Back وسام أستراليا Arabic وسام استراليا ARZ Ордэн Аўстраліі Byelorussian Orde d'Austràlia Catalan Urdd Awstralia Welsh Order of Australia German Orden de Australia Spanish نشان استرالیا Persian Australian ritarikunta Finnish Ordre d'Australie French
| Order of Australia | |
|---|---|
 Insignia of knights and dames of the Order of Australia | |
| Awarded by the Governor-General of Australia | |
| Type | National order |
| Awarded for | Achievement and merit in service to Australia or humanity |
| Founder | Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia on the advice of Gough Whitlam |
| Sovereign Head | Charles III, King of Australia |
| Chancellor and Principal Companion | Samantha Mostyn, Governor-General |
| Grades |
|
| Former grades | Knight/Dame (AK/AD)[note 1] |
| Website | Official website and nomination portal |
| Statistics | |
| First induction | 14 April 1975 |
| Last induction | 2024 King's Birthday Honours |
| Total inductees | Total as of July 2024[update]
|
_BAR.svg){kind=small} _BAR.svg){kind=small} Ribbons: general division; military division | |
The Order of Australia is an Australian honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service.[1] It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of then prime minister Gough Whitlam. Before the establishment of the order, Australians could receive British honours, which continued to be issued in parallel until 1992.
Appointments to the order are made by the governor-general, "with the approval of The Sovereign",[2][a] according to recommendations made by the Council for the Order of Australia.[4] Members of the government are not involved in the recommendation of appointments, other than for military and honorary awards.
The King of Australia is the sovereign head of the order,[1][5] and the governor-general is the principal companion and chancellor of the order. The governor-general's official secretary, Paul Singer (appointed August 2018), is secretary of the order.
Cite error: There are <ref group=note> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=note}} template (see the help page).
- ^ a b "Companion of the Order of Australia". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Australian Government. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
- ^ Constitution of the Order of Australia section 9.
- ^ Taylor, Greg (2020). "Knighthoods and the Order of Australia". Australian Bar Review. 49: 332–3.
- ^ "Constitution of the Order of Australia". Federal Register of Legislation. 16 April 2018. section 9.
Appointments (including honorary appointments) to the Order and awards of the Medal of the Order shall be made, with the approval of The Sovereign, by Instrument signed by the Governor‑General and sealed with the Seal of the Order.
- ^ "Order of Australia". gg.gov.au. 21 September 2021. Archived from the original on 28 October 2021. Retrieved 21 September 2021.
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).