In the year 1048 Brother Gérard of Amalfi established a hospital in Jerusalem to tend to the needs of the Christian pilgrims who came to visit the Holy Land.

In the time of the First Crusade, a number of Knights (Chevaliers) came with Godfrey of Bouillon who captured Jerusalem in 1099; many of them stayed on to protect the pilgrims and to assist with the care of the sick.  They erected a church in honour of St John the Baptist on his accepted burial site and the Order became known as The Order of St John of Jerusalem, Knights Hospitaller.

In the early 14th century, with the acquisition of Rhodes, the Order of Saint John took on the features of a State. Governed by the Grand Master, the Order minted its own money and maintained diplomatic relations with other States. New knights came to Rhodes from all over Europe and it was natural for them to associate with those who spoke their language.

In 1301 the Knights were organised into seven “Langues” or tongues: Provence, Auvergne, France, Spain, Italy, England and Germany.  The Spanish Langue was later split into Aragon and Castille-Leon. Each Langue, first on Rhodes and then on Malta, possessed an “Auberge” or inn, used for accommodation, meals and meetings.

Following the defeat of the Christians by Saladin, the Order moved briefly to Cyprus then to Rhodes where it remained for some 200 years, before settling in Malta which had been gifted to the Order by King Charles V of Spain.

This island was strategically placed to dominate movement in the Mediterranean and was besieged by the mighty Turkish Emperor, Suleiman the Magnificent. After four months of bitter fighting, the siege was repulsed and Christendom was saved.  The anniversary of the date of the Knights’ victory, 8th September 1565, is the Annual Commemorative Day of the Order.

In 1798 Napoleon expelled the Knights from Malta and there followed a dispersion, with one group (now the Sovereign Military Order of Malta) placing themselves under the protection of the Pope, and another group moving to St Petersburg under the protection of the Romanoffs.  This latter group retained the title of Knights Hospitaller and, when the social upheavals of the 19th and early 20th century resulted in the fall of the Romanoffs, King Alexander of Yugoslavia became the Protector of the Order.  The headquarters of the Order is in Malta.  The Lieutenant Grand Master is HE Bailiff Paul Borg OSJ.

The Grand Priory of Australasia has Priories in Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania, with a total membership of about 230.  The Priory of SA maintains the tradition of the Order of caring for the sick by its support of the Mary Potter Foundation.

OSJ Malta has many Priories in Europe, North America and Australia; the headquarters are in Malta at 223 Saint Paul’s Street, Valletta. The ideal of serving Christ through service to others has been the force that has underpinned the work of loyal Knights and Dames. The Motto of the Order is Pro Fide Pro Utilitate Hominum (For Faith for Service to Humanity).