Restoring " Knighthood " honours !

There is speculation that Australia may reinstate the former " Sir " and " Dame " honour system now that our cousins across the Tasman have adopted this practice.   Many would see that as a step backward as these elevations are a reminder of a distant past age.

Gough Whitlam abolished Imperial honours in 1975 and replaced them with the distinctive " Companion of the Order of Australia " ( AC ).   Malcolm Fraser reversed that decision when he came to power, and it was reversed again when Bob Hawke took office.    Gaining an AC is now an honoured and distinctive Australian award for service.

It is suggested that to reinstate "Knighthoods" would be a simple rebadging of the AC.   The sticking point is that to do so would seem to many to be returning to the Imperial awards system of another country.   The retention of the Monarch as our head of state is under question and our links to "Mother England" are now tenuous.

It is worth remembering that when Australia undertook Federation it firmly decided not to award hereditary honours.   There would be no Australian Earls, Dukes, Viscounts, Barons or titled folk whose progeny would inherit these ongoing titles.   Ours was to be an egalitarian country whose people would earn their rewards by what they had achieved - rather than what a distant relative had performed for a long dead King.

The commencement of many of these English titles is decidedly " dodgy ".     England suffered many civil wars in which usurpers strove to unseat the monarch.   The gentry were forced to choose sides and those that supported the winning side were rewarded with titles - and usually the lands and riches of those that made the wrong choice.    The fact that centuries later their heirs enjoy a life of luxury and privilege because of those titles does not fit the Australian mould.

New Zealand has retained much of the England touch.   Until recently, their police still wore the traditional English " Bobby " helmets and their immigration policies favoured migrants from Britain as Australia welcomed those from the wider world.    We are similar - but also dissimilar - and what may find acceptance in one country may not be so welcome in the other.

In keeping with the prestige that the AC has achieved in Australian recognition of excellence, it is unlikely that there will be much interest in returning to a former age.   It seems that the AC will remain our highest honour.