Editing Order of Australia (section)

=== Fraser and Hawke governments ===
Nine months after the Order of Australia was created, the Whitlam government lost office to the newly elected Liberal [[Fraser government]]. The new government decided to once again make recommendations for imperial awards, whilst maintaining and expanding the Order of Australia.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Fox |first=Karen |url=https://press.anu.edu.au/publications/honouring-nation |title=Honouring a Nation: A History of Australia's Honours System |date=Jan 2022 |publisher=ANU Press |isbn=9781760465001 |pages=190– |language=en}}</ref> This was done by with the addition of two additional award levels: [[Orders, decorations, and medals of Australia#Classes|Knight or Dame]] (AK or AD) above the level of Companion, and the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) below Members. The Civil Division was also renamed the General Division, so that awards could be given to those in the [[Australian Defence Force|Defence Force]] for non-military achievement. These changes were made on 24 May 1976. The reaction to the changes to the awards were similarly split along party lines. 

Following [[1983 Australian federal election|the 1983 federal election]], Labor Prime Minister [[Bob Hawke]] recommitted to the end of recommendations for imperial awards. No knighthoods were awarded during his first term in office and he advised the abolition of the knight/dame level after being re-elected in 1986. During the time the division was active from 1976 to 1983, twelve knights and two dames were created.