The foundation stone was laid by Lord Wakehurst on 2 February 1966, at the opening of the Priory headquarters building on Canberra Avenue (occupied from 1966 – 2008). Lord Wakehurst was the Lord Prior of the Order of St John (1948-1969), and had previously been Governor of NSW.
The stone came to St John Ambulance Australia as one of several relics from the ancient Knights Hospitaller’s Priory of England Church, which is now located in present-day St John’s Square, about 70 metres north of St John’s Gate, Clerkenwell, London. The stone was probably set into its original position when the church was being constructed in the late 1100s. The church was destroyed during a German air raid over London in 1941, and was subsequently rebuilt and reopened in 1958. Because there was excess stone left over from the rebuilding, sample stones from the fabric of the ancient church were sent to Priories overseas, including the Australian Priory.
The picture below shows Wakehurst setting the stone in place, assisted by stout chains suspended from a block-and-tackle. A large audience of St John members from around Australia attended the opening of the Priory building, which remained a Canberra Avenue landmark until its demolition in 2011.
Lord Wakehurst laying the foundation stone, 1966. Lady Wakehurst is at the left.
former Priory Headquarters, Canberra
According to a small explanatory bronze plaque which was set in the wall beneath the foundation stone, the stone was quarried in England in the 12th century and was originally a part of the Norman crypt in the Hospitallers’ church in Clerkenwell.
The foundation stone is probably a block of limestone from Caen in Normandy, France. This type of rock was used extensively for buildings in England after the Norman conquest in 1066—you can see this stone in the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, and Canterbury Cathedral, just to name a few.
Even though this stone no longer serves as a foundation stone, it forms a substantial symbolic connection between the ancient Knights Hospitallers’ original Priory of England and the present-day Priory in Australia. In the new Australian Office, the foundation stone sits in a sturdy wooden box on caster-wheels so it is protected, but can be moved around easily.
See also the entry on the Corbel (Angel) and smaller stone, which also have medieval origins.
Further information on other Priory Stones held by Australian States and Territories can be found in – Heirmann P. In search of the Australian Priory stones. St John History, 2024, vol 21, pp 157-167.