Order of St John Investiture

May I begin by greeting everyone in the languages of the Realm of New Zealand, in English, Maori, Cook Island Maori, Niuean, Tokelauan and New Zealand Sign Language. Greetings, Kia Ora, Kia Orana, Fakalofa Lahi Atu, Taloha Ni (and sign).

May I specifically greet you: St John Confreres; Your Worship, Peter Chin, Mayor of Dunedin, Deputy Mayor Gary Kircher of Waitaki District Council, Dr Richard Worth, Member of Parliament; Inspector Dave Campbell, from the New Zealand Police, Confreres, Postulants and guests of St John; Distinguished Guests otherwise; Ladies and Gentlemen.

As Governor-General and Prior of the Order of St John in New Zealand, it is a great pleasure for my wife Susan and I to join you here today in Knox Church, Dunedin, for this investiture ceremony.

I would especially like to acknowledge Mrs Phyllis Varcoe representing the Knox Church Parish and community, for her welcome to us to this magnificent building and to this most important occasion in the life of the Order of St John in Aotearoa New Zealand. 

It is 113 years since the first two New Zealanders were admitted to the Order of St John, to recognise their contribution to the community.  One of those was the then Mayor of Dunedin and former Member of Parliament, Lieutenant-Colonel Nathaniel Wales.  Colonel Wales joined St John in 1888, two weeks after a public meeting agreed to form an ambulance association. 

Despite the spectre of public apathy and a lack of funding, Colonel Wales and his committee persevered and their tenacity would eventually lead to the establishment in 1892 of the first uniformed division of St John outside of Britain.

The dogged resolve shown by people such as Mayor Wales has endured, so that in 2008 St John is what it is today - one of the country's best known and respected charitable organisations and an important part of the New Zealand health sector.

St John's best known contribution is the provision of ambulance services and I am advised that that coverage extends to more than 85 percent of the country's population and more than 95 percent of its land area.

Each year, St John's statistics show that it treats and transports more than 340,000 patients and provides first aid and emergency care services at more than 8,500 public events nationwide.

As well, it has trained 55,000 members of the public in first aid, an activity St John has provided since the time of its establishment in New Zealand in 1885.

St John members provide care, compassion and assistance to many people through community care programmes - including Caring Caller, Health Shuttles and "FED"s or to give them their full title, Friends of the Emergency Department.  This programme is now so popular that in one hospital, people wishing to become a FED must go onto a waiting list!

Young people hold a special focus for the organisation - educating more than 54,000 children annually through the St John Safe Kids programme and providing opportunities for 5,000 children through youth programmes; utilising 800 dedicated youth leaders.  I am delighted to observe and acknowledge Youth members being involved in this service today.

This is just a snapshot of what St John does in communities up and down the country.  The organisation's services, with the human stories behind these statistics, tell a compelling story.  The thank you messages and community support which St John receives are testimony to the regard with which its members and services are held.

This present year has seen progress in a range of St John and sector initiatives.  St John is pleased that work on developing a long-term strategic plan for the whole Ambulance sector is progressing.  The Board will continue to provide input and recommendations, as this moves towards a final plan and implementation.

St John seems to be ideally positioned to deliver a range of initiatives to further develop the ambulance service, to build community resilience and to improve the health and well-being of all New Zealanders.  St John has worked closely with the Government in this arena for many years now - and continuance of this work in partnership with the government is something which is looked forward to.

The organisation has continued to build on other key partnerships during the past year - including vital relations with other primary health care providers and with other emergency services. 

St John has also forged a number of other connections.  Examples are: NZ Cricket and the Blackcaps cricket team naming St John as their charity of choice for two years; and a new St John relationship with the ASB Bank that will both extend the delivery of services and increase community support for St John.

The foundation of St John's work had its roots in the medieval Order of St John whose sisters and brothers fetched the sick and brought them to the Order's hospitals.

Today, all St John members inherit that tradition and constitute a unique and dedicated team of skilled volunteer and paid members working together collectively making a tremendous difference within New Zealand communities. 

I congratulate all those who I have the privilege to invest today and thank you for the work you do for our communities.

Thank you all for your presence here today and for all that you do for St John.  Please return safely to your homes, and may God's blessings endure as you continue to care for our communities and for each other.

And on that note, I will close in our country's first language, Maori, by offering greetings and wishing everyone good health and fortitude in your endeavours. 

No reira, tena koutou, tena koutou, kia ora, kia kaha, tena koutou katoa.