Australian Intelligence Medal

The Australian Intelligence Medal may be awarded to a person who, as a member of the National Intelligence Community, has given distinguished service that directly contributed to national intelligence priorities, requirements or capabilities.

About the Australian Intelligence Medal

The Australian Intelligence Medal was established on 24 January 2020 by Letters Patent. The Governor-General awards the Australian Intelligence Medal on the recommendation of the Australian Intelligence Medal Committee. The Committee comprises the head of each agency that makes up the National Intelligence Community and the Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.

There is an annual quota of Medals that can be awarded in a calendar year: one award for each 1,000 – or part of 1,000 – full-time equivalent members of the National Intelligence Community, plus one additional award.

The Australian Intelligence Medal can be awarded only once to an individual. Recipients may be entitled to the post-nominal AIM. The Australian Intelligence Medal is placed in the Order of Wearing Australian Honours and Awards immediately after the Australian Corrections Medal. 

The award may be announced on Australia Day (26 January) or The Queen’s Birthday (June).

The Office of National Intelligence is the secretariat for this award.

Medal design

The Australian Intelligence Medal is a bi-metal construction of nickel-silver in an antique finish and bronze colouring in a circular shape 38 millimetres in diameter. The obverse of the medal features a raised Federation Star. The centre of the Federation Star has a bronze-coloured raised impression of a decagon, symbolising the ten agencies of the National Intelligence Community. The Federation Star is surrounded by an indented border, representing the twenty-four-hour nature of intelligence. The central emblem is encircled by a contemporary laurel of a wattle which recalls the uniquely Australian nature of the award. The reverse features a border with the raised, polished words ‘Australian Intelligence Medal’ surrounding a space where the recipient’s name may be engraved.

Medal Ribbon

The Australian Intelligence Medal is suspended from a ribbon 32 millimetres wide. The ribbon features a central band of yellow 5 millimetres in width, flanked by white graduating to midnight blue and then to black.