St John Ambulance Australia ranks and insignia explained

St John Ambulance Australia employs the use of ranks, as an organisation with its roots in the military. Its rank structure is based upon that of St John Ambulance in the United Kingdom, while also taking inspiration from the Australian Army.

Rank tables

Ranks and Insignia of St John Ambulance Australia (Colours apply to all ranks shown below)^{[1] [2]}

Colour	Red Stripe	Grey Stripe	Green Stripe	Yellow Stripe	Red Piping
Insignia (rank slide)
Meaning	Registered Nurses or Nurse Practitioners with or without further rank insignia, as below.	Regional Officers with or without further rank insignia, as below.	Enrolled Nurses with or without further rank insignia, as below.	Paramedics with or without further rank insignia, as below.	Medical practitioners with or without further rank insignia, as below.

Ranks and Insignia of St John Ambulance Australia Cadets

Rank	Cadet	Cadet Corporal	Senior Cadet	Senior Cadet Corporal	Senior Cadet Sergeant
Insignia
Notes	Members aged between 11 and 14 years of age and in possession of a Basic First Aid Certificate.	As for cadet, but with leadership responsibilities.	Members aged between 15 and 18 and in possession of a Provide First Aid Certificate.	As for Senior Cadets, but with leadership responsibilities.	As for Senior Cadets, but with more leadership responsibilities than Senior Cadet Corporals

Formal Uniform

Doctors, Paramedics, Registered and Enrolled Nurses have special markings on the epaulette to indicate their Health Care Professional status.

National Commissioned Officers
National Officer Grade 1	National Officer Grade 2	National Officer Grade 3	Officer Grade 1
Chief Commissioner	Chief Superintendent Deputy Chief Superintendent Chief Professional Officer	Chief Officer Cadets Chief Medical Officer Chief Nursing Officer Chief Ambulance Officer	National Staff Officer

Other Insignia^[4]

These insignia are worn on the uniform to distinguish an individual's level in the organisation. Gorget patches are worn on the collar of the shirt or lapel of the jacket of State and National Officers. Grade I Officers and above may wear a peak cap with different braiding on the peak for National Officers and Chief Officers.

Events Uniform (New South Wales)

Clinical Epaulettes are worn for members involved in events or activities requiring the EventsUniform.^[5] The below Clinical Epaulettes are only in use within St. John Ambulance Australia (New South Wales)

See also

• St John Ambulance Australia
• Insignia of the Venerable Order of St John
• St John Ambulance Australia (NSW) Ranks and Insignia

Notes and References

1. St John Ambulance Australia. Uniform Handbook – Operations Branch. August 2006, pp. 15-17.
2. St John Ambulance Australia. Event and Emergency First Aid Service Standards. January 2008, pp. 19, 23–28, 30–31.
3. Web site: Cadet Leaders 18 to 25. St John Cadets. 10 February 2015.
4. Web site: St John Ambulance Australia . Operations Branch Uniform Guidelines . 31 March 2024.
5. Book: Bendall . Jason . Event Health Services – Epaulettes . June 2018 . St John Ambulance Australia (NSW) . 3–5.