The George Cross (GC) is the highest civil decoration for heroism in the United Kingdom. Australia as a member of the Commonwealth of Nations through the Governor-General of Australia was eligible to recommend awards, with the last GC recommended in 1972, on the advice of the Australian Prime Minister, for the late Jack Emanuel GC. Each governor of the six Australian colonies, when achieving self-government in the second half of the nineteenth century, had the power on the advice of the colonial premier to recommend awards. This power was retained by colonial governors who became state governors when Australia federated on 1 January 1901. The last Australian recommendation for the GC was made by the State Governor of Victoria in 1978 for the award to Constable Michael Kenneth Pratt. Australian prime minister Paul Keating, on 5 October 1992, following more than two years of negotiations with Australian State governments, announced Australia would make no further recommendations under the Imperial honours system. British honours awarded to Australians, including the GC, after the announcement, would be treated as foreign awards. The highest civil decoration for heroism in Australia is the Cross of Valour instituted by letters patent within the Commonwealth of Australia and its Territories on 14 February 1975 when the Australian honours system was inaugurated. Between the first award of the GC to an Australian in 1942 and the final bestowal to Constable Pratt in1978,14 Australians were directly decorated with the medal. Nine awards were to military personnel and five were to civilians. Eight of the awards were posthumous.

Exchange recipients

At the time of the institution of the GC, all living recipients of the Empire Gallantry Medal which included two Australians, were deemed holders of the GC. On 21 October 1971, the British Government announced that living recipients of the Albert Medal and Edward Medal would be deemed holders of the GC. Unlike the 1940 Empire Gallantry Medal exchange when it was mandatory for recipients to exchange insignia, the former Albert Medal and Edward Medal recipients had the option of retaining their insignia. Of the 27 Australian holders of the Albert Medal, six were living in 1971 and all opted to exchange their insignia. Five of the six received the GC personally from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in 1972. Only one of the eight Australians awarded the Edward Medal was alive in 1971 and this was not known until this century. In the 2020 Australian War Memorial book For Gallantry: Australians awarded the George Cross and the Cross of Valour, Frank Duller, who died in 1983 is listed as a GC holder. Of the 23 Australian GC holders, Michael Pratt GC is the only living Australian GC recipient.

Recipients

Direct awards of the George Cross

Empire Gallantry Medal, Albert Medal and Edward Medal exchanges

EGM = This indicates a recipient of the Empire Gallantry Medal who exchanged the award for the George Cross. AM = This indicates a recipient of the Albert Medal who exchanged the award for the George Cross. EM = This indicates a recipient of the Edward Medal who exchanged the award for the George Cross.