The George Cross (GC) is the highest civil decoration for heroism in the United Kingdom. Australia as a member of the Commonwealth of Nations through the Governor-General of Australia was eligible to recommend awards, with the last GC recommended in 1972, on the advice of the Australian Prime Minister, for the late Jack Emanuel GC. Each governor of the six Australian colonies, when achieving self-government in the second half of the nineteenth century, had the power on the advice of the colonial premier to recommend awards. This power was retained by colonial governors who became state governors when Australia federated on 1 January 1901. The last Australian recommendation for the GC was made by the State Governor of Victoria in 1978 for the award to Constable Michael Kenneth Pratt. Australian prime minister Paul Keating, on 5 October 1992, following more than two years of negotiations with Australian State governments, announced Australia would make no further recommendations under the Imperial honours system. British honours awarded to Australians, including the GC, after the announcement, would be treated as foreign awards.[1] [2]
At the time of the institution of the GC, all living recipients of the Empire Gallantry Medal which included two Australians, were deemed holders of the GC. On 21 October 1971, the British Government announced that living recipients of the Albert Medal and Edward Medal would be deemed holders of the GC. Unlike the 1940 Empire Gallantry Medal exchange when it was mandatory for recipients to exchange insignia, the former Albert Medal and Edward Medal recipients had the option of retaining their insignia. Of the 27 Australian holders of the Albert Medal, six were living in 1971 and all opted to exchange their insignia. Five of the six received the GC personally from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in 1972. Only one of the eight Australians awarded the Edward Medal was alive in 1971 and this was not known until this century. In the 2020 Australian War Memorial book For Gallantry: Australians awarded the George Cross and the Cross of Valour, Frank Duller, who died in 1983 is listed as a GC holder. Of the 23 Australian GC holders, Michael Pratt GC is the only living Australian GC recipient.
| Name | Date of action | Organisation | Summary of action(s) | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 January 1945* | New South Wales Police Force | Apprehended a suspect while mortally wounded | |||
| 29 April 1960* | Metropolitan Tram Trust | Attempting to regain control of tram during accident | |||
| July 1969 – August 1971* | District Commissioner, Territory of Papua New Guinea | Resolving factional conflicts and restoring local government in Papua New Guinea | |||
| ^ | 12 June 1943 – 10 April 1944 | Royal Australian Naval Volunteer Reserve | Mine recovery and defusion, Second World War | ||
| ^ | 8–19 May 1945 | Royal Australian Naval Volunteer Reserve | Mine recovery and defusion, Second World War | ||
| ^ | 5 August 1944* | Citizens Military Force | Gallantry during Cowra breakout | ||
| ^ | 5 August 1944* | Citizens Military Force | Gallantry during Cowra breakout | ||
| ^ | 24 April 1951 – 6 November 1951* | Australian Army | Fortitude while a prisoner of war, Korean War | ||
| ^ | August 1942 – March 1944* | Second Australian Imperial Force | Fortitude while a prisoner of war, Second World War | ||
| ^ | 14 November1941 – 30 June 1942 | Royal Australian Naval Volunteer Reserve | Mine recovery and defusion, Second World War | ||
| 4 June 1976 | Victoria Police Force | Intervention in an armed robbery | |||
| ^ | 10 February 1964* | Royal Australian Navy | Gallantry during Melbourne-Voyager collision | ||
| ^ | 19 May 1941 – 25 December 1942 | Royal Australian Naval Volunteer Reserve | Mine recovery and defusion, Second World War | ||
| January–March 1951 | Commonwealth Bureau of Mineral Resources | Gallantry during eruption of Mount Lamington, Papua New Guinea |
EGM = This indicates a recipient of the Empire Gallantry Medal who exchanged the award for the George Cross.
AM = This indicates a recipient of the Albert Medal who exchanged the award for the George Cross.
EM = This indicates a recipient of the Edward Medal who exchanged the award for the George Cross.
| Name | Date of action | Organisation | Summary of action(s) | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ^ | 12 April 1918 | Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve | Gallantry during engine room explosion on HM Motor Launch 356 | AM | |
| 4 February 1922 | North Bondi Surf Life Saving Club | Rescue of swimmer during shark attack | AM | ||
| 12 July 1918 | Civilian | Risked his life in an attempt to save fellow miner | EM | ||
| 3 January 1927 | Civilian | Rescue of swimmer during shark attack | AM | ||
| 19 January 1929 | Civilian | Rescue of swimmer during shark attack | AM | ||
| 19 November 1924 | Chauffeur to Governor-General of Sudan | Gallantry during assassination of the Governor-General of Sudan | EGM | ||
| ^ | 31 August 1937 | Royal Australian Air Force | Attempted rescue of an officer trapped in a burning aircraft | AM | |
| 9 October 1915 – 19 March 1916 | Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition | Gallantry during Trans-Antarctic Expedition | AM | ||
| 15 May 1935 | Australia-New Zeal9nd rmail flight | Gallantry during flight when the aircraft's starboard engine failed | EGM |
. Robert Macklin. Bravest: How Some of Australia's Greatest War Heroes Won Their Medals. 2008. Allen & Unwin. Crows Nest, New South Wales, Australia. 978-1-74114-882-4.