Australian Knights And Dames
This is an incomplete list of all Australians who have ever been appointed a knight or a dame, being entitled to be known as "Sir" or "Dame" respectively. It includes Living Australian knights and dames as well as deceased persons.
For the purposes of this list, an Australian is either:
- an Australian citizen (note that Australian citizenship did not exist prior to 26 January 1949), or
- a British subject who was born in or whose primary domicile was in Australia (between 1 January 1901 and 25 January 1949), or in the Australian colonies (between 26 January 1788 and 31 December 1900).
Hence, the list does not include most knighted British governors-general or colonial or state governors. Their primary domicile was, generally, in the United Kingdom, and they were only temporarily based in Australia. Those who chose to remain in Australia in retirement are listed below.
These appointments were made under:
- the British Imperial honours system. These were recommended by the Australian Government until 1982 and State Governments until 1989 (in some cases, recommendations were made by other governments of the Commonwealth of Nations, principally the United Kingdom); and
- the Australian Honours System established in 1975. The categories of Knight and Dame of the Order of Australia were created by the Malcolm Fraser Liberal-National government in 1976, and abolished by the Bob Hawke Labor government in 1986. During that period, twelve Knights and two Dames of the Order of Australia were appointed.
Appointments as knight or dame under the orders of foreign countries are not included, with the exception of British Imperial honours awarded to Australians by the UK and PNG Governments after 5 October 1992. Foreign knights or dames do not use the titles "Sir" or "Dame" or the use post nominals. For example the late Dr Malcolm Mackintosh who was appointed Companion of the Order of Australia in the Australia Day Honours List in 1999 and was created Knight Bachelor in the British New Year’s Honours List in 1995 is correctly known as Dr Malcolm Mackintosh AC without the title 'Sir' and without the post nominal Kt.
Many of the people shown had other honours, such as AC, OBE, CMG, VC, etc. These details are not relevant to this list, and are not shown.
Most of the details were sourced from It's an Honour, the Australian Government database of honours and awards. All names of persons who were appointed to orders of chivalry (Order of Australia, Order of the British Empire, etc) that appear in It's an Honour are listed. The list of Knights Bachelor is still incomplete. Not all awards appear in It's an Honour, as awardees may elect not to have their awards displayed.
Read more about Australian Knights And Dames: Knights Bachelor, Non-Australian Knights and Dames With Significant Australian Associations
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“Beyond the horizon, or even the knowledge, of the cities along the coast, a great, creative impulse is at work—the only thing, after all, that gives this continent meaning and a guarantee of the future. Every Australian ought to climb up here, once in a way, and glimpse the various, manifold life of which he is a part.”
—Vance Palmer (1885–1959)
“Here we have bishops, priests, and deacons, a Censorship Board, vigilant librarians, confraternities and sodalities, Duce Maria, Legions of Mary, Knights of this Christian order and Knights of that one, all surrounding the sinner’s free will in an embattled circle.”
—Sean O’Casey (1884–1964)
““Justice” was done, and the President of the Immortals, in Æschylean phrase, had ended his sport with Tess. And the d’Urberville knights and dames slept on in their tombs unknowing. The two speechless gazers bent themselves down to the earth, as if in prayer, and remained thus a long time, absolutely motionless: the flag continued to wave silently. As soon as they had strength they arose, joined hands again, and went on.
The End”
—Thomas Hardy (1840–1928)