Member of the Order of Australia
Significance
In the Australian honours system appointments to the Order of Australia confer recognition for outstanding achievement and service.
The Member of the Order of Australia is awarded for service in a particular locality or field of activity or to a particular group.
The Order of Australia has four levels:
- Companion of the Order (AC)
- Officer of the Order (AO)
- Member of the Order (AM)
- Medal of the Order (OAM)
Past recipients
Recipients of the Order of Australia are from many fields of endeavour and all walks of life.
At 30 June 2006, there have been 5,693 recipients appointed a Member of the Order of Australia.
Ron Russell AM was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 2004 for his services to engineering and dedication to the welfare of the Hunter community in New South Wales.
Dr Dorothy Herbert AM was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 1999 for her service to rural medicine through the Royal Flying Doctor Service, and to aviation through the Australian Women Pilot’s Association.
Search the Australian Honours List for past recipients of the Member of the Order of Australia.
How it is awarded
The Order of Australia is the pre-eminent way Australians recognise the achievements and service of their fellow citizens.
Nominations to the Order of Australia come directly from the community: either individuals or groups. Anyone can nominate a fellow Australian for an award.
Once a nomination has been submitted, the Australian Honours Secretariat at Government House in Canberra conducts further research and contacts referees.
The 19-member Council for the Order of Australia then considers the nominations. The Council makes its recommendations, independent of government, direct to the Governor-General.
Awards in the Order of Australia are publicly announced on Australia Day (26 January) and the Queen’s Birthday public holiday (June).
See also:
Medal design
Member of the Order of Australia - front
The medal of the Member of the Order of Australia is a badge with a gold-plated silver insignia of the Order in the centre.
The central insignia is inscribed with the word ‘Australia’ in gold capital letters. The circle also contains two gold sprigs of mimosa.
The insignia is ensigned with the Crown of St Edward in full colour.
The medal is hung from the ribbon of the Order. It is royal blue with a central band of mimosa blossoms.
Print fact sheet
The information on this page is available as a printable fact sheet.
- Member of the Order of Australia - Fact Sheet - PDF 48KB File
Note: For more information on PDF files and their use see the PDF Help page on this site.
More information
For more information on making a nomination for the Order of Australia contact:
The Secretary
Order of Australia
Government House
CANBERRA, ACT 2600
Ph: 1800 552 275