St John NT's Alice Springs Division will kick off celebrations for its 65th anniversary at this weekend's Alice Springs Show, where volunteers will once again provide first aid support for one of Central Australia's biggest community events.
Since being established on 17 July 1961, the Division has grown from a small group providing first aid at local sporting fixtures into a cornerstone of community healthcare, helping lay the foundations of today's ambulance service.
Alice Springs Divisional Superintendent Glen Auricht said the anniversary was a celebration of the people who had quietly dedicated their time to helping others.
"Every generation of St John NT volunteers has built on the foundations laid by those who came before them," Glen said.
"For 65 years, local people have stepped forward to help complete strangers, often in remote and challenging environments. Their commitment has made a lasting difference to our community, and we're incredibly proud to continue that tradition today."
The Alice Springs Show has been part of that story almost from the beginning. In the Division's earliest years, volunteers provided first aid at the Show alongside football matches, rodeos, horse races and community events across Central Australia, often using their own vehicles and purchasing medical supplies from their own pockets to ensure care was available wherever it was needed.
As demand grew, so did the Division.
Community fundraising led to the arrival of its first dedicated ambulance in 1970, significantly expanding its ability to care for patients and paving the way for St John to assume responsibility for ambulance services in Alice Springs less than a decade later.
Volunteers also supported overnight ambulance operations alongside Alice Springs Hospital, helping establish the modern emergency care service the community relies on today.
The Division has also played a role in some of the Territory's defining moments.
Volunteers supported Cyclone Tracy evacuees arriving in Alice Springs in 1974, established a Cadet Division in 1978 that inspired generations of young volunteers, and in 1983 welcomed Prince Charles and Princess Diana to officially open the Division's Regional Headquarters, recognising decades of volunteer commitment and community support.
Today, Alice Springs volunteers continue to support many of Central Australia's best-known events, including the Finke Desert Race, Henley-on-Todd, Camel Cup, local sporting competitions and, once again this weekend, the Alice Springs Show.
Volunteer Director Mark Ferguson said while uniforms, vehicles and clinical capability had evolved dramatically over the past 65 years, the reason people volunteered had remained the same.
"Behind every milestone in our history are volunteers who gave up their evenings, weekends and holidays because they believed their community deserved access to quality first aid and emergency care," Mark said.
"They've stood trackside at iconic Territory events, supported families through emergencies, mentored young people and quietly shown up whenever they were needed.
"That spirit of service is just as strong today as it was 65 years ago, and that's something every volunteer, past and present, should be incredibly proud of."
Visitors to this weekend's Alice Springs Show are invited to drop by the St John NT site, located between the Bushfires and CLP tents beside the oval, to meet the volunteers behind the service, find out more about volunteering, or join the Division's 65th anniversary cake cutting at 2pm on Saturday.
