History
- History of honours
- Introduction of an Australian system
- The Imperial system
- Timeline for Australia’s honours and awards
History of honours
Honours and awards enable a country to reward excellence, achievement and outstanding service amongst its citizens.
Some of the customs associated with honours and awards date back to medieval times. Honours systems became widespread in Europe during the nineteenth century.
The Australian system of honours and awards is much more recent: introduced in 1975.
Prior to 1975 Australians were recognised through the British Imperial system.
The Australian system of honours has its foundation in British traditions. The precedence of the Victoria Cross is one example.
But the Australian system also captures the values and experiences of Australians. Nominations for the Order of Australia come directly from the community.
Introduction of an Australian system
The Australian Government introduced an Australian system of honours and awards on 14 February 1975.
As early as 1949, the Australian Government recommended ‘that an Australian awards system be instituted to recognise outstanding service to the nation’.
The founding elements of the Australian system were the Order of Australia, the Australian Bravery Decorations and the National Medal.
The Order of Australia is a ‘society of honour’ and the pre-eminent means of recognising excellence, achievement and service by members of the community to Australia and humanity at large.
By 1991 there were Australian honours and awards for all areas of achievement and service previously recognised through the Imperial system.
On 5 October 1992 the federal and state governments announced Australians were to be recognised exclusively through the Australian system and no further recommendations for British honours would be made.
New areas of service, such as the Humanitarian Overseas Service Medal, are periodically added to the honours system in keeping with community values.
The Imperial system
Prior to the introduction of the Australian system of honours and awards, Australians could be appointed to British Orders and were eligible for Imperial awards for gallantry, bravery and service.
Australians recognised through the Imperial system for their public and community service were almost always appointed to the Order of the British Empire. They include opera singer Dame Nellie Melba GBE, author and activist Dame Mary Gilmore DBE and photographer Max Dupain OBE.
The Australia Service Medal 1939-1945 was the first distinctively Australian award to be introduced into the Imperial system in 1949. The medal recognises the service of Australians in the armed forces and Volunteer Defence Corps during World War II. The Vietnam Medal followed in 1968.
The Queen recognises Australians who have provided direct support or service of a close personal nature through honours and awards within her own personal gift, such as the Royal Victorian Order, Order of the Garter and the Order of the Thistle.
More information on each of the Imperial Awards is available.
Timeline for Australia’s Honours and Awards
The system of Australian honours was established in 1975. It replaced the previous Imperial system of British honours that commenced in 1901 and was phased out by the late 1980s.
There are 53 awards in the Australian honours system and the best known is the Order of Australia.
To find out more about these and other Australian honours, see the timeline below. Each honour entry has its own Fact Sheet for you to print out.
| Year | Honour Introduced |
|---|---|
1949 |
|
1968 |
|
1975 |
|
1976 |
|
1980 |
|
1982 |
|
1986 |
|
1987 |
|
1988 |
|
1989 |
|
1991 |
|
1993 |
|
1994 |
|
1995 |
|
1997 |
|
1998 |
|
| 1999 | |
| 2000 | |
| 2001 | |
| 2004 | |
| 2006 |