About the awards

The Order of Australia recognises Australians who have demonstrated outstanding service or exceptional achievement.

There are four levels of award, The Companion of the Order of Australia (AC), Officer of the Order of Australia (AO), Member of the Order of Australia (AM), and Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM). 

The Order of Australia also has a Military Division (awards in this division are recommended to the Governor-General by the Minister for Defence).

Anyone can nominate a member of the community for an award in the Order of Australia. 

All nominations are confidential. Please note, however, your name and email address will be shared with the referees you supplied in the nomination form.

Nominating is a chance to recognise someone 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 based on the impact the nominee has had. Your nomination is a starting point in the process and success is not based on how well you write the nomination.  

Eligibility

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 have made. 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
• Have done both – 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.  

You can read recipient stories to learn about some of the different ways people have contributed.  

Generally, someone who has been nominated and was unsuccessful, will not be considered for another five years (unless in exceptional circumstances). 

Nominating

Nominations are made through the online Portal.

More information on: 

• How to access the portal.
• How to complete the nomination form.

Changes to nominating

On 31 October 2025 the Australian Honours and Awards Secretariat implemented changes to the way nominations for the Order of Australia are submitted, designed to increase efficiency.  

Nominating someone for recognition through the Order of Australia has always required the provision of referees. The revised nomination form requires the nominator to include the name and email address of three referees who can comment on the nomination they have prepared.    

The changes mean referees will receive an email generated by the portal, seeking their comments. Nominators will not have access to the comments provided by referees. Only after all three referees have responded to the request, submitting their confidential comments, will the nominator be able to submit their nomination.  

The nominator will be alerted by email after each referee has responded and, once all referees have responded, the nominator will need to log back into the portal to submit their nomination.  

The changes apply to all new nominations and those at 31 october 2025 that had not been submitted. 

Medals and descriptors

	Individuals are appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) for eminent achievement and merit of the highest degree in service to Australia or to humanity at large
	Individuals are appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for distinguished service of a high degree to Australia or to humanity at large
	Individuals are appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for service in a particular locality or field of activity or to a particular group.
	The Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) is awarded for service worthy of particular recognition.

Details

More detail is available in the Order of Australia handbook. The book includes:

• History, eligibility and nomination details
• Letters Patent, Regulations and Determinations
• Images and descriptions of what each award looks like
• Guidance on how decorations are worn.