{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox officeholder |honorific_prefix = The Honourable |name = Neil Conn |honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=AUS|size=100%|AO}} |alt = |caption = |order = |office = Lord Prior of the Order of Saint John |term_start = 24 June 2014 |term_end = 31 August 2016 |monarch = Elizabeth II |predecessor = Anthony Mellows |successor = Sir Malcolm Ross |office1 = 14th Administrator of <br>the Northern Territory |term_start1 = 17 February 1997 |term_end1 = 30 October 2000 |governor-general1 = Sir William Deane |predecessor1 = Austin Asche |successor1 = John Anictomatis |birth_date = {{birth date and age|1936|8|17|df=y}} |birth_place = Sydney, New South Wales |birth_name = Neil Raymond Conn |spouse = Lesley Jennifer ''née'' Flood |alma_mater = University of Sydney<br />Duke University |profession = Economist |awards = Officer of the Order of Australia<br />Bailiff Grand Cross of the Order of St John |allegiance = Australia |rank = Lieutenant |branch = Australian Army |commands = |battles = }} '''Neil Raymond Conn''', {{post-nominals|country=AUS|size=100%|AO}} (born 17 August 1936), is an Australian economist and former Administrator of the Northern Territory (1997–2000).
Dr Conn was appointed by Queen Elizabeth II as Lord Prior of the Order of Saint John in 2014,<ref>[https://stjohn.org.au/assets/uploads/history%20journal/History_vol_15.pdf www.stjohn.org.au]</ref> being succeeded by Sir Malcolm Ross in 2016.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.debretts.com/|title=Debrett's - The trusted source on British social skills, etiquette and style-Debrett's|website=Debrett's|language=en-GB|access-date=2016-12-13}}</ref>
== Life and career == Conn read economics at the University of Sydney, graduating BSc and later MEc. He studied for his doctorate (PhD) at Duke University in the United States, before lecturing in economics at Sydney University from 1961 to 1975. He left the university in 1975 to work for two years as Principal Administrator with the OECD in Paris, followed by four years as Deputy Secretary of the New South Wales Treasury.
Conn was appointed by the newly-independent Northern Territory Government as Chief Executive Officer of the Territory's Treasury and was the Administrator of the Northern Territory from 17 February 1997 to 30 October 2000.<ref>[http://www.nt.gov.au/administrator/pdf/cv/1997_conn.pdf "Neil Raymond Conn"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120330100707/http://www.nt.gov.au/administrator/pdf/cv/1997_conn.pdf |date=2012-03-30 }}, Government of the Northern Territory website.</ref>
Following his retirement as Administrator, Conn became foundation chairman of Original IT Investments Pty Ltd,<ref>[http://www.australianethical.com.au/ www.australianethical.com.au]</ref> an information technology incubator. From 2001 to 2004 he was deputy chairman and lead independent director of the publicly listed company International All Sports Ltd.
Conn lives in Sydney with his wife Lesley (died 2021 according to NT News) , a Member of the Order of Australia and Dame of the Order of Saint John.<ref>[https://www.gg.gov.au/program/order-st-john-investiture-ceremony-lunch-order-st-john-arrival-and-departure-australia-president-marshall-islands www.gg.gov.au], Governor-General of Australia website.</ref> Dr and Mrs Conn have three children.
==Order of St John== Conn was appointed a Deputy Prior of the Order of Saint John in Australia in 1997, before serving as Chairman of St John Ambulance Australia from 2004 to 2007.
At the 2007 St John Ambulance Australia National Priory Conference, he was nominated as Chancellor of the Priory of Saint John in Australia, replacing Professor Villis Marshall.
In 2014, Conn was promoted as the Lord Prior of the Order of Saint John, becoming its most senior non-royal figure.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Fullarton|first1=Donald|title=Lord Prior-designate appointed|url=http://www.stjohnscotland.org.uk/index.php/sample-sites-2/183-lord-prior-designate-appointed|website=News|publisher=St John Scotland|accessdate=14 October 2014|date=7 January 2014}}</ref> He was succeeded by Sir Malcolm Ross in 2016.
== Honours == {| class="wikitable" |- |50px || Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) || 26 January 1996<ref name=AO>[https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/885040 It's an Honour] – Officer of the Order of Australia – 26 January 1996</ref> |- |rowspan=2| 50px || Bailiff Grand Cross of the Order of St John (GCStJ) || 2012<ref name=GCStJ>''St John Ambulance Australia - 2012 Annual Report'' – Bailiff Grand Cross of the Order of St John – 2012</ref>{{lower|0.2em|{{#tag:ref|The post-nominals of the Venerable Order of St John were recognised in the Australian Honours Order of Wearing prior to 5 October 1992. From 6 October 1992 the post-nominals are no longer recognised and cannot be used outside of the organisation.|name="Order of St John explanation"|group="N"}}<!--end lower:-->}} |- | Knight of the Order of St John || 21 March 1997<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=54712|page=3484|date=21 March 1997}}</ref> |- |50px || Centenary Medal || 1 January 2001<ref name=CM>[https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/1122440 It's an Honour] – Centenary Medal – 1 January 2001</ref> |- |50px || Australian Defence Medal || 2006 |- |50px || Anniversary of National Service Medal || 2001 |- |50px || Service Medal of the Order of St John || 2009{{lower|0.2em|{{#tag:ref|The Service Medal of the Order of St John was recognised in the Australian Honours Order of Wearing prior to 5 October 1992. From 6 October 1992 the medal is now no longer recognised for wear.|name="Service Medal of the Order of St John explanation"|group="N"}}<!--end lower:-->}} |- |50px || Cross ''pro Merito Melitensi'' (SMOM) || 2014{{citation needed|date=June 2016}} |}
== See also == * The Alliance of the Orders of Saint John of Jerusalem * Government of Australia
==References== {{reflist}}
==Notes== {{reflist|group="N"|30em}}
==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20070907095838/http://www.nt.gov.au/administrator/biographies/conn.shtml Conn's profile on the Northern Territory Government website] * [http://www.orderofstjohn.org/ Order of St John website] * [http://connectweb.com.au/pages/whos-who-in-australia.aspx ''Who's Who in Australia'']
{{s-start}} {{s-gov}} {{succession box | before=Austin Asche | title=Administrator of the Northern Territory | years=1997 – 2000 | after=John Anictomatis}} {{s-other}} {{s-bef|before=Anthony Mellows}} {{s-ttl|title=Lord Prior of the Order of Saint John |years=2014 – 2016}} {{s-aft|after=Sir Malcolm Ross}} {{s-end}}
{{Administrators of the Northern Territory}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Conn, Neil}} Category:1936 births Category:Living people Category:Australian Anglicans Category:Administrators of the Northern Territory Category:University of Sydney alumni Category:Academic staff of the University of Sydney Category:Officers of the Order of Australia Category:Bailiffs Grand Cross of the Order of St John Category:Duke University alumni