Since the Second World War most Commonwealth realms have instituted their own honours systems with the second highest award being for gallantry not in the face of the enemy . In 1972 , Canada created the Cross of Valour for Canadian citizens ; in 1975 Australia , inspired by Canada , created a similar award with the same name in the Australian Honours System , the Cross of Valour . Recipients of the Canadian and Australian awards both use the postnominal letters '' CV '' . Unlike the GC within British honours , the majority of Canadian CV awards and all Australian CV awards have been to civilians . The Australian Government ceased recommendations for British awards in 1983 and the last two Australian state governments ceased recommendations in 1989 . On 5 October 1992 , the Australian Prime Minister announced that Australian governments would make no further recommendations for British honours with British awards to Australians after that date being treated as foreign awards . During the 1975 – 1992 period when Australia made recommendations for both Australian and British awards , the State of Victoria recommended a GC which was granted . The award gazetted in 1978 was for 39 years the most recent award to a living civilian , until the award in 2017 to Dominic Troulan . The Queen of New Zealand has awarded the New Zealand Cross to New Zealand citizens since its institution in 1999 , which grants the wearer the postnominal letters '' NZC ''
New Zealand Cross
New Zealand Cross (1999)
List of George Cross recipients