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| Order of Wearing Australian Honours and Awards | |
|---|---|
| Name | Order of Wearing Australian Honours and Awards |
| Established | 1992 |
| Country | Australia |
Order of Wearing Australian Honours and Awards is the prescribed precedence for wearing Australian decorations, medals and awards established to regulate how recipients display honours on formal dress. The order integrates Australian awards with Imperial British decorations, foreign decorations and long service awards to provide consistent precedence for recipients attending ceremonies, investitures and commemorative events.
The Order establishes precedence among awards such as the Victoria Cross for Australia, the Cross of Valour (Australia), the Order of Australia, the Australian Bravery Decorations, and campaign medals like the Australian Active Service Medal 1945–1975, the Vietnam Medal, and the Iraq Medal. It coordinates wearing with Imperial honours including the Victoria Cross (United Kingdom), the Order of the Bath, and the Distinguished Service Order, while specifying placement relative to foreign awards such as the Legion of Honour, the Medal of Honor, the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, and United Nations medals. The list affects recipients from institutions including the Australian Defence Force, the Royal Australian Navy, the Australian Army, and the Royal Australian Air Force as well as public servants, members of the Australian Federal Police, and civic organisations like the Returned and Services League of Australia.
Precedence is authorised by instruments connected to the Commonwealth of Australia and advised by bodies such as the Governor-General of Australia and the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (Australia). The policy is informed by historical practice established under the Imperial honours system, with input from military authorities including the Chief of the Defence Force (Australia), the Defence Honours and Awards Tribunal, and advisory committees similar in remit to the Order of Australia Council. Legal considerations reference statutes and executive instruments associated with the Constitution of Australia and determinations tied to the Royal Prerogative exercised by the Monarchy of Australia.
At the apex are gallantry awards such as the Victoria Cross for Australia and the Cross of Valour (Australia), followed by orders including the Order of Australia (Companion, Officer, Member), chivalric awards like the Order of St Michael and St George, and distinguished service decorations such as the Distinguished Service Cross (Australia), the Conspicuous Service Cross (Australia), and the Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom). Campaign and service medals including the Australia Service Medal 1939–1945, the Australian Active Service Medal 1945–1975, the Afghanistan Medal and the Iraq Medal follow, with long service awards like the Defence Force Service Medal, the National Medal (Australia), and Jubilee medals thereafter. Foreign orders such as the Order of the British Empire, the Order of Canada, and decorations like the Bronze Star Medal are worn after Australian awards, subject to specific acceptance rules governed by the Prime Minister of Australia and the Governor-General of Australia.
Categories delineated include gallantry and bravery (e.g. Victoria Cross for Australia, Star of Courage (Australia), orders and decorations (e.g. Order of Australia, Order of the British Empire), campaign and service medals (e.g. Korea Medal, East Timor Medal), long service awards (e.g. Australian Defence Medal), and commemorative medals (e.g. Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal). Civilian honours from institutions such as the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons or awards like the Australian of the Year are separate from formal insignia but intersect with precedence when medals are issued by bodies like the Australian Red Cross, the National Australia Bank (historical awards), or international agencies including the United Nations and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
Protocols define placement on mess dress, evening dress and service uniform for recipients from the Royal Military College, Duntroon, the Royal Australian Naval College, and the Australian Defence Force Academy. Guidance prescribes full-size insignia for orders and decorations on the left breast, ribbons in rows for day wear, and miniatures for mess dress; examples include miniature sets for the Order of Australia and the Distinguished Conduct Medal. Regulations address ribbon bars used by personnel of the Australian Army, Royal Australian Navy, and Royal Australian Air Force and ceremonial attachments for events at venues like Government House, Canberra and memorial services at the Australian War Memorial.
Military precedence reflects operational distinctions for awards such as the Distinguished Service Medal (Australia), the Conspicuous Service Cross (Australia), and unit citations including the Unit Citation for Gallantry. Civilian recipients wear honours like the Order of Australia and the Public Service Medal (Australia) according to the same national order but with adjustments for civilian dress codes used in institutions such as the High Court of Australia, state parliaments including the Parliament of New South Wales, and civic ceremonies in cities like Sydney and Melbourne. Foreign awards require prior approval from the Governor-General of Australia or the Prime Minister of Australia; examples include Australian recipients of the Legion of Merit (United States), the Order of the Rising Sun, or the Order of the Netherlands Lion.
Precedence evolved after the establishment of Australian-specific honours such as the Order of Australia in 1975 and the introduction of the Victoria Cross for Australia in 1991, replacing some Imperial conventions tied to the British honours system and decisions involving the Whitlam Ministry and later administrations. Revisions have responded to campaigns including World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and recent operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, prompting additions like the Afghanistan Medal and reassessments of placement for United Nations and coalition awards. Notable administrative changes arose from reports by tribunals and inquiries including advice to the Governor-General of Australia and the Defence Honours and Awards Tribunal leading to updated orders published for ceremonial use.