Order of Australia

Insignia of a Companion of the Order of Australia.

The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established by Elizabeth II on February 14, 1975 "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service". The Order is divided into general and military divisions, with the following grades in descending order of seniority:

• Knight or Dame (AK or AD; not awarded since 1986)
• Companion (AC)
• Officer (AO)
• Member (AM)
• Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM).

History

The Order was established by letters patent of Elizabeth II (in her capacity as Queen of Australia) on February 14, 1975. Before the establishment of the Order, Australian citizens received British honours. The original Order only had three grades: Companion, Officer and Member.

On May 24 1976, a new patent was issued countersigned by then Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser, with a schedule making provision for a further category of membership as Knight or Dame, and for a Medal of the Order of Australia.

The award of AK and AD was discontinued in the late 1980s by the Australian Labor Party Government. On March 3, 1986 letters patent countersigned by then Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke, revoked the category of Knight or Dame. Existing Knights and Dames were not affected by the new patent. The Prince of Wales is a Knight of the Order of Australia.

The Queen of Australia is Sovereign of the Order while the Governor-General of Australia is Principal Companion and Chancellor of the Order.

The Order of Australia is modelled closely upon the Order of Canada. However, when compared with the Order of Canada, the Order of Australia has been awarded rather more liberally, especially in regard to honorary awards for foreigners. While the Order of Canada has only been awarded to twelve non-Canadians to date, more non-Australians have received the Order of Australia honour by comparison. ^{[citation needed]}

Appointment

The Order formerly consisted of four grades and a medal, in both general and military divisions. Knighthood of the Order was made in the general division only.

The different grades of the Order are awarded according to the recipients' level of achievement:

Companion

for eminent achievement and merit of the highest degree in service to Australia or to humanity at large.

Officer

for distinguished service of a high degree to Australia or to humanity at large.

Member

for service in a particular locality or field of activity or to a particular group.

Medal of the Order of Australia

for service worthy of particular recognition

Any person may nominate any Australian citizen for an award. The nominations are reviewed by the Order of Australia Council, independent of any political interference, and then approved by the Governor-General. The Order is awarded twice annually: on Australia Day, and on the Queen's Birthday public holiday in June, when public announcements are made about new awards.

Appointments to the Order are not made posthumously; however, if a nominee dies after accepting an appointment but before the relevant announcement date, the appointment still stands and it is announced as having effect from the date of the nominee's death.

Insignia

The badge of the Order of Australia is a convex disc (gold for ACs, gilt for AOs, AMs and OAMs) representing the Golden Wattle flower. At the centre is a ring, representing the sea, with the word 'Australia' below two branches of golden wattle. The whole disc is topped by the Royal crown of St Edward. The AC badge is decorated with citrines, blue enamelled ring, and enamelled crown. The AO badge is similar, without the citrines. For the AM badge only the crown is enamelled, and the OAM badge is plain.

The star for knights and dames is a convex golden disc decorated with citrines, with a blue royally crowned inner disc bearing an image of the Coat of Arms of Australia.

Civil Division ribbon

Military Division ribbon

The ribbon of the Order is blue with a central stripe of golden wattle flower designs; that of the military division has additional golden edge stripes. Male ACs and AOs wear their badges on a necklet; male AMs and OAMs wear them on a ribbon on the left chest. Women usually wear their badges on a bow on the left shoulder, although they may wear the same insignia as males if so desired.

The Order's insignia were designed by Stuart Devlin.

Companion of the Order of Australia.

Officer of the Order of Australia.

Member of the Order of Australia.

Medal of the Order of Australia.

Knights and officials of the Order

For a full list of all fourteen Knights and Dames of the Order, see Orders, decorations, and medals of Australia#Classes

• Sovereign: HM The Queen
• Knights:
  • Sir Zelman Cowen AK GCMG GCVO QC (8 December 1977)
  • HRH The Prince of Wales KG KT GCB OM AK QSO PC ADC (14 March 1981)
  • Sir Charles Court AK KCMG OBE (12 June 1982)
  • Sir Ninian Stephen KG AK GCMG GCVO KBE (29 July 1982)
• Officials:
  • Chancellor and Principal Companion: Major-General Michael Jeffery AC CVO MC (Governor-General of Australia)
  • Secretary: Malcolm Hazell CVO (Official Secretary to the Governor-General of Australia)

The Order of Australia Association

On 26 January 1980 recipients of awards in the Order formed the Order of Australia Association. This organisation seeks to aid the members of the Order in their pursuits related to the development and maintenance of Australia's culture and traditions. The organisation also attempts to increase awareness of those honoured by the Order, since many of their number are not household names, despite their contributions. Branches of the Association can be found in all the states and territories of Australia.

See also

• Australian campaign medals
• Australian Honours System
• Australian Honours Order of Precedence
• British and Commonwealth orders and decorations
• Order of Canada
• Order of New Zealand
• Bunyip aristocracy, a term coined in relation to the attempt to introduce a hereditary peerage system into New South Wales in the 1850s. As a result of the popular reaction to the proposed introduction of this form of colonial honours, it took many years before an Australian honours system was created.

Recipient categories

• Companions of the Order of Australia
• Category:Dames of the Order of Australia
• Category:Knights of the Order of Australia
• Category:Companions of the Order of Australia
• Category:Officers of the Order of Australia
• Category:Members of the Order of Australia
• Category:Recipients of the Order of Australia Medal

External links

• Australian Honours Secretariat
• Order of Australia including list of the Order, its history and its "Constitution" (statutes).
• Order of Australia Association
• ODM of Australia -- has images of insignia, including Knight's insignia

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