St John Association of the Solomon Islands

Who we are 

Established in the mid-1970s, St John in the Solomon Islands grew steadily under the direction of Mrs Hilary Broughton, an expatriate British St John Ambulance nurse. Subsequently, the Deputy Police Commissioner became Chairman of the Council. St John struggled in the 1990s when political problems overtook the islands however St John is now a growing organisation with over 100 adult volunteers and 60 cadets, all performing a variety of activities.

Solomon Islands at a glance

The Solomon Islands is a nation in Melanesia, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. Together they cover a land mass of 28,400 square kilometres. The capital city is Honiara, located on the island of Guadalcanal.

The Solomon Islands are believed to have been inhabited by Melanesian people for thousands of years. The United Kingdom established a protectorate over the islands in the 1890s. Self-government was achieved in 1976 and independence two years later. The country remains a Commonwealth Realm. The North Solomon Islands are divided between the independent Solomon Islands and Bougainville Province in Papua New Guinea. Since 1998, ethnic violence, government misconduct and crime have undermined stability and civil society.

The population in 2006 was estimated at 552,438 with 75% of the nation's labour force engaged in subsistence farming and fishing. Until 1998, when world prices for tropical timber fell steeply, timber was the Solomon Islands main export product. Other important cash crops and exports include copra and palm oil.

What we do

Programmes include:

• public duties
• First Aid training
• cadet programme

International links:

St John Solomon Islands has links with the Priory of Australia and the Priory of New Zealand.