History

The Victoria Cross for Australia was established on 15 January 1991 by letters pattern of Queen Elizabeth II. It is the highest military honour for wartime bravery in the Australian honours system.

The Cross is conferred upon military personnel who demonstrated extreme devotion to duty in times of war, by performing acts of extraordinary bravery, leadership, or self-sacrifice in the face of the enemy. All ranks of the Navy, Army and Air Force are eligible to receive this award/

Recipients may use the postnominal letters ‘VC’. If a recipient receives the award again, it is issued in the form of a bar. They are entitled to use the postnominal ‘VC and Bar’.

The Victoria Cross for Australia is identical in design to the original Victoria Cross. The award is in the shape of a cross pattée and features the Royal Crown surmounted by a Crowned Lion. The inscription ‘FOR VALOUR’ is featured below the Royal Crown. The reverse of the cross is engraved with the date of the event, for which the award was conferred for. The cross is attached to a bar suspender that is decorated with laurel leaves. The reverse of the bar is engraved with the recipient’s name, rank, and unit. The ribbon is crimson red.

The award is solely manufactured by Hancocks & Co. of London. The material used to make these medals is derived from the bronze cascabels of two cannons that the British took from the Russians during the Crimean War. The Russians had captured the cannons from the Chinese years earlier.

The Cross may be awarded posthumously. Four have been issued to date.