The order of wearing honours and awards is determined by the Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia.
The most recent order was published on 25 September 2007 and is available from the It's an Honour website.
A modified version of the order of wearing, designed to include medals issued since the official list was published, is available below.
This list includes Honours and Awards which are administered within Australia by different organisations, not just Defence. These organisations are:
- Government House, Honours and Awards Secretariat (GH)
- The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Honours and Symbols Section (PM&C)
- The Department of Defence, Directorate of Honours and Awards (DH&A)
- United Kingdom Honours System (UK) - note: all imperial British awards made to Australian citizens after 5 October 1992 are foreign awards and should be worn accordingly.
Honours and Awards listed in the Schedule and Annexes in BOLD print are:
- those within the Australian honours and awards system
- those conferred by The Sovereign in exercise of the Royal Prerogative
- those within the Order of St John
- foreign awards, the acceptance and wearing of which have been authorised by the Governor-General.
| Ribbon Bar | Award Name | Post Nominal | Administered By | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Victoria Cross | VC | GH | 1 |
|
George Cross | GC | UK | |
|
Cross of Valour | CV | GH | |
|
Knight/Lady of the Garter | KG/LG | UK | |
|
Knight/Lady of the Thistle | KT/LT | UK | |
|
Knight/Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath | GCB | UK | |
|
Order of Merit | OM | UK | |
|
Knight/Dame of the Order of Australia | AK/AD | GH | 2 |
|
Knight/Dame Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George | GCMG | UK | |
|
Knight/Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order | GCVO | UK | |
|
Knight/Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire | GBE | UK | |
|
|
Companion of the Order of Australia | AC | GH | |
|
Companion of Honour | CH | UK | |
|
Knight/Dame Commander of the Order of the Bath | KCB/DCB | UK | |
|
Knight/Dame Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George | KCMG/DCMG | UK | |
|
|
Knight/Dame Commander of the Royal Victorian Order | KCVO/DCVO | UK | |
|
Knight/Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire | KBE/DBE | UK | |
|
Knight Bachelor (confirs the title of 'Sir', no post nominal) | UK | ||
|
|
Officer of the Order of Australia | AO | GH | |
|
Companion of the Order of the Bath | CB | UK | |
|
Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George | CMG | UK | |
|
|
Commander of the Royal Victorian Order | CVO | UK | |
|
|
Commander of the Order of the British Empire | CBE | UK | |
|
Star of Gallantry | SG | GH | |
|
Star of Courage | SC | GH | |
|
Companion of the Distinguished Service Order | DSO | UK | |
|
Distinguished Service Cross | DSC | GH | |
|
|
Member of the Order of Australia | AM | GH | |
|
|
Lieutenant of the Royal Victoria Order | LVO | UK | |
|
Officer of the Order of the British Empire | OBE | UK | |
|
Companion of the Imperial Service Order | ISO | UK | |
|
|
Member of the Royal Victorian Order | MVO | UK | |
|
Member of the Order of the British Empire | MBE | UK | |
|
Conspicuous Service Cross | CSC | GH | |
|
Nursing Service Cross | NSC | GH | |
|
Royal Red Cross (1st Class) | RRC | UK | |
|
Distinguished Service Cross | DSC | UK | |
|
Military Cross | MC | UK | |
|
Distinguished Flying Cross | DFC | UK | |
|
Air Force Cross | AFC | UK | |
|
Royal Red Cross (2nd Class) | ARRC | UK | |
|
Medal for Gallantry | MG | GH | |
|
Bravery Medal | BM | GH | |
|
Distinguished Service Medal | DSM | GH | |
|
Public Service Medal | PSM | PM&C | |
|
Australian Police Medal | APM | PM&C | |
|
Australian Fire Service Medal | AFSM | PM&C | |
|
Ambulance Service Medal | ASM | PM&C | |
|
Emergency Service Medal | ESM | PM&C | |
|
Australian Corrections Medal | ACM | PM&C | |
|
Australian Intelligence Medal | AIM | PM&C | |
|
|
Medal of the Order of Australia | OAM | GH | |
|
Order of St John | UK | 3 | |
|
Distinguished Conduct Medal | DCM | UK | |
|
Conspicuous Gallantry Medal | CGM | UK | |
|
George Medal | GM | UK | |
|
Conspicuous Service Medal | CSM | GH | |
|
Australian Antarctic Medal | AAM | PM&C | 4 |
|
Queen’s Police Medal for Gallantry | QPM | UK | |
|
Queen’s Fire Service Medal for Gallantry | QFSM | UK | |
|
Distinguished Service Medal | DSM | UK | |
|
Military Medal | MM | UK | |
|
Distinguished Flying Medal | DFM | UK | |
|
Air Force Medal | AFM | UK | |
|
Queen’s Gallantry Medal | QGM | UK | |
|
Royal Victorian Medal | RVM | UK | |
|
British Empire Medal | BEM | UK | |
|
Queen’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service | QPM | UK | |
|
Queen’s Fire Service Medal for Distinguished Service | QFSM | UK | |
|
Commendation for Gallantry | GH | ||
|
Commendation for Brave Conduct | GH | ||
| Insignia worn on Campaign Medal | Queen’s Commendation for Brave Conduct | UK | ||
|
Commendation for Distinguished Service | GH |
War medals, campaign medals, active service medals and service medals:
- Refers to the Imperial Victoria Cross and the Victoria Cross for Australia.
- Provision for further awards at this level within the Order of Australia was removed by Her Majesty The Queen on 3 March 1986 on the advice of the Prime Minister.
- Listed to indicate where any awards within the Order of St John should be worn; however, the Service Medal of the Order of St John should be worn as a Long Service Medal after all other Imperial Long Service awards. Postnominals within the Order of St John are not recognised as notified in the Governor-General’s media release of 14 August 1982. (The Life Saving Medal is worn on the right side.)
- The Australian Antarctic Medal was known as the Antarctic Medal until 18 December 1997.
- Recipients of the 1914 Star are not eligible for the award of the 1914–1915 Star.
- The order of wearing of the Naval General Service Medal 1915–1962 and General Service Medal 1918–1962 (Army and Air Force) will vary from person to person depending on when the person earned the first clasp. If the first clasp relates to service between World War I and World War II, the medals should be worn immediately after World War I war medals. If the first clasp relates to service after 2 September 1945, the medals should be worn immediately after the United Nations Service Medal for Korea.
- Clasps to these medals should be worn on the ribbon in order of date of receipt.
- Only one of these three Stars could be awarded to an individual. Should a person have qualified for two of these awards, the Star first earned is worn with the clasp of the second Star. Only one Star and one clasp may be worn even if the person qualified for all three Stars.
- Only one of these two Stars could be awarded to an individual. Should a person have qualified for both the Pacific Star and the Burma Star, the Star first earned was awarded together with the appropriate clasp denoting the service that would have qualified for the other Star.
- Uniquely, although a foreign award, the United Nations Service Medal for Korea is worn immediately after the Korea Medal. All other foreign awards for which official permission has been given to accept and wear are worn as foreign awards.
- A person who has been awarded the Vietnam Medal, or who is eligible for the award of the Vietnam Medal, is not eligible for the award of the Vietnam Logistic and Support Medal.
- Worn in order of date of qualifying service.
- Refers to Imperial efficiency and long service awards.