Visitor information
The Hall of Valour
A Victoria Cross, the highest award for bravery in time of war
The Hall of Valour honours those Australians who have received the Victoria Cross, the highest award for bravery in time of war. Ninety-seven Australians have won the Victoria Cross. Amid great battles and the movements of armies, the exploits of courageous individuals have always provided inspiration. The Hall of Valour recognises the deeds of ordinary Australians under the extraordinary conditions of war.
The Memorial’s collection consists of three Victoria Crosses from the Boer War, forty from the First World War, thirteen from the Second World War, three from the Vietnam War, and two British medals. Sixty Victoria Crosses are on display in the Hall of Valour; one of the British medals is on display in the Colonial Commitments gallery. This is the largest publicly accessible collection of Victoria Crosses in the world.
The Victoria Cross was instituted in 1856 by Queen Victoria and made retrospective to 1854 to cover the period of the Crimean War. The metal used in all Victoria Crosses is taken from the guns captured from the Russians at Sebastopol during the Crimean War of 1854–56.
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