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Establishment of the Priory of NSW
On 25 November
1981 the Grand Prior Bailiff Dr. Douglas Hodges convened a meeting in Sydney at
the Royal Automobile Club to discuss with the four resident members of the Order
in N.S.W. the possible establishment of a Commandery in N.S.W. in association
with the Canberra Commandery, commanded by Commander Desmond Bradley. The four
Sydney based members Chevaliers Christopher Arnott, Walter Peter Conley, Winston
Michael Gray and Donat Robert Patrick Underhill, agreed with the Grand Prior to
the establishment of a committee chaired by Chevalier Conley to investigate the
feasibility of a Commandery being established in N.S.W. based in Sydney. The
Committee met on 11 January 1982, at which it was agreed that each member
should put forward a name for prospective membership of the Order. Donat
Underhill by this time had been promoted to Knight of Honour. Thus 4 Knights
were to be the basis of the new Commandery. At a meeting held on 20 April
1982, at the Imperial Services Club four prospective members
were introduced to the Grand
Prior. Following a vigorous discussion and answers to many questions the four
indicated their wish to join the Order. The Grand Prior considered the
candidates
worthy to
become
Knights of Honour.
The Grand Prior advised
on 30 July 1982, that the establishment of the Commandery of N.S.W.
centred in
Sydney had been approved and further that it was to operate in
association with the Canberra Commandery. It was also announced that Chevalier
Peter Conley had been appointed Commander of the Commandery with the rank of
Knight Commander of Grace.
The first major event
for the new Commandery was the celebration on 6 September 1982 of the
anniversary of the lifting of the Great Siege of Malta, held at the Imperial
Services Club. The Grand Prior Bailiff Dr. Douglas Hodges, the Prior of Victoria
Sir Hubert Opperman
and
many
other distinguished Knights and their ladies from Queensland and Victoria
attended.
At a meeting on 24
May 1984, it was announced that the Commandery of N.S.W. had been elevated to a
Priory by a decision of the Petit Council with the approval of the Grand Master
Prince Andrej at the instigation of the Grand Priory. Commander Peter Conley had
also been promoted to Knight of Justice and appointed Prior.
The Commandery in
Canberra would also become a subordinate Commandery of the Priory of N.S.W.
The
first Chapter Meeting of the new Priory of N.S.W. was held at the Imperial Services Club on
5 of July 1984, after a formal dinner. Superintendent Peter Fleming
represented the Grand Prior.
At the meeting the
Knights of the Priory confirmed the appointment of Chevalier Peter Conley as the
Prior in conformity with the Constitution.
An Administrative
Council was elected.
The Priory of N.S.W.,
then consisted of 19 members plus 5 members of the Canberra Commandery.
At a Ceremony of
Investiture of 6 Knights and Dames in Canberra on 10 March 2007 by
H.E. Baliff Victor Techritz, GCSJ,
then the Grand Prior of Southern Australia, the
Commanderie of ACT was formally re-established
with
Chevalier Ian J Nicol, AM, KSJ elected as Commander ACT Commandery.
Chevalier Nicol passed away suddenly on 26 December 2007. Doctor the
Chevalier Anthony W Bubear KSJ was then appointed Commander and in October 2009
he was replaced by the current Commander Chevalier Timothy Street KSJ, JP.
In October 2010 the Priory was granted independence from
the Grand Priory of Southern Australia, and established as an independent Priory
reporting directly to the Grand Magisterium located in London. |
