRIORY OF QUEENSLAND AND COMMANDERIES: BRISBANE, GOLD COAST, SUNSHINE COAST AND WESTERN AUSTRALIA A centuries- old ceremony THE PRIORY OF THE DARLING DOWNS performed with grace and dignity, THE PRIORY OF VICTORIA welcoming 10 investees from three Queensland SEPTEMBER 2019 priories. Overseas Visitors 3 Pages 4-11 A Three-Priory Investiture 4 -11 Vancouver Meeting 2020 7 Elevations 2019 11 Victoria Investiture 12-14 Simulator for Life Flight 15 Brisbane Priory News 16 Footsteps of the Knights Tour 17 News and Events from WA 20 A Year of Celebration 22 Sunshine Coast News 24 THE BULLETIN EDITORIAL CHEVALIER CHARLES CLARK GCSJ MMSJ weekend a cocktail party celebrated 50 years of the Order of Saint John in Australia and a commemorative From the Editor’s desk medal was issued. A week later the Priory of Victoria held their Investiture Ceremony attended The three months be together. also by the Sovereign Order May to July this year have been In May the Commandery of representatives. All these unite an extra-ordinary time for the Western Australia was elevated to further our work for Christian Grand Priory of Australasia. It to Priory status, and so was the Charity. If it were not so, the writing has seen changes; changes in the Commandery of the Sunshine Coast. about them would be futile. way things are done, changes in New Members’ Night, an event Planning continues for fund- attitudes. Not the least has been the introduced in Queensland and not raising and social events in all reaching out to our International held elsewhere, was given a face-lift areas and Knights and Dames are neighbours in the Order of Saint in the Queensland Priory and the encouraged to travel a little to John as we seek to consolidate new Priory of the Sunshine Coast take part in those outside their our relationship with them, and held their own in conjunction with own areas. After all, it is not that their simultaneous reaching to us. the Vigil for New Members. The Hands clasped in friendship and Investiture Ceremony in St John’s the Sunshine and Gold Coasts, or co-operation when the three most Cathedral was as spectacular and as Toowoomba,difficult to go and from perhaps Brisbane the to use of senior Members of the Sovereign solemn as ever, more so graced by a small bus for group travel should Order of St John, the Grand Master, the presence of the Sovereign Order be considered. Western Australia the Grand Commander, and the representatives. It brought together and Victoria should be slotted in to Grand Hospitaller, visited Australia the investing of new Knights and holiday plans. in July. There was joy in meeting Dames of both Queensland and In September next year the SOSJ face to face and a determination to Sunshine Coast Priories. In the same Sovereign Council meeting will be in Vancouver. We are expected to attend. Having attended two Sovereign Council meetings of ‘The Bulletin’ is the official magazine the former Order, in London and of the Order of St John of Jerusalem in Glasgow, I can say what a great Knights Hospitaller, Grand Priory of experience it is to be there as an Australasia: ACN 147 338 501 observer and witness legislation The Order of CORRESPONDENCE in action. Then there are the post- Saint John of Jerusalem Chevalier Charles Clark GCSJ MMSJ conference tours being offered, a cruise to Alaska, and on the email: [email protected] Knights Hospitaller Rocky Mountaineer. Can travel THE GRAND PRIORY OF AUSTRALASIA EDITORIAL GROUP arrangements be organised for an Australian contingent? @ The modern Order of Saint John of Chevaliers Charles Clark, Reverend Jerusalem, Knights Hospitaller, is a Dr David Pitman, the Reverend Christian, chivalric, ecumenical, and Canon Emeritus Bruce Maughan Web signing-on international community directly (Prelate), Robin Kleinschmidt, Garry Page, Dames Dawn Goodall and The sign-up page comes up at descended from the Hospitaller the beginning of the Members’ Donna Fraser, and Serving Sister Leith activities at the Hospice founded Domain. Enter your email Robinson. before the turn of the 12th century address as given in the Roll of by Amalfi merchants, for pilgrims in PRINTED BY Honour and create a password Jerusalem. HEANEYS: PERFORMERS IN PRINT which you will use from then on to log in. If you have any Jerusalem 1048-1291; Cyprus 1292- 07 5539 4911 www.hpip.com.au problems accessing the Members’ 1310; Rhodes 1311-1523; Malta Domain, ask Dame Dawn Goodall 1530-1798; Australia 1969. or Chevalier Charles Clark for Australasia: osj.org.au assistance. @ Sovereign Order: sosjinternational.org 2 THE BULLETIN GRAND PRIORY SOSJ VISIT GRAND HOSPITALLER HE BAILIFF MAY STORRIE CBE GCSJ MMSJ GCHSJ Jeff and Robyn Prebble (Darling Visit to the Grand Downs), Prior Mel and Dame Prior Charles and Frances Clark (Queensland)andBette Tipper (Sunshine Prior JamieCoast), and Priory of Australia Pamela Edwards (Perth, Western Australia). On the morning of 7th July we travelled to Toowoomba for a barbecue with the members of the Priory of the Darling Downs, hosted by Prior Jeff Prebble and his wife, Robyn. The barbecue was held at the Preston Peak Winery, owned by the son of one of the members of the Priory of the Darling Downs. Once again, we received a warm welcome from around 70 members. Our discussions with the Council of the Grand Priory of Australia began on the 8th July at FROM LEFT – GRAND HOSPITALLER MAY STORRIE, GRAND MASTER WILLIAM STEIN, GRAND COMMANDER IAN REID the Queensland Club and continued on the 11th July. Wrap-up talks were held in Melbourne. Grand On the 4th of July, the Grand Master, Five Dames and seven Knights Commander Ian Reid will be Grand Commander, and Grand were welcomed in to the Order. preparing a full report for Le Petit Hospitaller were warmly welcomed Following the service we enjoyed Conseil. to the Grand Priory of Australia by On the evening of the 8th July Prior Charles Clark and Registrar our host for dinner was Knight David Rees and Grand Prior Victor overa gala 100 dinner members at the of Sofitel the Priory Hotel Commander Ray James of the Feros welcomed our Grand Master, ofin Queensland,Brisbane in the Priory company of Sunshine of Commandery of the Gold Coast; William Stein. We were transported Coast, Priory of the Gold Coast, Ray drove us the following day to the the historic Queensland Club Priory of the Darling Downs, Priory for coffee to the home of Knight which would be our home for the of Victoria and Priory of Western Commander Derek Murphy next nine days. Australia. and his wife, Yoshiko. We had On 5th July we attended the On the morning of 6th July an accompanied visit to the Investiture Service of the Priory the Grand Hospitaller met fascinating Currumbin Wildlife of Queensland and welcoming the with members of the Charities Sanctuary, where the Grand new Priory of the Sunshine Coast Committee and in the evening we Hospitaller had an encounter in the Cathedral of St. John the all attended a cocktail reception with a Koala and an owl, watched to celebrate the 50th Anniversary carefully by the Grand Master and of the Order in Australia where Grand Commander. We enjoyed ProfessorEvangelist, Victor Brisbane. Feros The OAM, presiding we were presented with a lunch with several members of the GCSJ,officer CMSJ was andH.E. the Bailiff service Adjunct was specially commissioned medal to Commandery at the Four Winds conducted by the clergy, Chevalier commemorate the occasion. 360 Revolving Restaurant on top The Reverend Canon Emeritus Following the reception, Grand of the Crowne Plaza hotel, Surfers Prior Victor Feros and Dame Paradise. Reverend Doctor David Pitman, Marion Feros hosted a private Our hosts for dinner on the ChevalierBruce Maughan, The Right Chevalier Reverend The dinner with the Priors of the Grand 9th July were Knight of Justice Jeremy Greaves and Chevalier Priory of Australia, Prior Martin Robin Hart and his wife Del The Right Reverend William Ray. and Stella Conlon (Victoria), Prior continued page 14 SEPTEMBER 2019 3 THREE QUEENSLAND PRIORIES Three Priories combine for 10 Queensland investees Planning for the combined Priories’ ritual and music, and the presence of the senior SOSJ Members, made year began early in 2019 under for a memorable occasion. theInvestiture Chairmanship in Brisbane of Chevalier this Short biographical details and the Reverend Dr David Pitman, photographs of the new Investees when the Sunshine Coast was a are on pages 8-9. After the service Commandery and joined fully it was a short walk up the road to into the planning activities as a member of the Queensland Priory. This was a great social occasion, It was therefore appropriate butthe Sofitelnot without Hotel formality.for the Banquet. that, as it had become a Priory There were toasts, chief by the time of the Investiture, its of which was the toast to the Members should combine with Sovereign Order of St John of those of the Queensland Priory Jerusalem Knights Hopitaller given in the one Investiture. One new by the Grand Prior of Australasia, knight was invested on behalf of the Darling Downs Priory Victor Feros GCSJ CMSJ to which The Cathedral of St John the theHE Bailiffresponse Adjunct was madeProfessor by the Evangelist, in its now completed Grand Master HMEH William D. Gothic grandeur, was the venue Stein GCSJ CMSJ. There was also for the celebration on Friday evening, 5th July. The combination to the new Investees and to those of solemnity and splendour, with promotedthe awarding to higher of the ranks.Certificates IMAGES: Top left: Procession with Priory banners Below: The ten 2019 Queensland investees.