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.

Priors in NSW

	Peter Conley	1984-1986
	Roger de Bryon-Faes	1986-1997
	Vic Techritz	1997-1999
	Tony Rich	1999-2007
	Alf B. Willings Pro Tem	2007-2007
	Fred Maestrelli	2007

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Charities Supported

During the 80s and 90s the Priory supported the NSW Cancer Foundation and the NSW Asthma Foundation. In 1997 a major donation of an operating table valued at $50,000 was made to Sydney’s St Vincent’s Hospital, for patients needing cardiac surgery or heart lung transplants.

In recent years donations have also been given to a variety of organisations including Telstra Child Flight, Children’s Medical Research at Westmead Hospital and Bear Cottage at Manly, Oxfam Australia, Leukaemia Research Westmead, the Diabetic Centre St Vincents Hospital, the Liver Centre RPA Hospital, Jenny Collins Fund Canberra Hospital and the Australian Red Cross.

The Priory of NSW was committed to assist the Westmead Research Hub acquire a Illumina® BeadStation 500G Genotyping System (The Illumina 500 Project), a highly sophisticated and rapid means of studying genotypes. This project was successful with a donation of $120,000, which motivated the Government and other private donors to provide funds to enable the equipment to be purchased.