Australian honours system

The Australian honours system consists of a number of orders, decorations, and medals through which the country's sovereign awards its citizens for actions or deeds that benefit the nation. Established in 1975 with the creation of the Order of Australia, the system's scope has grown since then and over time has replaced the Imperial/British honours system that previously applied to Australians. The system includes an array of awards, both civil and military, for gallantry, bravery, distinguished service, meritorious service, and long service. Various campaign and commemorative medals have also been struck.

History

The Australian states and the Commonwealth of Australia originally used the Imperial honours system, (also known as the British honours system). The creation in 1975 of the Australian Honours System saw Australian recommendations for the Imperial awards decline, with the last awards being gazetted in 1989. The Commonwealth of Australia ceased making recommendations for Imperial awards in 1983, with the last Queen's Birthday Australian Honours list submitted by Queensland and Tasmania in 1989. However, the Queen still confers upon Australians Imperial honours that emanate from her personally, rather than through the Australian government.

Individual Australian states, as well the Commonwealth Government, were full participants in the Imperial honours system. Originally there was bipartisan support, but Australian Labor Party (ALP) governments, both national and state, ceased making recommendations for Imperial awards – in particular, appointments to the Order of the British Empire. In the Second World War, the Governor General, on the advice of wartime Labor governments, made recommendations for gallantry awards, including eleven for the Victoria Cross, but the only appointments to the Order of the British Empire were for officers and men engaged in operational areas.

In 1975, the ALP, (which had been out of power federally from 1949 until 1972), created the Australian Honours System. Recommendations were processed centrally, but State Governors still had the power on the advice of their governments to submit recommendations for Imperial awards. From 1975 until 1983, the Liberal Party was in power federally, and although it retained the Australian Honours System, it reintroduced recommendations for meritorious Imperial awards, but not for Imperial awards for gallantry, bravery or distinguished service. Recommendations for Imperial awards by the Federal Government ceased with the election of the Hawke Labor Government in 1983. In 1989, the last two states making Imperial recommendations were Queensland and Tasmania. The defeat of both governments at the polls that year marked the end of Australian recommendations for Imperial awards.

Following the UK New Year Honours List in 1990 which contained no Australian nominations for British honours, the Queen's Private Secretary, Sir William Heseltine, wrote to the Governor-General that ‘this seems a good moment to consider whether the time has not arrived for Australia, like Canada, to honour its citizens exclusively within its own system’. There followed more than two years of negotiations with State governments before the Prime Minister made the announcement on 5 October 1992 that Australia would make no further recommendations for British honours. The Australian Order of Wear states that ‘all imperial British awards made to Australian citizens after 5 October 1992 are foreign awards and should be worn accordingly’.

The Australian Honours System has followed US rather than British practice in allowing for late awards years after an action that is being commended. More than one hundred late awards for the Second World War and Vietnam have been gazetted. Although 'The Report of the inquiry into unresolved recognition for past acts of naval and military gallantry and valour' released in March 2013 did not recommend any belated Victoria Cross for Australia awards it did recommend a Unit Citation for Gallantry to HMAS Yarra for February and March 1942. Similarly, Australian Bravery Awards have been gazetted years after the action being commended, including a Commendation for Brave Conduct awarded in 1987 to Robert Anderson for his courage in rescuing a child from a burning car at Kalgoorlie eight years earlier in 1979.

Nominations

Any person or organisation can make nominations of Australian citizens for Australian honours. Non-Australians can be given honorary awards for "extraordinary service to Australia or humanity at large". Nomination forms for the Order of Australia are available through the Australian Honours Secretariat website, or upon application to the Honours Secretariat at Government House, Canberra or from any state Government House.

Categories of honours and awards

See also: Australian Honours Order of Wearing

The Honours and the Awards in the Australian system are, and have been:

• those within the Australian System of Honours and Awards;
• those conferred by The Sovereign in exercise of the Royal Prerogative;
• those within the Order of St John;
• Imperial/British awards conferred before 6 October 1992; and
• foreign awards, the acceptance and wearing of which have been authorised by the Governor-General.

Note that awards of the British Empire/United Kingdom and are now foreign awards.

Australian honours and awards

Order of Australia

Main article: Order of Australia

The Order of Australia insignia were designed by Stuart Devlin in 1976. Devlin used the livery colours of the Australian Coat of Arms, gold and royal blue. He also translated an individual ball of wattle blossom into a simple convex golden disc with a rich texture of beads and radiating lines accentuating a ring of blue enamel representing the sea.

The disc is surmounted by an enamel Crown signifying the position of The Order of Australia as an Australian Royal Honour. The Sovereign is Head of the Order of Australia. The Governor-General is Principal Companion and Chancellor of the Order of Australia. The blue and gold theme is continued in the ribbon. Most of the insignia pieces are produced by the Royal Australian Mint in Canberra. The actual pieces for the two Divisions of the Order are identical: it is only the ribbon which differentiates an award between the General and the Military Divisions. In the Military Division the ribbon is distinguished by the addition of a narrow gold band on each edge.

When established there was the ability for the Crown to appoint Knights and Dames to the Order. This was removed on the advice of Prime Minister Bob Hawke in 1986 without prejudice to any person who had been admitted to the Order at that grade. Currently there are four grades within the Order in both Military and General Divisions. Persons cannot be admitted to the Order posthumously.

The Council for the Order of Australia makes recommendations to the Governor-General as to the appropriateness of a nominee to be admitted to the Order and at what grade. It is up to the Honours Secretariat to provide the council with as much fully verified information as is possible on each nominee so that appropriate consideration may be given to each case. This is a long process and up to eighteen months can elapse between the original submission and publication of a successful nomination.

• General Division ribbon
• Military Division ribbon

Classes

Knight / Dame of the Order of Australia (AK / AD)

Appointments to this class of the Order were stopped on 3 March 1986. Twelve men were made AK and two women were made AD. The full list is at Order of Australia.

Companion of the Order of Australia (AC)

Appointments are made for eminent achievement and merit of the highest degree in service to Australia or to humanity at large. Excluding honorary appointments, no more than 25 Companions shall be appointed in any calendar year.

Officer of the Order of Australia (AO)

Appointments made for distinguished service of a high degree to Australia or to humanity at large. Excluding honorary appointments, no more than 100 Officers shall be appointed in any calendar year.

Member of the Order of Australia (AM)

Appointment made for service in a particular locality or field of activity or to a particular group. Excluding honorary appointments, no more than 225 Members shall be appointed in any calendar year.

Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM)

Awarded for service worthy of particular recognition. There is no quota limit on awards of the Medal of the Order.

Gallantry

• Victoria Cross for Australia (VC)
• Star of Gallantry (SG)
• Medal for Gallantry (MG)
• Commendation for Gallantry

Bravery

• Cross of Valour (CV)
• Star of Courage (SC)
• Bravery Medal (BM)
• Commendation for Brave Conduct
• Group Bravery Citation

Distinguished/Conspicuous/Nursing Service

Distinguished Service

• Distinguished Service Cross (DSC)
• Distinguished Service Medal (DSM)
• Commendation for Distinguished Service

Conspicuous Service

• Conspicuous Service Cross (CSC)
• Conspicuous Service Medal (CSM)

Nursing Service

• Nursing Service Cross (NSC)

Meritorious Service

• Public Service Medal (PSM)
• Australian Police Medal (APM)
• Australian Fire Service Medal (AFSM)
• Ambulance Service Medal (ASM)
• Emergency Services Medal (ESM)
• Australian Antarctic Medal (AAM)

Campaign and Overseas Service

See also: Australian campaign medals

• Australia Service Medal 1939–45
• Civilian Service Medal 1939–1945
• Australian Active Service Medal 1945–1975
• Australian Service Medal 1945–1975
• Australian Active Service Medal
• Australian General Service Medal Korea
• Australian Service Medal
• Vietnam Medal
• Vietnam Logistic and Support Medal
• International Force East Timor Medal (INTERFET)
• Rhodesia Medal
• Police Overseas Service Medal
• Humanitarian Overseas Service Medal
• Afghanistan Medal
• Iraq Medal
• Operational Service Medal for Border Protection

Special Service

• National Police Service Medal
• Australian Defence Medal
• National Emergency Medal

Commemorative

• 80th Anniversary Armistice Remembrance Medal
• Australian Sports Medal
• Centenary Medal
• Anniversary of National Service 1951–1972 Medal

Long Service

• Defence Force Service Medal
• Reserve Force Decoration (RFD)
• Reserve Force Medal
• Defence Long Service Medal
• National Medal
• Australian Cadet Forces Service Medal

Champion Shots

• Champion Shots Medal (Australia)

Royal honours

The Sovereign confers honours upon Australians in exercise of the Royal Prerogative, (rather than through the government). These have included:

	Order	Foundation	Motto	Chancellor
	The Most Noble Order of the Garter	1348 – Edward III	Honi soit qui mal y pense Shame upon him who thinks evil upon it	The Rt. Hon. Peter Carington, 6th Baron Carrington
		Knights/(Ladies) (KG/LG): Richard Casey, Baron Casey (1969), Sir Paul Hasluck (1979), Sir Ninian Stephen (1994)
	The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle	1687 – James VII of Scotland (James II of England)	Nemo me impune lacessit No one provokes me with impunity	The Rt. Hon. David Ogilvy, 13th Earl of Airlie
		Knights/(Ladies) (KT/LT): Sir Robert Menzies (1963)
	Order of Merit	1902 – Edward VII	For Merit	HM Elizabeth II
		Members (OM): Samuel Alexander (1930), Gilbert Murray (1941), Sir Macfarlane Burnet (1958), Sir Owen Dixon (1963), Howard Florey, Baron Florey (1965), Sir Sidney Nolan (1983), Dame Joan Sutherland (1991), Robert May, Baron May of Oxford (2002), John Howard (2012)
	Royal Victorian Order	1896 – Queen Victoria	Victoria
		Knights/(Dames) Grand Cross (GCVO): Sir Ninian Stephen (1982), Sir William Heseltine (1990) Knights/(Dames) Commander (KCVO/DCVO): Sir David Smith (1990)
	Venerable Order of Saint John	1831 – William IV	Pro fide and Pro utilitate hominum For faithful and For utility of men	HRH Prince Richard, 2nd Duke of Gloucester
		for services to St John Ambulance
	Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal (2002)	Awarded by the Queen to living holders of the Victoria Cross (2), George Cross (1) and Cross of Valour (3)
		Awarded to: Edward Kenna, Keith Payne, Michael Pratt, Darrell Tree, Victor Boscoe, Allan Sparkes
	Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012)	Awarded by the Queen to living holders of the Victoria Cross (1), Victoria Cross for Australia (3), George Cross (1) and the Cross of Valour (5)
		Awarded to: Keith Payne, Mark Donaldson, Ben Roberts-Smith, Daniel Keighran, Michael Pratt, Darrell Tree, Victor Boscoe, Allan Sparkes, Timothy Britten, Richard Joyes

Imperial honours

Imperial honours awarded to Australians since 5 October 1992 are no longer part of the Australian honours system, and are foreign awards.

Prior to 6 October 1992, such honours were part of the Australian system:

	Order	Foundation	Motto	Chancellor/ Grand Master
	Baronet/(Baronetess)
		Sir Samuel Way, 1st Baronet, of Montefiore, in the Colony of South Australia (1899), extinct 1916 Sir William Clarke, 1st Baronet, of Rupertswood, in the Colony of Victoria (1882), extant Sir Daniel Cooper, 1st Baronet, of Woollahra, in the Colony of New South Wales (1863), extant Sir Charles Nicholson, 1st Baronet, of Luddenham, in the Colony of New South Wales (1859), extinct 1986
	The Most Honourable Order of the Bath	1725 – George I	Tria iuncta in uno Three joined in one	HRH Prince Charles, Prince of Wales
		Knights/(Dames) Grand Cross: General Sir John Hackett (1967), Sir George Reid (1916), Sir Isaac Isaacs (1937), Sir William Heseltine (1990)
	The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George	1818 – George VI	Auspicium melioris ævi Token of a better age	HRH Prince Edward, 2nd Duke of Kent The Rt. Hon. The Lord Robertson of Port Ellen (Chancellor)
		Knights/(Dames) Grand Cross: Sir William McKell (1951), Sir Arthur Fadden (1958), Sir John Kerr, Sir William McMahon, Sir Zelman Cowen, Sir Ninian Stephen, Sir Garfield Barwick, Sir Henry Ayers, Sir Frederick Matthew Darley, Sir John Forrest, Sir Edmund Barton, Sir John Madden, Sir Joseph Cook, Sir Harry Chauvel, Sir John Monash, Sir John Michael Higgins, Sir Isaac Isaacs (1932), Sir John Latham, Sir William Irvine, Sir Robert Garran, Sir Earle Page, Sir James Mitchell, Sir Thomas Playford, Richard Casey, Baron Casey, Sir Paul Hasluck, Sir John McEwen, Sir Henry Bolte, Sir Robert Askin, Sir John Gorton, Sir Harry Gibbs, Sir Ninian Stephen (1982)
	Most Excellent Order of the British Empire	1917 – George V	For God and the Empire	HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
		Knights/Dames Grand Cross: Sir Thomas Blamey (1943), Dame Nellie Melba (1927), Sir Owen Cox (1920), Sir Robert Gibson (1932), Sir Thomas B. Robinson (1920), Dame Mary Hughes (1922), Dame Pattie Menzies (1954), Dame Flora Reid (1917), Dame Enid Lyons (1957)
	Order of the Companions of Honour	1917 – George V	In action faithful and in honour clear	HM Elizabeth II
		Companions: Richard Casey, Baron Casey, Malcolm Fraser, Harold Holt, Sir Robert Menzies, Billy Hughes, Sir Earle Page, Sir John McEwen, Sir John Gorton, Sir William McMahon, Joseph Lyons, (incomplete list), Malcom Fraser, Doug Anthony (1981)
	Knight Bachelor	last awarded to former Deputy Premier of Tasmania Max Bingham (1988)

Foreign honours – including UN and NATO service

Specific foreign awards are not mentioned on the Order of Wear document – just the general comment that foreign awards appear after the awards mentioned.

A list of foreign honours commonly awarded to Australians appears at Australian Honours Order of Wearing#Foreign awards.

A list of foreign awards commonly awarded to Australians for campaign and peacekeeping service appears at Australian Campaign Medals#Foreign awards.

Permission for formal acceptance and wearing of foreign awards is given by the Governor-General on the recommendation of the Prime Minister or the Minister responsible for Australian honours.

Regarding UN medals, see also Australian Issue of UN Medals

See also

• Australian Honours Order of Wearing
• Australian campaign medals
• List of post-nominal letters (Australia)
• Australian of the Year
• British honours system
• A list of surviving Australian knights and dames
• A list of all Australian knights and dames
• Australian Commendations

Bibliography

• Bruce Knox (1998). "Honours". In Graeme Davison, John Hirst and Stuart MacIntyre (eds.). The Oxford Companion to Australian History. Melbourne, Australia: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-553597-9. 

External links

• The Australian Government Honours and Awards Website