Cross of Valour (Australia)

Cross of Valour
Awarded by Australia
Type	Medal
Eligibility	Australian citizen
Awarded for	"acts of conspicuous courage in circumstances of extreme peril "[1]
Status	Currently awarded
Post-nominals	CV
Statistics
Established	14 February 1975
First awarded	1989
Last awarded	2003
Total awarded	5
Order of wear
Next (higher)	George Cross (GC)[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 the highest Australian Bravery Award. The awards were 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 Australian 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". 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 38mm wide, magenta with a central 16mm 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 bombed Bali nightclub to rescue a badly injured woman, and then continued to search for survivors despite personal injury and ongoing explosions.^[3][9]

• Mr Richard Joyes, WA - Entered the bombed Bali nightclub to rescue a badly injured woman, and then continued to search for survivors despite personal injury and ongoing explosions.^[10][11]

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.^[12]

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, 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 second on the Order of Wear after the VC and VCFA which are deemed equivalent awards and before the Cross of Valour. 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. 2003-05-14. Retrieved 2009-12-12.
4. "TREE, Darrell James". It's an Honour. Government of Australia. 28 April 1989. Retrieved 2007-03-31.
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 2007-08-31. Retrieved 2007-03-31.
6. "BOSCOE, Victor Alan". It's an Honour. Government of Australia. 11 October 1995. Retrieved 2007-03-31.
7. "SPARKES, Allan". It's an Honour. Government of Australia. 29 April 1998. Retrieved 2012-06-08.
8. "Courageous policeman saves drowning boy". It's an Honour. Government of Australia. 2006-04-24. Retrieved 2007-03-31.
9. "BRITTEN, Timothy Ian". It's an Honour. Government of Australia. 17 October 2003. Retrieved 2007-03-31.
10. "JOYES, Richard John". It's an Honour. Government of Australia. 17 October 2003. Retrieved 2007-03-31.
11. "After Bali". Four Corners. abc.net.au. 2003.
12. "Veteran's Entitlements Act 1986 - Sect 102". Commonwealth Consolidated Acts. Australasian Legal Information Institute. Retrieved 2007-11-17.

External links

• Cross of Valour Association of Australia - official website