Star of Courage (Australia)
Encyclopedia
The Star of Courage is a bravery decoration awarded to Australians. It is awarded for acts of conspicuous courage in circumstances of great peril. The SC was created on 14 February 1975. The decoration recognises acts of bravery by members of the community. They selflessly put themselves in jeopardy to protect the lives or property of others. It is ranked second in the Australian civil bravery decorations in the Australian Honours System
. Recipients of the Star of Courage are entitled to use the post-nominal letters
"SC".
. The obverse has the shield and crest of the Commonwealth Coat of Arms
surmounted by a Federation Star
.
2.10 per fortnight.
Australian Honours System
-History:The Commonwealth of Australia, until 1975, used the Imperial or British honours system. Only a handful of peerages were created for Australians, some in recognition of public services rendered in Britain rather than Australia. Some hereditary peers and baronets whose titles derive from...
. Recipients of the Star of Courage are entitled to use the post-nominal letters
Post-nominal letters
Post-nominal letters, also called post-nominal initials, post-nominal titles or designatory letters, are letters placed after the name of a person to indicate that the individual holds a position, educational degree, accreditation, office, or honour. An individual may use several different sets of...
"SC".
Medal
The Star of Courage is a silver, ribbed star with seven points ensigned with the Crown of Saint EdwardSt. Edward's Crown
St Edward's Crown was one of the English Crown Jewels and remains one of the senior British Crown Jewels, being the official coronation crown used in the coronation of first English, then British, and finally Commonwealth realms monarchs...
. The obverse has the shield and crest of the Commonwealth Coat of Arms
Coat of arms of Australia
The coat of arms of Australia is the official symbol of Australia. The initial coat of arms was granted by King Edward VII on 7 May 1908, and the current version was granted by King George V on 19 September 1912, although the 1908 version continued to be used in some contexts, notably appearing on...
surmounted by a Federation Star
Commonwealth Star
The Commonwealth Star is a seven-pointed star symbolising the Federation of Australia which came into force on 1 January 1901....
.
Ribbon and Bar
A suspender bar is engraved with the words For Courage. The 32mm medal ribbon is dark red with a central magenta band of 14mm width, representing the colours of venous and arterial blood.Decoration allowance
Section 102 of the Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986 (VEA) provides for the payment of an allowance called “decoration allowance” to a veteran who is in receipt of a disability pension under the VEA and who was awarded the Star of Courage for gallantry during a war or warlike operations covered by the VEA. At March 2008, this tax free allowance was A$Australian dollar
The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
2.10 per fortnight.
See also
- Australian Honours Order of PrecedenceAustralian Honours Order of Precedence- Order of wear :Order of precedence for the wearing of decorations and awards within the Australian Honours System.Articles marked with * are awards of the British Empire/United Kingdom and are now considered foreign....
- List of recipients of the Star of Courage
External links
- The Australian Honours Secretariat, www.gg.gov.au