The Order of Wearing Australian Honours and Awards

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:

1. Refers to the Imperial Victoria Cross and the Victoria Cross for Australia.
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.
3. 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. Post nominals 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.)
4. The Australian Antarctic Medal was known as the Antarctic Medal until 18 December 1997.
5. Recipients of the 1914 Star are not eligible for the award of the 1914–1915 Star.
6. 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.
7. Clasps to these medals should be worn on the ribbon in order of date of receipt.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. 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.
11. 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.
12. Worn in order of date of qualifying service.
13. Refers to Imperial efficiency and long service awards.