On 1st January 1987, all operations of St John Ambulance in Australia became a single public title, St John Ambulance Australia. All Northern Territory foundations, establishments, the Council and Ambulance Service were known as St John Ambulance Australia (NT) Inc. On this date the Northern Territory Administrator became Deputy Prior.
St John officially took over the ambulance service from the Department of Health in Alice Springs and in Tennant Creek on 1st July 1979 and in Katherine and Jabiru in 1980. Paid staff operated weekdays with volunteers at nights and weekends.
During the ‘80s, adult volunteer divisions were established in Katherine, Howard Springs (later relocated to Palmerston), Jabiru, Nhulunbuy and Alyangula and sections were established at Elliott and Warrego attached to the Tennant Creek adults.
Cadet divisions were subsequently established at Adelaide River, Batchelor, Katherine, Tennant Creek, Howard Springs, Sanderson, Dripstone, Leanyer, Nhulunbuy and Warrego. A Cadet Band was formed in 1985. Having lost the emphasis on music, it was renamed Casuarina Cadet Division in 2015.
With the need for new regional premises, a ward block in the old Tennant Creek hospital was converted into an ambulance centre and officially opened by the Minister for Health on 10 October 1980. Land was acquired in Alice Springs and a new Regional Headquarters, now named the Bernie Kilgariff Complex, was occupied in October 1982 and officially opened by HRH Prince Charles and Princess Diana on 21 March 1983.
A Rural Response Group, based at Humpty Doo, was formed in 1996. A cadet division started at Humpty Doo in March 1998.
St John took over the ambulance service in Nhulunbuy on 8th November 1993, using paid paramedics and volunteer Casualty Care Officers as ambulance drivers.