Australian honours order of wearing

The Governor-General of Australia publishes the order of wearing of Australian orders, decorations and medals in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. The Order of Wearing Australian Honours and Awards was last published in 2007.^[1]

Order of wearing

The order of wearing decorations and awards within the Australian honours system is prescribed as follows.^[2]

Honours and awards listed are:

• those within the Australian system of honours and awards;
• those conferred by the Sovereign in exercise of the royal prerogative;
• those within the Order of St John; and
• foreign awards the acceptance and wearing of which have been authorised by the Governor-General.

Awards of the United Kingdom issued since 5 October 1992 are classified as foreign and are worn accordingly.^[3]

See also: Order of Wearing of honours awarded prior to 6 October 1992

1. Victoria Cross/Victoria Cross for Australia^[4] VC
2. Cross of Valour CV
3. Knight/Lady Companion of the Order of the Garter^{[note 1]} KG/LG
4. Knight/Lady of the Order of the Thistle^{[note 1]} KT/LT
5. Member of the Order of Merit^{[note 1]} OM (Civil Division and Military Division)
6. Knight/Dame of the Order of Australia^{[note 2]} AK/AD
7. Knight/Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order^{[note 1]} GCVO
8. Companion of the Order of Australia (General Division) AC (Military Division)
9. Knight/Dame Commander of the Royal Victorian Order^{[note 1]} KCVO/DCVO
10. Officer of the Order of Australia (General Division) AO (Military Division)
11. Commander of the Royal Victorian Order^{[note 1]} CVO
12. Star of Gallantry SG
13. Star of Courage SC
14. Distinguished Service Cross DSC
15. Member of the Order of Australia (General Division) AM (Military Division)
16. Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order^{[note 1]} LVO
17. Member of the Royal Victorian Order^{[note 1]} MVO
18. Conspicuous Service Cross CSC
19. Nursing Service Cross NSC
20. Medal for Gallantry MG
21. Bravery Medal BM
22. Distinguished Service Medal DSM
23. Public Service Medal PSM
24. Australian Police Medal APM
25. Australian Fire Service Medal AFSM
26. Ambulance Service Medal ASM
27. Emergency Services Medal ESM
28. Australian Corrections Medal^{[note 3]} ACM
29. Australian Intelligence Medal ^{[note 4]} AIM
30. Medal of the Order of Australia (General Division) OAM (Military Division)
31. Order of St John^{[note 1][5]}
32. Conspicuous Service Medal CSM
33. Australian Antarctic Medal AAM
34. Royal Victorian Medal RVM
35. Commendation for Gallantry
36. Commendation for Brave Conduct
37. Commendation for Distinguished Service
38. Australia Service Medal 1939-45
39. Australian Active Service Medal 1945–1975^{[note 5]}
40. Vietnam Medal
41. Vietnam Logistic and Support Medal^{[note 6]}
42. Australian Active Service Medal^{[note 5]}
43. International Force East Timor Medal (INTERFET)
44. Afghanistan Medal
45. Iraq Medal
46. Australian Service Medal 1945–1975^{[note 5]}
47. Australian General Service Medal for Korea
48. Australian Service Medal^{[note 5]}
49. Australian Operational Service Medal^{[note 7]}
    1. Australian Operational Service Medal – Border Protection
    2. Australian Operational Service Medal – Greater Middle East Operation
    3. Australian Operational Service Medal – Special Operations
    4. Australian Operational Service Medal – Counter Terrorism/Special Recovery
    5. Australian Operational Service Medal – Africa
    6. Australian Operational Service Medal – Indo-Pacific
50. Australian Operational Service Medal – Civilian
51. Rhodesia Medal
52. Police Overseas Service Medal
53. Humanitarian Overseas Service Medal
54. National Emergency Medal^{[note 8]}
55. Civilian Service Medal 1939–1945
56. National Police Service Medal^{[note 9]}
57. King Edward VII Coronation Medal
58. King George V Coronation Medal
59. King George V Silver Jubilee Medal
60. King George VI Coronation Medal
61. Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal
62. Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal
63. Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal^{[note 1][note 10]}
64. Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal^{[note 1][note 10]}
65. Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal^{[note 1][note 10]}
66. King Charles III Coronation Medal^{[note 1][note 10][8]}
67. 80th Anniversary Armistice Remembrance Medal
68. Australian Sports Medal
69. Centenary Medal
70. Defence Force Service Medal
71. Reserve Force Decoration RFD
72. Reserve Force Medal
73. Defence Long Service Medal
74. National Medal
75. Australian Defence Medal
76. Australian Cadet Forces Service Medal
77. Champion Shots Medal
78. Long Service Medals^{[note 11]} (see United Kingdom honours order of wearing)
79. Service Medal of the Order of St John^[10]
80. Anniversary of National Service 1951–1972 Medal
81. Foreign Awards (in order of date of authorisation of their acceptance and wearing).

Citations

The following citations are not positioned according to the list above. For members of the uniformed services, they are worn according to respective Service dress rules. For civilians, they are worn centrally above any other honours or awards:

• Unit Citation for Gallantry
• Meritorious Unit Citation
• Group Bravery Citation

Foreign awards

Approved foreign awards are published by the Governor-General in the Schedule of Approved Countries and Awards.^[11]

The following are the only foreign honours authorised to be accepted by Australians.

Authorised as of 8 May 2024

Country	Award	Ribbon
Afghanistan	Medal of Honour National Police of Afghanistan
	Ghazi Mir Bacha Khan Medal
Argentina	Order of May
	Order of the Liberator General San Martín
Austria	Austrian Decoration for Science and Art
	Austrian Olympic Medal 1976
	Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria
	Decoration of Honour for Services to the State of Vienna
	Decoration of Merit in Gold or Silver of the Republic of Austria
	Distinguished Service Order in Gold of the Republic of Austria
	Ehrenzeichen des Landes Kärnten
	Medal for Services to the Republic of Austria
	Merit Badge of the Republic of Austria
Bangladesh	Gallantry medals ('Bir' awards)
Belgium	Civic Decoration
	Commemorative Medal of the 1940–1945 War
	Labour Decoration
	Military Decoration
	Order of Leopold
	Order of Leopold II
	Order of the Crown
	Queen Elisabeth Medal
	Medal of the Armed Resistance 1940–1945
	Royal Order of the Lion
	War Cross (First World War)
	War Cross (Second World War)
	War Cross (1954–present)
Brazil	Order of the Southern Cross
	Order of Rio Branco
Brunei	Coronation Medal
	Campaign Medal
	The Most Blessed Order of Loyalty to the State of Brunei
	The Most Distinguished Order of Merit of Brunei
	The Most Honourable Order of the Crown of Brunei
	Excellent Service Medal
	Meritorious Service Medal
Bulgaria	Order of the Madara Konnik
Cambodia	Medal of Labour
	National Construction Medal
	Royal Order of Cambodia
	Royal Order of Sahametrei
	Royal Order of Sowathara
Canada	General Campaign Star (With ISAF clasp)
	Meritorious Service Cross
	Meritorious Service Medal
	Star of Courage
	125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada Medal
Chile	Order of Bernardo O'Higgins
	Order of Merit
	Victory Cross
Republic of China	Order of Brilliant Star

See also

• Australia portal

• Orders, decorations, and medals of Australia
• Post-nominal letters
• List of post-nominal letters (Australia)
• Australian Commendations and Citations
• United Kingdom Honours Order of Wearing

Notes

1. Conferred by The Sovereign in exercise of the Royal Prerogative
2. "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. The grade was reinstated on 25 March 2014 on the advice of the Prime Minister." Order of Wearing, Page 5, Note 2.
3. Commonwealth of Australia Gazette Notice C2017G00904 of 18 August 2017 specifies the medal is to be worn immediately after the Emergency Services Medal.
4. Commonwealth of Australia Gazette Notice C2020G00621 of 31 July 2020 specifies the medal is to be worn immediately after the Australian Corrections Medal.
5. Clasps to these medals should be worn on the ribbon in order of date of receipt.
6. 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. These medals are of equal status.
7. 'AOSM's are worn in order of date of qualifying service.' www.defence.gov.au - Order of wearing
8. Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No. S169 of Friday, 28 October 2011 specifies the medal is to be worn immediately after the Humanitarian Overseas Service Medal.
9. Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No. S31 of Thursday, 3 March 2011 specifies the medal is to be worn immediately after the Civilian Service Medal 1939–45.
10. The Jubilee Medals have been awarded by The Sovereign in exercise of the Royal Prerogative to those awarded the Victoria Cross for Australia and Cross of Valour^[6][7]
11. Includes Imperial efficiency and long service awards^[9]