A range of awards to recognise gallantry and distinguished service was introduced to the Australian system to replace Imperial awards in 1991. The only award retained from the former Imperial system is the Victoria Cross, which was renamed Victoria Cross for Australia.
The key differences between the Australian awards and those of the Imperial system at the time are that the awards are applied to all the Services, and that the level of the award is not restricted by rank but is determined by the quality of the action or service.
A further difference is the establishment of unit awards for gallantry and meritorious service, which were not previously available under the Imperial system.
Further information on Australian gallantry and distinguished service awards can be found on these links:
You can search for an award name by selecting the following:
Gallantry and distinguished service awards made to Australians under the Imperial system before 1975 are not included on this website. The links section provides access to a range of sources to obtain information on the awards and recipients.
Web page last updated 25 November, 2011