Buckingham Palace, 10 February 1975
Confidential
My dear Tom
As is often the case with Mr Whitlam, matters concerning the institution of an Australian system of Awards are moving with break neck speed. An announcement about its institution will be made on 19th February.1
You should know that Mr Whitlam is reconciled to the continuance, in four States, of British Honours awarded on the recommendation of State Premiers and accepts the view that the two Honours’ systems will have to be operated at the same time.2
This, of course, will not be stated in the announcement made about the establishment of the Australian Honours system but will no doubt be made plain when he is subjected to questioning.
I am sending copies of this letter to John Hunt and Robert Armstrong.
1 The Order of Australia, an Order of Chivalry, was established by the Queen on 14 February 1975 ‘ for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement of meritorious service’. Whitlam inaugurated the Order expressly to supersede all other honours for Australian purposes. The original Order had only three grades: Companion (AC), Officer (AO) and Member (AM). On 24 May 1976, the further categories of Knight (AK), Dame (AD), and Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) were established by the Queen on the advice of Whitlam’s Liberal successor, Malcolm Fraser (Prime Minister, 1975–83). Labor’s Bob Hawke made it an election promise before the 1983 election to abolish the Knight and Dame categories. Following Hawke’s election, on 3 March 1986, the Queen signed letters patent countersigned by Hawke, revoking the category of Knight and Dame. Existing Knights and Dames were not affected by the new patent. The Queen of Australia is Sovereign of the Order while the Governor-General of Australia is Principal Companion and Chancellor of the Order. The use of the old honours system declined and was brought to an end by the Queen in 1994. The Queen still confers honours emanating from her personally rather than through the government, in particular the Order of the Garter (last awarded to former Governor-General Sir Ninian Stephen), the Order of Merit (last awarded to Dame Joan Sutherland) and the Royal Victorian Order (for services to the Sovereign).
2 Bjelke-Petersen, Premier of Queensland, was quoted in the Gladstone Observer , 19 February 1975: ‘I can’t see a situation where a person granted honours from Canberra would take precedence over someone honoured by Her Majesty’ (UKNA: FCO 24/2077).
[UKNA: FCO 24/2077]