The Hall of Valour honours the one hundred Australians who have received the Victoria Cross and the nine Australian Defence personnel who have directly received the George Cross.
The Victoria Cross, the highest award for bravery in the face of the enemy, was instituted in 1856 by Queen Victoria and made retrospective to 1854 to cover the period of the Crimean War. It was awarded to Australians for valour in several major conflicts since the Boer War until replaced by the Victoria Cross for Australia in 1991. The change was minimal; the bronze cross and maroon ribbon was retained and the new award carried all the prestige and tradition of the Imperial Victoria Cross.