Cross of Valour (Australia)

Cross of Valour
Type	Medal
Awarded for	"acts of conspicuous courage in circumstances of extreme peril" [1]
Presented by	Governor-General of Australia
Eligibility	Australian citizen
Post-nominals	CV
Status	Currently awarded
Established	14 February 1975
First award	1989
Final award	2003
Total	5
Order of wear
Next (higher)	George Cross (GC)(If awarded on or before 5 October 1992) [2]
Next (lower)	Knight/Lady of the Garter (KG/LG)
Related	Star of Courage Bravery Medal Commendation for Brave Conduct Group Bravery Citation

The Cross of Valour was established in 1975 as Australia's highest decoration for bravery. The award was established as part of the institution of the Australian Honours System. The Cross of Valour has been awarded to five Australian civilians and, although there has been no military recipient, they would be eligible in situations where normal honours to the military do not apply. ^[2]

The Cross of Valour is awarded "only for acts of the most conspicuous courage in circumstances of extreme peril". It is awarded by the governor-general of Australia, on the recommendation of the Australian Bravery Decorations Council. The award carries the post-nominal initials CV; awards may be made posthumously.

Description

• The Cross of Valour is a gold, straight-armed cross pattée with diminishing rays between the arms. It is ensigned with the Crown of St Edward.
• The obverse has the shield and crest of the Commonwealth Coat of Arms surmounted by a Federation Star. A suspender bar is engraved with the words 'For Valour'.
• The ribbon is 38 mm wide, magenta with a central 16 mm blood-red band. The two reds in the ribbon represent the colours of venous and arterial blood.

List of recipients

To date, the Cross of Valour has been awarded to five recipients.

1989

• Mr Darrell Tree, Captain of Mount Damper Fire Brigade, SA – Rescued a 3-year-old child from electrocution. ^{[3] [4] [5]}

1995

• Mr Victor Boscoe, Qld – Pursued and apprehended armed robbers at Strathpine. ^{[3] [6]}

1998

• Senior Constable Allan Sparkes, NSW – Rescued a boy from flooded underground storm water drains. ^{[3] [7] [8]}

2003

• Senior Constable Timothy Britten, WA – Entered the Sari Club, destroyed in the 2002 Bali bombings, to rescue a badly injured woman, and then searched for other potential survivors despite personal injury and ongoing explosions. ^{[3] [9]}
• Mr Richard Joyes, WA – Entered the bombed Sari Club alongside Senior Constable Timothy Britten to rescue a badly injured woman and search for other potential survivors despite personal injury and ongoing explosions. ^{[10] [11]} He represented recipients at the 2023 Coronation. ^[12]

Decoration allowance

The Australian Department of Veterans' Affairs may grant an allowance, called decoration allowance, to a veteran who has been awarded the Cross of Valour if the veteran is in receipt of a pension under Part II of the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 (VE Act) and the award was for gallantry during a war to which the VE Act applies or during warlike operations. So far there have been no awards of the Cross of Valour during wars or warlike operations as required by the VE Act. The allowance has been A$2.10 per fortnight since the Goods and Services Tax in Australia commenced on 1 July 2000. ^[13]

See also

• Orders, decorations, and medals of Australia
• British and Commonwealth orders and decorations
• Cross of Valour – Canada's counterpart
• George Cross – United Kingdom's counterpart
• New Zealand Cross – New Zealand's counterpart

References

1. Cross of Valour Archived 27 February 2016 at the Wayback Machine , itsanhonour.gov.au
2. The order of wearing Australian honours and awards, Commonwealth Gazette No. S192, 28 September 2007. The GC is a British award and is listed third on the Order of Wear after the British Victoria Cross and Victoria Cross for Australia. A note states "all imperial British awards made to Australian citizens after 5 October 1992 are foreign awards and should be worn accordingly". The only living Australian GC recipient received his award in 1978.
3. "Cross of Valour Citations". Australian Bravery Association. 14 May 2003. Archived from the original on 5 November 2009. Retrieved 12 December 2009.
4. "TREE, Darrell James". It's an Honour. Government of Australia. 28 April 1989. Archived from the original on 23 December 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2007.
5. Tenace, Lisa; Brenton Ragless; Krista St John (April 2005). "Our Local Cross of Valour Winner – Mr Darrell Tree, Mount Damper Brigade Captain" (PDF). FireFront e-news, April/May 2005. South Australian Country Fire Service. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 August 2007. Retrieved 31 March 2007.
6. "BOSCOE, Victor Alan". It's an Honour. Government of Australia. 11 October 1995. Archived from the original on 23 December 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2007.
7. "SPARKES, Allan". It's an Honour. Government of Australia. 29 April 1998. Archived from the original on 23 December 2015. Retrieved 8 June 2012.
8. "Courageous policeman saves drowning boy". It's an Honour. Government of Australia. 24 April 2006. Archived from the original on 4 May 2007. Retrieved 31 March 2007.
9. "BRITTEN, Timothy Ian". It's an Honour. Government of Australia. 17 October 2003. Archived from the original on 23 December 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2007.
10. "JOYES, Richard John". It's an Honour. Government of Australia. 17 October 2003. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2007.
11. "After Bali". Four Corners. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 2003. Archived from the original on 17 November 2016. Retrieved 18 April 2008.
12. "Coronation order of service in full". BBC News. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
13. "Veteran's Entitlements Act 1986 – Sect 102". Commonwealth Consolidated Acts. Australasian Legal Information Institute. Retrieved 17 November 2007.

External links

• Cross of Valour Association of Australia – official website