List of Australian Victoria Cross recipients

The Victoria Cross (VC) is a military decoration awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy"Cite web |url=http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/publications/honours/factsheets/victorian_cross_%20for_australia.pdf |title=VC for Australia |publisher=Australian Government |accessdate=2007-07-02 |format=PDF] to members of the Australia Armed Forces. It may be awarded to a person of any in any service, and to civilians under military command. Being the highest award in the Australian Honours Order of Precedence, the Victoria Cross takes precedence over all other postnominals and Australian orders and decorations.

The Victoria Cross was instituted by Queen Victoria in 1856, initially to reward acts of valour during the Crimean War. In 1991 the use of the Victoria Cross was replaced with the Victoria Cross for Australia which was instituted by letters patent in 1991 within the Commonwealth of Australia and Territories. As of October 2007, the Victoria Cross for Australia has never been awarded. Because of its rarity and inherent significance, the VC is highly prized, both as an award and as a collector's item, one medal being sold for over AU$1 million at auction. [Cite news |url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/Gallipoli-VC-medal-sets-auction-record/2006/07/24/1153593264537.html |title=Gallipoli VC medal sets auction record |publisher=The Age |date=2006-07-24 |accessdate=2007-01-30]

The Victoria Cross has been awarded to 96 Australians. Ninety of these were received for actions whilst serving with Australian units. Six were received for actions whilst serving with other units. The majority of the awards were for action in the First World War when a total of 64 medals were awarded. Nine of these awards were for action during the Gallipoli Campaign. 20 medals were awarded for action in the Second World War, 6 in the Second Boer War, 4 in the Vietnam War and 2 in the Russian Civil War. One recipient, Captain Alfred John Shout VC, MC (who was also Mentioned in Despatches) was Australia's most decorated soldier of the Gallipoli campaign. His Victoria Cross was posthumously awarded after Shout died of his wounds after the Battle of Lone Pine. [cite web |url=http://www.anzacsite.gov.au/5environment/bravery.html |title=Bravery awards at Gallipoli |publisher=Australian Government, Department of Veterans Affairs |accessdate=2007-11-09]

Recipients

legend2|#e3d9ff|This along with the *, indicates that the Victoria Cross was awarded posthumously|border=1px solid #AAAAAA
AWM = This denotes that the medal is held at the Australian War Memorial

References

;General
*cite web |url=http://www.awm.gov.au/virtualtour/valour.htm |title=Victoria Crosses at the Australian War Memorial|publisher=Australian War Memorial |accessdate=2008-02-23
*cite web |url=http://www.anzacday.org.au/education/medals/vc/austlist.html |title=List of Australian recipients of the Victoria Cross |publisher=Anzac Day Commemoration Committee |accessdate=2008-02-23;Specific