● nours awarded to Australian units include ​Gallipoli 1915​, ​France and Flanders

1914–1918​, ​Middle East 1941–1944​, ​South West Pacific 1942–1945​, ​Korea 1950–1953
and ​Vietnam 1965–1972​.[17]
​
● Battle Honour:​ A battle is an operational action conducted under warlike conditions. A
Battle Honour is defined as the title of a battle or a series of battles fought as a
campaign, an action or an engagement and is awarded to close combat elements of a
Combat Corps of the ​Royal Australian Navy​, ​Australian Army​ or ​Royal Australian Air
Force​ as a public commemoration of outstanding achievement in battle(s), action or
engagement. Examples of Battle Honours awarded to Australian units include the
Landing at Anzac​ Cove, ​Hamel​, ​Tobruk​, ​Kokoda Track​, ​Kapyong​ and
Coral-Balmoral​.[17]​
​ [18]
● Honour Title:​ An Honour Title is awarded to any non-combat unit or sub-unit that is not
entitled to a Battle Honour but which satisfies the same requirements for the award of a
Battle Honour. An example of the award of an Honour Title is the title Coral, awarded to
102nd Field Battery​ for its outstanding achievement during the ​Battle of Coral–Balmoral
in ​South Vietnam​.[17]​
​ [19]
● Honour Distinction:​ An Honour Distinction is defined as a public commemoration of
creditable performance by a unit or sub-unit in an operation which does not attract a
Theatre, Battle or Honour Title. Honour Distinctions are intended to recognise service
under operational conditions in security-related, peace keeping and peace enforcement
and similar operations. The first award of an Honour Distinction was the award made to
the ​17th Construction Squadron​ for the ​Australian contribution​ to the ​United Nations
Transition Assistance Group​ (UNTAG) ​peacekeeping​ mission in ​Namibia​ in 1989 and
1990.​[20]​[21]
It is common that units claim Honours from original units with a historical connection to a military
predecessors of the current Unit. For example, ​4th/3rd Battalion, Royal New South Wales Regiment
which is a modern amalgamated unit, is entitled to the previous Honours of the ​3rd Battalion​, the ​4th
Battalion​ as well as the World War I Honours of the 3rd and 4th Battalions ​First Australian Imperial
Force​. The term Battle Honour can be used to denote both battle and theatre honours.​[17]
Historically the system was drawn from the British system adopted during ​World War I​ but has been
modified since. A relatively recent change is the introduction of the Honours for recognition of
outstanding service in dangerous operations short of declared theatres of war.​[22]​ Defence also has
The Order of Australia insignia were designed by ​Stuart Devlin​ in 1976. Devlin used the livery
colours of the ​Australian Coat of Arms​, gold and royal blue. He also translated an individual ball of
wattle blossom​ into a simple convex golden disc with a rich texture of beads and radiating lines
accentuating a ring of blue ​enamel​ representing the sea.
The disc is surmounted by an enamel Crown signifying the position of the Order of Australia as an
Australian Royal Honour​. The sovereign is Head of the Order of Australia. The Governor-General is
Principal Knight or Dame and Chancellor of the Order of Australia. The blue and gold theme is
continued in the ribbon. Most of the insignia pieces are produced by the ​Royal Australian Mint​ in
Canberra​. The actual pieces for the two divisions of the Order are identical: it is only the ribbon
which differentiates an award between the General and the Military divisions. In the Military Division
the ribbon is distinguished by the addition of a narrow gold band on each edge.