AUSTRALIAN ANTARCTIC MEDAL

DETERMINATION

I, General the Honourable David Hurley, Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, acting in pursuance of regulations 3 and 6 of the Australian Antarctic Medal Regulations revoke the Australian Antarctic Medal Determination made on the first day of September 2008, and hereby determine as follows (see note):

Main Piece

The Australian Antarctic Medal is a nickel-silver octagonal medal 38 millimetres in diameter ensigned with a hexagonal ice-crystal device in nickel-silver. The obverse bears a depiction of the Southern Hemisphere showing Australia and the Antarctic enclosed by the inscription 'FOR OUTSTANDING SERVICE IN THE ANTARCTIC'. The reverse has an Antarctic expeditioner outside Mawson's hut leaning into a blizzard as he uses an axe. The ribbon of the Australian Antarctic Medal is 32 millimetres wide, of snow-white moire with 3 millimetre edges of three shades of blue merging into the white. The medal thickness is 3mm. The height from the top of the suspender bar to the bottom of the medal is 56mm. The total height of the Main Piece is 97mm.

Miniature Piece

The Miniature Piece of the Australian Antarctic Medal is a half-size replica of the Main Piece is suspended from a miniature ribbon 16 millimetres wide. The medal thickness is 2mm. The height from the top of the suspender bar to the bottom of the medal is 28mm. The total height of the Miniature Piece is 48.5mm.

Lapel Badge

The Lapel Badge of the Australian Antarctic Medal is a replica of the ice-crystal device used as a link between the Australian Antarctic Medal and its suspension bar, 10 millimetres in diameter.

Ribbon Bar

The Ribbon Bar of the Australian Antarctic Medal consists of a strip of full-size ribbon, 32 millimetres wide and 10 millimetres high, with no emblem.

Clasp

A nickel-silver clasp, 30 millimetres wide and 6 millimetres high, in the form of a clasp inscribed with the year the service was rendered shall be attached to the ribbon of the Main Piece. A half-size replica of the Clasp is worn on the ribbon of the Miniature Piece.

Further Awards

Second and subsequent awards of the Australian Antarctic Medal are recognised by the presentation of a further nickel-silver clasp, 30 millimetres wide and 6 millimetres high, inscribed with the year the service was rendered. The Clasp is worn attached to the ribbon of the original medal above the previous year. A half- size replica of the Clasp is worn on the ribbon of the Miniature Piece. A replica of the ice-crystal device used as a link between the Australian Antarctic Medal and its suspension bar, 9 millimetres in diameter, is worn on the Ribbon Bar.

Wearing

The Australian Antarctic Medal is worn-on the left breast on all occasions when full size orders, decorations and medals are worn. The Miniature Piece is worn on all occasions when miniatures of orders, decorations and medals are worn. The Ribbon Bar may be worn at any time on uniform or civilian dress at the discretion of the recipient. The Lapel Badge may be worn at any time with civilian dress. The manner of wearing the Australian Antarctic Medal is in accordance with the Guide to the Wearing of Insignia.

Order of Wear

The Australian Antarctic Medal is worn in accordance with The Order of Wearing Australian Honours and Awards.

Note·

The Letters Patent approved by The Sovereign institutes the medal and ordains that the medal is governed by the Regulations Governing the Award of the Australian Antarctic Medal. These Regulations, approved by The Sovereign, set out the terms and conditions of an award, and states that the design, and manner of wearing, of the medal is determined by the Governor­ General.

This document is known as the Determination and it informs the design of the medal, its associated insignia, and that the order of wearing is in accordance with The Order of Wearing of Australian Honours and Awards and the manner of wearing is in accordance with the Guide to the Wearing of Insignia. The design of the medal and associated insignia must be in accordance with the relevant technical specifications.

The placement of the medal is approved by The Sovereign, and the Order of Wearing of Australian Honours and Awards is the notification by the Governor-General of the positioning of all awards in the Australian honours system.

These instruments collectively inform the rules and conditions associated with the Australian Antarctic Medal.