Australian Bravery Decorations Regulations

Administered by Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet

Legislation au C2010Q00056 In force Prerogative Instrument

Legislation content

 

Australian Bravery Decorations Regulations

as amended

made under

Letters Patent

This compilation was prepared on 13 January 2010
taking into account Amendments of the Regulations Governing the Award of Australian Bravery Decorations – 25/08/1998

Prepared by the Office of Legislative Drafting and Publishing,
Attorney‑General’s Department, Canberra

 

 

Short Title

1  These Regulations may be cited as the Australian Bravery Decorations Regulations.

Interpretation

2  In these Regulations, “decoration” means –

 (a) the Cross of Valour;

 (b) the Star of Courage;

 (c) the Bravery Medal;

 (d) the Commendation for Brave Conduct;

 (e) the Group Bravery Citation; or

 (f) except in subregulation 12 (4), a bar to an award referred to in paragraph (a), (b) or (c).

Design of Decorations

3  The design of each decoration shall be as prescribed.

Conditions for Award of Decorations

4 (1) The Cross of Valour, or a bar to the Cross of Valour, shall be awarded only for acts of the most conspicuous courage in circumstances of extreme peril.

 (2) The Star of Courage, or a bar to the Star of Courage, shall be awarded only for acts of conspicuous courage in circumstances of great peril.

 (3) The Bravery Medal, or a bar to the Bravery Medal, shall be awarded only for acts of bravery in hazardous circumstances.

 (4) The Commendation for Brave Conduct may be awarded for other acts of bravery which are considered worthy of recognition.

 (5) The Group Bravery Citation shall be awarded for a collective act of bravery, by a group of persons in extraordinary circumstances, that is considered worthy of recognition.

5  All decorations may be awarded posthumously.

6  A decoration may only be awarded to a person who is not an Australian citizen –

 (a) for an act done in Australia; or

 (b) for an act which, though done outside Australia, merits recognition as an act in the interest of Australia.

Australian Bravery Decorations Council

7 (1) There shall be an Australian Bravery Decorations Council (‘the Council’), which shall consist of –

 (a) the person for the time being occupying the office of Secretary to the Department of Defence or, if another office is prescribed for the purpose of this paragraph, the person occupying the office so prescribed;

 (b) the person for the time being occupying, or performing the duties of, the office prescribed for the purposes of this paragraph by the Minister responsible for the administration of the Australian honours system or by any Minister or member of the Executive Council acting for or on behalf of that Minister; and

 (c) 12 persons appointed by the Governor‑General, of whom:

 (i) 4 shall be nominated by the Prime Minister; and

 (ii) one each shall be nominated by each of the States, the Northern Territory of Australia and the Australian Capital Territory.

 (2) A member of the Council referred to in paragraph (1) (c) shall hold office for a period of 2 years from the date of appointment and is eligible for re‑appointment.

 (3) The Governor‑General shall appoint one of the members of the Council to be Chairman of the Council and another member of the Council to act as Chairman in the event of the Chairman being unavailable to act in the office.

 (4) A member of the Council referred to in paragraph (1) (a) or (b) or who is one of the members nominated by the States or Territories of the Commonwealth of Australia may, in the event that the member is absent or unable to act in that capacity, be represented on the Council by a person chosen, in accordance with arrangements made by the Governor‑General, to act in the member’s place as a member of the Council.

8  The Council shall —

 (a) consider, and make a recommendation to the Governor‑General on, each nomination of a person for the award of a decoration; and

 (b) advise the Governor‑General on such other matters concerning the award of decorations as he may refer to the Council for consideration.

9 (1) The Secretary of the Order of Australia shall be the Secretary of the Council.

 (2) The Secretary of the Council shall maintain a Register of the names of persons to whom decorations have been awarded and such other records relating to the award of decorations as the Council considers necessary and perform such other functions in respect of the award of decorations as the Governor‑General may direct.

Awards

10 (1) The award of a decoration shall be made, with the approval of The Sovereign, by Instrument signed by the Governor‑General.

 (2) Nothing in these Regulations limits the right of the Governor‑General to exercise all powers and authorities of The Sovereign in respect of the award of decorations.

Nominations

11  Any person or organisation may submit to the Secretary of the Council for consideration by the Council a nomination of a person for the award of a decoration.

Designations

12 (1) A person awarded the Cross of Valour is entitled to use the post‑nominal letters “CV” on all occasions when the use of such letters is customary.

 (2) A person awarded the Star of Courage is entitled to use the post‑nominal letters “SC” on all occasions when the use of such letters is customary.

 (3) A person awarded the Bravery Medal is entitled to use the post‑nominal letters “BM” on all occasions when the use of such letters is customary.

 (4) A person awarded a bar to a decoration is entitled to use, after the letters prescribed by this regulation, the words “and Bar” or the words “and Bars”, as the case may be.

Wearing of Decorations

13  The manner of wearing of decorations shall be as determined by the Governor‑General.

Cancellation and Reinstatement

14 (1) The Governor‑General may cancel the award of a decoration to a person and may restore a decoration the award of which was so cancelled.

 (2) Where the award of a decoration is cancelled, the name of the person to whom the decoration was awarded shall be erased from the Register maintained pursuant to regulation 9, and that person shall return the decoration to the Secretary of the Council.

 (3) Where an award that has been cancelled is restored, the Secretary of the Council shall restore the entry in the Register maintained pursuant to regulation 9 that had been erased.

Notes to the Australian Bravery Decorations Regulations

Note 1

The Australian Bravery Decorations Regulations (in force under Letters Patent) as shown in this compilation is amended as indicated in the Tables below.

Table of Instruments

Title

Date of notification in Gazette

Date of
commencement

Application, saving or
transitional provisions

Letters Patent and  Regulations Governing the Award of Australian Bravery Decorations ‑ 1975

17 Feb 1975
(see Gazette 1975, No. S28)

14 Feb 1975

 

Letters Patent and Amendment of the Regulations Governing the Award of Australian Bravery Decorations ‑ 1987

5 Jan 1988
(see Gazette 1988, No. S5)

17 Nov 1987

—

Letters Patent and  Amendment of the Regulations Governing the Award of Australian Bravery Decorations ‑ 1990

7 May 1990
(see Gazette 1990, No. S108)

5 Mar 1990

—

Letters Patent and  Amendments of the Regulations Governing the Award of Australian Bravery Decorations ‑ 1998

TBA

5 Mar 1998

—

Letters Patent and  Amendments of the Regulations Governing the Award of Australian Bravery Decorations ‑ 1998

25 Sept 1998
(see Gazette 1998, No. S473)

25 Aug 1998

—

Table of Amendments

ad. = added or inserted      am. = amended      rep. = repealed      rs. = repealed and substituted

Provision affected

How affected

R. 2.................

am. 1987; 1990

R. 4.................

am. 1990

R. 6.................

rs. 1987

Heading to r. 7

rs. 1998 (No. 2)

R. 7.................

rs. 1987

 

am. 1998 (No. 1) and 1998 (No. 2)

R. 8.................

am. 1998 (No. 2)

R. 9.................

am. 1998 (No. 2)

R. 11................

am. 1998 (No. 2)

R. 12................

rs. 1987

R. 14................

am. 1998 (No. 2)

 

 

 

 

Overview

The Australian Bravery Decorations Regulations, enacted under Letters Patent, were introduced to establish a structured framework for the recognition and awarding of bravery decorations within Australia. This legislation was designed to address the need for a formal system to honour acts of bravery by individuals and groups, both within and outside Australia, and to ensure the consistent application of criteria for such awards. The Regulations are made under the authority of the Governor-General and provide detailed guidelines on the design, awarding conditions, and post-nominal letters associated with each decoration. The enacting body for these Regulations is the Governor-General, and the policy objective is to recognise and honour acts of bravery that are in the interest of Australia.

Scope and Application

The Australian Bravery Decorations Regulations, made under Letters Patent, govern the award of bravery decorations within Australia. These Regulations apply to the various bravery decorations, including the Cross of Valour, the Star of Courage, the Bravery Medal, the Commendation for Brave Conduct, and the Group Bravery Citation, as well as bars to these awards. The awards can be bestowed upon both Australian citizens and non-citizens for acts of bravery, with specific conditions outlined for each type of decoration. The Australian Bravery Decorations Council, consisting of members appointed by the Governor-General and representing various government entities and territories, is responsible for considering nominations and making recommendations for the award of these decorations. The Governor-General has the authority to approve and sign the instruments for the award of decorations, with the approval of The Sovereign. The regulations also provide for the design, wearing, and cancellation or reinstatement of these awards, with specific post-nominal letters assigned to each decoration. The scope of these Regulations extends nationally across Australia, providing a structured framework for recognising acts of bravery through the award of these prestigious decorations.

Key Provisions

The Australian Bravery Decorations Regulations (C2010Q00056) govern the award of bravery decorations in Australia, providing specific criteria for the design and award of each type of decoration, and outlining the roles and responsibilities of the Australian Bravery Decorations Council. Section 4 outlines the criteria for the award of each decoration: the Cross of Valour (section 4(1)) is awarded for acts of the most conspicuous courage in extreme peril; the Star of Courage (section 4(2)) for acts of conspicuous courage in great peril; the Bravery Medal (section 4(3)) for acts of bravery in hazardous circumstances; the Commendation for Brave Conduct (section 4(4)) for other acts of bravery worthy of recognition; and the Group Bravery Citation (section 4(5)) for a collective act of bravery in extraordinary circumstances. Additionally, all decorations may be awarded posthumously (section 5), and non-citizens may be recognised if their actions benefit Australia (section 6). The Regulations impose several obligations on the parties involved. The Australian Bravery Decorations Council (section 7) is responsible for considering nominations for awards and advising the Governor-General. The Council is composed of several members, including the Secretary to the Department of Defence, a representative from the Australian honours system, and twelve appointees from various government levels. The Council's responsibilities also include maintaining a Register of awardees and performing other functions as directed by the Governor-General (section 9). The award of a decoration must be approved by the Governor-General and made by an Instrument signed by the Governor-General (section 10). Nominations for awards can be submitted by any person or organisation to the Secretary of the Council (section 11). Breaches of the provisions of these Regulations can lead to serious consequences. The Governor-General has the authority to cancel an award and require the return of the decoration (section 14(1) and (2)). If a cancelled award is later restored, the Secretary of the Council must update the Register accordingly (section 14(3)). While the Regulations do not explicitly detail criminal or civil penalties for breaches, the seriousness of the offences related to the misuse or unauthorised wearing of decorations, as well as the potential for the Governor-General to cancel an award, underscores the importance of adhering to the stipulated criteria and procedures for the award and wearing of these honours.

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Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation at 26 August 2026. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to https://www.legislation.gov.au.