Australian Honours and Awards

Part of the Awards topic

In short

The Australian Honours and Awards system recognises the outstanding service and contributions of Australians. Recipients come from across the country and all walks of life. While some are well-known, the majority are unsung heroes and everyday Australians making a positive difference through their remarkable contributions.

How to make a nomination

Any Australian can make a nomination using the Australian Honours and Awards Portal.

Nominations are assessed by the Honours and Awards Secretariat and considered by the Council of the Order of Australia before recommendations are made to the Governor-General.

The Order of Australia

The Order of Australia recognises Australians who have demonstrated outstanding service or exceptional achievement. The Order of Australia includes a Military Division. Awards in this division are recommended to the Governor-General by the Minister for Defence.

Australian Bravery Decorations

The Australian Bravery Decorations recognise acts of bravery where people selflessly put themselves in jeopardy to protect the lives or property of others.

There are 4 levels of bravery awards to recognise the actions of individuals, as well as an award (established in 1990) to recognise acts of bravery by a group of people involved in a single incident.

Meritorious Service Awards

Meritorious Service Awards, including the Public Service Medal, recognise outstanding and distinguished service by public servants, members of an Australian police force, fire, ambulance, corrections, intelligence or emergency service, or in support of outstanding work with an Australian Antarctic expedition.

Nominations for meritorious awards are considered by a coordinating authority before being submitted to the responsible Commonwealth, State or Territory Minister or Premier.

Members of the public cannot nominate someone for a meritorious award, including the Public Service Medal.

The Governor-General makes these awards on the recommendation of the responsible Minister. Awards are announced twice a year on Australia Day and the King's Birthday weekend in June.

Deadlines for submissions of meritorious award nominations from coordinating authorities are:

15 December for the following King’s Birthday Honours List announcement
1 July for the following Australia Day Honours List announcement.

Public Service Medal

The Public Service Medal recognises public service employees, including those of the Australian Government and state, territory and local governments, who've provided outstanding public service.

The Queensland Public Service Medal Committee meets twice a year to consider nominations for the Australia Day and King's Birthday Honours Lists.

How to make a Queensland Public Service Medal nomination

Before making a nomination, read the:

You can nominate using the Queensland Public Service Medal Nomination Form (DOCX, 7.9MB).

Queensland Public Service Medal nomination eligibility and deadlines:

Public Service Medal nominations are only accepted from Queensland Government departments and agencies and local government councils with closing dates as follows:

1 June for the following Australia Day Honours List (26 January)
1 December for the following King’s Birthday Honours List (June).

Nominations must be received by the Department of the Premier and Cabinet, Queensland, by close of business on the closing date to be considered for the upcoming announcement. Nominations should be submitted via honours@premiers.qld.gov.au.

Support for Queensland nominations

If you need more information to progress a Queensland nomination for any honours and awards listed on this page, please contact the Department of the Premier and Cabinet by:

phone: 07 3003 9200
email: honours@premiers.qld.gov.au