English

Proper noun

Order of Australia

1. (chiefly Australia, Britain) An order of chivalry established for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement. [Established 1975.]
   • 2002, Owen Parnaby, Australia's First Rotary Club: A History of the Rotary Club of Melbourne, page 146,

     The first step towards the new order came with the Whitlam Government of 1972-75. Proudly Australian, it abandoned imperial honours and introduced the Order of Australia.

   • 2005, Christopher McCreery, The Order of Canada: Its Origins, History, And Development, page 176,

     On 26 January 1975, Australia Day, the Queen signed the Letters Patent founding the Order of Australia. The Governor General of Australia formally announced the new order in late February.

   • 2010, James Gobbo, Something to Declare: A Memoir, page 288,

     I had a similar experience when from 1981 to 1992 I served as a member of the Order of Australia council, which made recommendations for awards in the Order of Australia.

Derived terms

• AC, AO, AM, OAM
• (no longer awarded): AD, AK

Translations

Noun

Order of Australia ‎(plural Orders of Australia)

1. (Australia, informal) An appointment made within the Order of Australia.
   • 2002, Law Institute of Victoria, Queensland Law Society, Law Institute Journal: The Official Organ of the Law Institute of Victoria, Volume 76, page xiv,

     Children′s lawyers do not earn six figure salaries, get appointed to company boards, or Orders of Australia.

   • 2010, Ian Ward, Randal G. Stewart, Politics One, 4th Edition, page 6,

     This is manifestly the case with the issuing of Orders of Australia and similar honours.

   • 2011, Paul Cleary, Too Much Luck, page 146,

     It is a fantastically simple but effective piece of policy; the Treasury officials who thought of it deserve Orders of Australia.