Australian Honours and Awards
When the Australian Honours and Awards are announced each January and June do you look to see how many are Scouting members? Have you considered whether one of your Leaders or Adult Supporters who received a President’s Award or Silver Kangaroo through the Adult Recognition Awards system in the past few years should be recognised for excellence, achievement or meritorious service and contributions to our society for what they undertake in Scouting and within your community?
Like nearly every other country in the world, Australia has a system of honours and awards which are unique in that they were designed for the community to make nominations. Anyone can nominate someone to be recognised through the Order of Australia. The Order of Australia recognises Australians who have demonstrated outstanding service or exceptional achievement. On 31 October 2025 the Australian Honours and Awards Secretariat implemented changes to the way nominations for the Order of Australia are submitted. These changes have been designed to increase efficiency. These changes apply to all new nominations and those that have not yet been submitted. Detailed guidance is provided on The Order of Australia page.
Anyone can nominate a member of the community for an award in the Order of Australia. Nominating someone is a chance to recognise a peer for their hard-work, service and dedication. It is an opportunity to celebrate those inspiring people who make our nation what it is. All nominations are independently researched before they are considered by the Council for the Order of Australia. This research checks the information you provide and gathers more details about the person you are nominating. The Council for the Order of Australia considers the information and makes a recommendation to the Governor-General.
Ultimately, the outcome is primarily based on the impact that your nominee has had. Your nomination is a starting point in the process and success is not based on how well you write the nomination. The Order of Australia celebrates Australians who make an outstanding contribution to the community – at the local, national or international level.
The Council decides who should be recommended based on a person’s actions, achievements and the difference they make. People who are recognised go above and beyond what is reasonably expected (or could be expected) to make life better for others.
To be eligible for the Order of Australia, a nominee must:
- be alive at the time their nomination is received
- be an Australian citizen or permanent resident (see note below)
- have not been recognised through the Order of Australia in the last five years.
Non-citizens and permanent residents may be recognised through honorary awards. Recognition for non-citizens is the responsibility of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
Australians from all walks of life are recognised through the Order of Australia. They may:
- be a volunteer whose service is over and above the contributions of other volunteers
- have made an outstanding contribution within their professional field (whatever that is)
- have done both – made an impact in their job/s and contributed as a volunteer. Usually, recipients have contributed in many ways.
It doesn’t matter what their background is or what type of work they do, if someone makes a positive difference they may be recognised.
Generally, someone who has been nominated their nomination may take up to 3-4 years to be assessed and if they are unsuccessful, they will not be considered for another three years (unless in exceptional circumstances).
For further information refer to the Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia’s website. gg.gov.au
Kirsty M Brown AM
Chair – National Awards Sub Committee
