St John Ambulance Australia

St John Ambulance Australia

St John Ambulance Australia (also known as St John First Aid) (SJAA) is a self-funding charitable organisation dedicated to helping people in sickness, distress, suffering or danger. It is part of an international organisation that consists of eight Priories that form the Order of St John.

St John First Aid training centres were established in Australia in the late 19th century. On the 13 June 1883 a public meeting was held in the Melbourne Town Hall to form a local branch of the association. By the end of June 1883, a centre had been established under the leadership of Edward Neild.

The first division of the St John Ambulance Brigade (now known as first aid services/operations branch) was established in Glebe, New South Wales in 1903. A division of this organisation is still in operation today and is known as St John Ambulance Glebe Division. After this initial division was established other states followed suit, with divisions being set up in other states soon after. In 1987, the organisation adopted a single public title, "St John Ambulance Australia". The cadet movement was established in Australia in 1925 with a division in Glebe, NSW. The first Grand Prior's Badge issued outside the UK went to a cadet from Marrickville Cadet Division in 1933 named Marion Higgins.

In 2005, it was decided that the organisation would adopt a corporate structure with closer relationships between the branches of St John, known as 'One St John'.