Sunday, 22 September 2024
The Great Hall, University of Sydney
Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC KC

Thank you, Dominic.

Bujari gamarruwa, Diyn Babana Gamarada Gadigal Ngura

I greet you in the language of the Gadigal, Traditional Owners of this land of the University of Sydney. I pay my respects to Elders past, present, and emerging, and acknowledge the enduring connection of all Elders around NSW to Country, culture and community.

• Dr Hugh McDermott MP, Parliamentary Secretary to the Attorney General and Member for Prospect
• Mr Ilan Lowbeer, Commissioner, St John Ambulance Australia (NSW)
• Ms Larissa Cook, Deputy Chair, St John Ambulance NSW
• Special Guests, all 

It is a great honour for me, as Deputy Prior within the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem, to have presented these St John Ambulance NSW Awards, recognising the outstanding service of members, and others who have responded to emergencies, often in the most unexpected of circumstances.

The Awards that have been bestowed today come with a recognition of the long and distinguished history of the Order, whose Sovereign Head is His Majesty King Charles III.

The well-recognised Cross of St John worn by St John personnel speaks of a history, which commenced in the Holy Land in the 11^th century with monks building a hospital to assist sick and suffering pilgrims. The Knights Hospitallers, as they became known, later travelled to Malta, settling in and ruling the islands from 1530 to 1798.

I have recently visited Malta, and the Cross is a signature element on medieval palaces, civic buildings, hospitals, towers, churches, paintings and frescoes – even football teams and the nation state’s airline.

It is what this Cross represents that is important to us today. The Knights brought with them a tradition of care and compassion, and the cardinal virtues of Prudence, Temperance, Justice and Fortitude, that are recognised as the hallmark of the international Order, exemplified through first aid, medical care and humanitarian efforts.

Adopted by St John Ambulance NSW, our State’s first provider of a first aid and ambulance service in the late 19^th century, which was established to provide care to injured workers in factories and workplaces, today, St John is well-recognised as a trusted, skilled, volunteer-based organisation, dedicated to our community and keeping it safe.

You are the face of first aid at large-scale and smaller events and in support of NSW emergency services and health agencies, during NSW floods, fire and pandemic. You assist us at our events at Government House giving us and our guests a great sense of security should medical care be required.

That care does not ‘just happen’.

It comes with a great deal of planning, training, equipping and resource management. It comes with a commitment to excellence.

Over the past year alone, you have:

• Treated over 9,000 patients and over 1,200 advanced care patients at over 3,400 events. By treating these patients, almost 1,000 people avoided the need to be transferred to hospital;
• [You have] Deployed to five state emergencies including fire-affected communities in Mudgee, Kempsey, Tenterfield and Glen Innes;
• Provided additional ambulances and medical equipment in regional communities, upgrading communications systems, and Incident Management capability;
• Trained over 50,000 members of our community, including at Government House, and 3,000 adult St John volunteers; and,
• Critically … you have placed over 1,000 additional life-saving defibrillators in homes, workplaces, and public places.

None of this could be achieved without an active membership and a strong youth base. St John NSW recognises the importance of younger members through its youth awards, and I am honoured to have presented The Grand Prior Award, the Lady Galleghan Scholarship, the Edeline Jenkyn Trophy, and Peter Falkland Awards today.

And, when it comes to, the next generation:

• You have taught first aid and leadership skills to an additional 1,000+ young people (aged 8-17 years) in the Cadet and Junior programs who may use that training as a springboard into careers in healthcare; and
• You have conducted a First Aid in Schools program to teach children life-long first aid skills at no cost to the school or students. Students learn how to call 000, how to place someone in the recovery position, how to manage burns and bleeds – and most importantly – are given the confidence to act in an emergency.

Every life is important.

This is something St John NSW lives and breathes very day.

To today’s recipients and all in the St John family, thank you for your incredible commitment and impact. The sheer number of your hours, days, and years of service; the skill, care, dedication and compassion you demonstrate; the values of respect, integrity, leadership, communication and collaboration you model, make you exemplars to our community.

You are the highest manifestation of the credo:

Pro Fide Pro Utilitate Hominum: ‘For the Faith, and in the Service of Humanity’. 

Congratulations!