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.

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.

  This along with the * (asterisk) indicates that the George Cross was awarded posthumously.
  This along with the ^ indicates that the George Cross was awarded to military personnel for actions "not in the face of the enemy".

Name	Date of action	Organisation	Summary of action(s)	Notes
Eric Bailey	1945-01-1212 January 1945*	New South Wales Police Force	Apprehended a suspect while mortally wounded
Raymond Donoghue	1960-04-2929 April 1960*	Metropolitan Tram Trust	Attempting to regain control of tram during accident
Errol Emanuel	1969-07-01July 1969 – August 1971*	District Commissioner, Territory of Papua New Guinea	Resolving factional conflicts and restoring local government in Papua New Guinea
Leon Goldsworthy^	1943-06-1212 June 1943 – 10 April 1944	Royal Australian Naval Volunteer Reserve	Mine recovery and defusion, Second World War
George Gosse^	1945-05-088–19 May 1945	Royal Australian Naval Volunteer Reserve	Mine recovery and defusion, Second World War
Benjamin Gower Hardy^	1944-08-055 August 1944*	Citizens Military Force	Gallantry during Cowra breakout
Ralph Jones^	1944-08-055 August 1944*	Citizens Military Force	Gallantry during Cowra breakout
Horace Madden^	1951-04-2424 April 1951 – 6 November 1951*	Australian Army	Fortitude while a prisoner of war, Korean War
Lionel Matthews^	1942-08-01August 1942 – March 1944*	Second Australian Imperial Force	Fortitude while a prisoner of war, Second World War
John Mould^	1941-11-1414 November1941 – 30 June 1942	Royal Australian Naval Volunteer Reserve	Mine recovery and defusion, Second World War
Michael Pratt	1976-06-044 June 1976	Victoria Police Force	Intervention in an armed robbery
Jonathan Rogers^	1964-02-1010 February 1964*	Royal Australian Navy	Gallantry during Melbourne-Voyager collision
Hugh Syme^	1941-05-1919 May 1941 – 25 December 1942	Royal Australian Naval Volunteer Reserve	Mine recovery and defusion, Second World War
Anthony Taylor	1951-01-01January–March 1951	Commonwealth Bureau of Mineral Resources	Gallantry during eruption of Mount Lamington, Papua New Guinea

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.

Name	Date of action	Organisation	Summary of action(s)	Notes
Arthur Bagot^	1918-05-1212 April 1918	Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve	Gallantry during engine room explosion on HM Motor Launch 356	AM
John Chalmers	1922-02-044 February 1922	North Bondi Surf Life Saving Club	Rescue of swimmer during shark attack	AM
Frank Duller	1918-07-1212 July 1918	Civilian	Risked his life in an attempt to save fellow miner	EM
Stanley Gibbs	1927-01-033 January 1927	Civilian	Rescue of swimmer during shark attack	AM
Robert Kavanaugh	1929-01-1919 January 1929	Civilian	Rescue of swimmer during shark attack	AM
Frederick March	1924-11-1919 November 1924	Chauffeur to Governor-General of Sudan	Gallantry during assassination of the Governor-General of Sudan	EGM
William McAloney^	1937-08-3131 August 1937	Royal Australian Air Force	Attempted rescue of an officer trapped in a burning aircraft	AM
Richard Richards	1915-10-099 October 1915 – 19 March 1916	Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition	Gallantry during Trans-Antarctic Expedition	AM
Patrick Taylor	1935-05-1515 May 1935	Australia-New Zeal9nd rmail flight	Gallantry during flight when the aircraft's starboard engine failed	EGM

• Blanch, Craig (2020). For Gallantry: Australians awarded the George Cross & the Cross of Valour. ISBN 9781742236827.
• Macklin, Robert (2008). Bravest: How Some of Australia's Greatest War Heroes Won Their Medals. Crows Nest, New South Wales, Australia: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 978-1-74114-882-4.
• Staunton, Anthony (2005). Victoria Cross: Australia's Finest and the Battles they Fought. Prahran, Victoria, Australia: Hardie Grant Books. ISBN 1-74066-288-1.