Instituted on Feb 14th 2001 and awarded in 3 categories:
 
General list: people who served Australia, for example community volunteers and those whose achievements in science, research or the arts made a notable impact at a national or international level.
 
Centenarians: Australians who lived through our first century of Federation.  That is, those Australian citizens born on or before 31st December 1901 and who lived to celebrate the centenary of federation on 1st January 2001.
 
Government and judicial officer holders: to celebrate the Australian system of govenment.