Order of Australia & awards for Gallantry, Bravery, & Service

• This page is in 3 sections.
  • The top section is made up of thumbnails pointing to larger photos (Click on images with blue borders).
  • There are names but there are no descriptions.
  • The 2nd section has smaller photos but descriptions of how and why the awards are earned.
  • The 3rd section is about Certificates

Order of Australia 2

• For details of why various awards are made, Click the links
  • Order of Australia
  • Military Gallantry Decorations (inc Unit Citations)
  • Bravery Decorations
  • Distinguished Service Decorations
  • Conspicuous Service Decorations
  • Meritorious Service Awards
  • Long Service Awards

Other awards

Order of Australia created 1975

The Order of Australia was created in 1975. Since 1975 over 14,000 Australians have been recognised for their service to Australia or to humanity. The Order of Australia is community based - anyone can nominate a fellow Australian for an award. Nominations are assessed by the Council for the Order of Australia for recommendation to the Governor-General for approval. 

Military Gallantry Decorations introduced 1991.

Unit Citations; those with a star are worn by the members of the unit at the time the award was earned.

Those without a star are worn by members of the unit that come into the unit at a later time.

These citations were established in 1991 to recognise gallantry in action or outstanding service in warlike operations by units of the Australian Defence Force and/or units of the defence forces of other countries. There are two citations:

• Unit Citation for Gallantry - for extraordinary gallantry in action.
• Meritorious Unit Citation - for sustained outstanding service in warlike operations.

Each Citation consists of a certificate of citation to the Unit signed by the Governor-General and insignia for each recipient. Insignia may be awarded posthumously.

Three recent examples of the award of the Meritorious Unit Citation occurred during the Australian Defence Force's deployment to East Timor following the 1999 consultation ballot:

• Task Unit 645.1.1, Royal Australian Navy - For sustained outstanding service in warlike operations in support of the International Force East Timor during Operation STABILISE.
• 3 Squadron Group, the Special Air Service Regiment - Australian Army - For sustained outstanding service in warlike operations as the Special Air Service Regiment of the Response Force for Operation WARDEN.
• No 2 Airfield Defence Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force - For sustained outstanding service in warlike operations in support of the International Force East Timor during Operation WARDEN and Operation STABILISE

Australian Bravery Decorations

Distinguished Service Decorations

Conspicuous Service Decorations

This decoration was established in 1989 to recognise outstanding performance of Australian Defence Force nursing duties in both operational and non-operational situations 

The decoration may be awarded posthumously and a person awarded the Nursing Service Cross is entitled to use the post-nominal NSC.

Meritorious

This medal was established in 1989 to recognise outstanding service by members of Australian public services (Commonwealth, State and Territory) and other government employees including those in local government.

Only one award is ever made to an individual and recipients are entitled to use the post-nominal letters "PSM".

This Medal was established in 1986 to recognise distinguished service by members of Australian police forces.

Each Australian police force may award one Australian Police Medal for every 1000 members or part of 1000 members in every calendar year.

 Only one award is ever made to an individual and recipients are entitled to use the post-nominal letters "APM".

This Medal was established in 1988 to recognise distinguished service by members of Australian fire services.

Only one award is ever made to an individual and recipients are entitled to use the post-nominal letters "AFSM".

The Ambulance Service Medal was created in 1999 and recognises distinguished service by the men and women of Australia's ambulance organisations.
[IMAGE: Ambulance Service Medal - ASM]

Only one award is ever made to an individual and recipients are entitled to use the post-nominal letters "ASM".

The Queen approved this Medal as part of the Australian system of honours and awards in 1999. The Medal recognises distinguished service by the men and women of Australia's emergency service organisations across the nation.

Each Australian emergency service organisation may award one Emergency Service Medal for every 1000 full-time members or part of 1000 full-time members in every calender year; and in addition each ambulance service may award one Medal for every 5000 or part of 5000 part-time, volunteer or auxiliary members.

Only one award is ever made to an individual and recipients are entitled to use the post-nominal letters "ESM".

This award was established in 1987 to recognise outstanding service by people connected with Australian Antarctic expeditions. The Australian Antarctic Medal replaced the British Polar Medal and its variations which date back to 1857 for service in the Arctic and Antarctic regions.

Each Australian Antarctic Medal is differentiated by a date bar indicating the period of service in the Antarctic. A person receiving a subsequent award of the Medal wears a further appropriate date bar on the ribbon or the original insignia.

Recipients of the Medal are entitled to use the post-nominal letters "AAM".

This Medal was established in 1988 to recognise skill at arms in the Australian Defence Force. Each year, target-shooting competitions are held with standard issue weapons conducted by each arm of the Defence Force.

Three Medals - one for each Service - are awarded annually to the winner of the Champion Shot competition.

The award of the Medal is made with a clasp to denote the year of the competition and any subsequent award to the same person is made in the form of another clasp.

 Special commemorative medal struck for all surviving Australian World War I veterans who commemorated the 80th anniversary of the armistice that ended the Great War. The Queen approved the Medal design and regulations on
7 January 1999 and it became the first commemorative medal in the Australian system of honours and awards.

The Medal was manufactured in record time which enabled all surviving veterans to be personally presented with their Medals prior to Anzac Day 1999.   In all, only 70 Medals were presented to veterans.  

The Medal's design features on the obverse the statue of the "Bullecourt Digger" and the reverse depicts the apt words "LEST WE FORGET" surrounded by a spray of wattle. The ribbon colours of red and black mirror those of the poppy flower worn as a mark of respect by so many Australians each year on Remembrance Day.

Long Service Awards The following three medals were established in 1982 to replace the National Medal in recognising 15 years' diligent service in the Defence Force:

The Prime Minister John Howard announced on 31 December 1998 the creation of an Australian Sports Medal. The Medal is a commemorative medal awarded during the year 2000, as Sydney hosted the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Medal was not restricted to athletes and others connected with the Games.

The Medal recognised a cross-section of those whose efforts have made Australia a nation of sporting excellence. These include former competitors and those who have provided the support base of sport, for example, coaches, sports scientists, office holders, and those who maintain sports facilities and provide transport. The Australian Sports Medal does not carry post-nominals.

The Reserve Force Decoration is the only long service medal with a post-nominal entitlement - RFD. A clasp is awarded for each additional 5 years' qualifying service.

The Chief of the Defence Force makes recommendations for the Medal to the Governor-General for approval. Members of philanthropic organisations serving with the Australian Defence Force are eligible for nomination.

Note: The Defence Force Service Awards were overtaken by a single medal in 1998 - see the entry for the Defence Long Service Medal.

In 1998, a new Defence Long Service Medal was approved by The Queen to replace the family of Defence Force Service Awards that recognised long service in the Australian Defence Force. The introduction of this new Defence long service medal was the result of a recommendation of the 1994 Committee of Inquiry into Defence and Defence Related Awards. The Medal will be awarded for 15 years' service and clasps are issued for each subsequent five years' service.

The new award will also allow recognition for service that might otherwise have gone unrecognised such as that previously lost by individuals who changed their service between Regular and Reserve Forces. This Medal does not discriminate between rank levels, Regular or Reserve service and does not carry a post-nominal entitlement.

The National Medal was one of the first three elements of the Australian system of honours and awards introduced in early 1975. When the Medal was introduced it recognised 15 years' diligent service by members of the Defence Force, Australian police forces, and fire and ambulance services. In 1982, the Defence Force Service Awards provided for long service in the Australian Defence Force and eligibility for the National Medal was varied to enable persons who had participated in part-time and volunteer service in organisations other than the Defence Force to qualify for the National Medal. Progressively since then, members of the Australian Protective Service and correctional and emergency services have become eligible for the award the National Medal. A clasp to the Medal is given for each 10 years' additional service.

Following decisions of the government in 1997, the regulations for the National Medal underwent a comprehensive review and reworking. As a result The Queen approved new regulations in 1999.

Two significant new features of the National Medal are:

• The regulations were amended to allow members of qualifying volunteer search and rescue groups to receive the Medal.
  
• Provision was made for persons to more easily aggregate their service should they serve in different qualifying organisations for the Medal.
  
• Since 1975, some 60,000 National Medals have been awarded for 15 years' diligent service and a further 25000 clasps to the Medal.

The Medal is awarded for 15 years' efficient service and clasps are awarded for each further period of 5 years' efficient service. This Medal is the Australian successor to the British Cadet Forces Medal that ceased to be used in Australia in 1974.

The Medal ribbon features vertical stripes of gold and blue, the traditional colours for long service medals, with navy, red and blue stripes to signify links with the Royal Australian Navy, Australian Army and the Royal Australian Air Force. The Medal shows the Cadet Forces logo on the obverse and the federation star on the reverse.

Certificate of the Group Citation for Bravery. (No insignia)

Certificate of the Meritorious Unit Citation, HMAS Sydney

Certificate of the Commendation for Distinguished Service.

• WARNING. Although this information was correct on the day I copied it from the relevant Government site it is subject to change and I make no implied or expressed agreement to update it. If you have anything more than a passing interest contact the relevant Government Department.

• Some images from The National Honours & Awards of Australia: Michael Maton: Kangaroo Press ISBN 0 86417 679 1

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