The Australia Day Honours are the first of the two major annual honours lists, announced on Australia Day (26 January), with the other being the Queen's Birthday Honours which are announced on the second Monday in June.
| Recipient | Citation | Notes |
|---|
| John Joseph Ahern | For distinguished service to the community and to industry and commerce. | [1] |
| Richard David Baker | For distinguished service to the community and to the dairying industry. |
| Harold Brennan | For distinguished public service and for service to the people of the Northern Territory, particularly as a member of the Northern Territory Legislative Council. |
| country=AUS|OBE}} | For distinguished public service particularly as Commonwealth Actuary. |
| Douglas Alfred Cashion | For distinguished service to Tasmania as a Minister of the Crown. |
| {{small|Professor}} Raymond John Chambers}} | For distinguished service to commerce and to education, particularly in the field of accounting and business management. |
| James Arthur Davidson | For distinguished service to the industrial gas industry and to the Government. |
| country=AUS|MBE}} | For distinguished service to the Scout Association of Australia and to world scouting. |
| Frederick John Lehany | For distinguished service to science and to industry, particularly in the field of measurement and standards. |
| Professor}} Gordon Lee McClymont | For distinguished service to veterinary science and agricultural research. |
| Hal Missingham | For distinguished service to art, particularly as former Director of the Art Gallery of New South Wales. |
| Michael Vincent Tracey | For distinguished service to science and to scientific research. |
| Branch | Recipient | Citation | Notes |
|---|
| Navy | Rear Admiral}} Brian Stewart Murray {{postnominal|country=AUS|RAN}} | For distinguished service to the Royal Australian Navy | [1] |
| Army | Major-General}} Colin Marshall Gurner {{postnominal|country=AUS|sep=,|CBE|OStJ|ED}} | For distinguished service to the medical branch of the Defence Force. |
| Brigadier}} Kevin William Latchford | For distinguished service to the Army. |
| Major-General}} Gordon Lindsay Maitland {{postnominal|country=AUS|sep=,|OBE|ED}} | For distinguished service to the Army Reserve. |
| Air Force | Air Vice-Marshal}} Sydney Robert White | For distinguished service to the Royal Australian Air Force. |
| Recipient | Citation | Notes |
|---|
| Charles Gordon Lawrence Agius | For services to Aboriginal Welfare. | [1] |
| Dr}} John Finch Akeroyd {{postnominal|country=AUS|sep=,|MBE|ED}} | For services to Art and to the community. |
| Albert John Atkinson | For services to the community, particularly to youth and the aged. |
| Nancy Lyall Bradrock | For services to dentistry and to the Dental Assistants' Association of Australia. |
| Margaret Ellen Beard | For services to the nursing profession |
| Gweneth Victoria Benzie | For services to the sport of Women's Netball as a player, umpire and administrator. |
| Beryl Beatrice Bonfield | For services to the nursing profession and to the community. |
| Right Reverend Monsignor}} James Edward Bourke | For services to religion and to education. |
| Dr}} Ronald Kentish Browne | For services to education, and educational research. |
| Eustace Gamaliel Butler | For services to law and to the community. |
| Betty Davis | For services to education. |
| Dr}} William Andrew Dibden | For services to mental health. |
| Dr}} Harold Griffiths Dicks | For services to medicine and to the Royal Flying Doctor's Service. |
| Reverend Father}} Richard Docherty | For services to religion and to Aboriginal welfare. |
| Linley George | For services to ballet. |
| Dr}} Lachlan Neil Gollan | For services to medicine and to the community. |
| James Boyce Graham | For services to industry and to Government. |
| Leslie Somerville Richard Graham | For services to the community, to sport and to the retail motor industry. |
| Richard Martin Green | For services to local government and to the community. |
| The Reverend}} William Courtenay Saunders Johnson | For services to religion and to the community. |
| Ronald George Kelly | For public service, particularly as Deputy Chairman of the Repatriation Commission. |
| Thomas Fulton Coleman Lawrence | For public service and for services to science and engineering. |
| Brigadier}} Donald MacDonald | For services to land surveying |
| John Alfred Masling | For services to industry and to commuter aviation. |
| Ian Balfour McBryde | For services to scouting. |
| Kevin William Michaelis | For services to the community, particularly in the provision of welfare services. |
| Alfred Victor Murrell | For services to banking and to Government. |
| James Douglas Patterson | For public service and for services to ex-servicemen and women. |
| country=AUS|sep=,|OBE|ED}} | For public service and for services to primary industry and to the community. |
| Charles Washington Rosewarne | For community service, particularly in the organisation and training of Emergency Fire Services. |
| Dr}} William Fulton Salter | For public service in the field of mental health. |
| James Ernest Shannon | For services to trade unionism. |
| James Arthur Smithson | For services to industry and to technical education. |
| Elsie Southerden | For services to the mentally handicapped. |
| William Ian Stewart | For services to industry to the Standards Associations of Australia and in the field of metric conversion. |
| country=AUS|OBE}} | For services to manufacturing industry. |
| William Herbert John Walker | For services to the sport of Australian Football. |
| Kenneth Douglas Williams | For services to industry. |
| Branch | Recipient | Citation | Notes |
|---|
| Navy | Commodore}} Thomas Reid Fisher {{postnominal|country=AUS|RAN}} | For exceptional service as Deputy Chief of Naval Material. | [1] |
| Captain}} James Aloysius O'Farrell {{postnominal|country=AUS|RAN}} | For exceptional performance of duty with the Royal Australian Navy. |
| Army | Lieutenant Colonel}} Brian Michael Dwyer {{postnominal|country=AUS|ED}}, {{small|RAAMC}} | For dedicated service to medical units of the Army Reserve. |
| Lieutenant Colonel}} Russell James Bielenbero {{small|RAE}} | For outstanding performance of duties. |
| Lieutenant Colonel}} Bernard Robert Sullivan {{small|RAAMC}} | For exceptional service regarding the introduction of the Leopard tank. |
| {{small|Lieutenant Colonel}} Norman Beresford Lovett {{postnominal|country=AUS|ED}}, {{small|RAE}}}} | For dedicated service to the Army Reserve. |
| Lieutenant Colonel}} Ivan Edward Scholes {{small|RAAMC}} | For outstanding contribution to the development of Army Health Services. |
| Colonel}} John Erskine Faulks | For exceptional and dedicated service to the Army. |
| {{nowrap|Air Force}} | Chaplain}} John Stoddard Elliott | For dedicated service to the welfare of members of the Royal Australian Air Force. |
| Wing Commander}} Hedley Robert Thomas | For exceptional service as Commanding Officer of the Australian Air Force Contingent, United Nations Emergency Force. |
| Wing Commander}} William Graeme Rowley | For exceptional service as Commanding Officer of No. 34 V.I.P. Transport Squadron. |
| Wing Commander}} Graham Albert Perske | For exceptional service as Commanding Officer of No. 11 Squadron, Edinburgh. |
| Recipient | Citation | Notes |
|---|
| country=AUS|JP}} | For public service with the South Australian Correctional Services Department. | [1] |
| John Hugh Bennett | For service to Aboriginal Welfare. |
| Valmai Therese Bennett | For public service with the Joint House Department of the Commonwealth Parliament. |
| Elva Mabel Bloomfield | For service to women's sport. |
| Anna Rosa Boffa | For public service with the Australian Embassy, Rome. |
| Val Bryant (Carroll) | For service to Aboriginal Welfare. |
| Aubrey Clement Burns | For service to the community and to ex-servicemen. |
| Jeffrey Albert Cousens | For service to the community and to the disabled. |
| country=AUS|JP}} | For service to the community and to the Justices Association of South Australia. |
| Barbara Louise Davis | For service to the community and to the Good Neighbour Council of Tasmania. |
| Esme Dobson | For service to the community and to the Calisthenic Association of South Australia. |
| Joseph Cribbin Fagan | For service to local government and to the community. |
| Councillor}} David Charles Ferme | For service to local government. |
| Doris Marjorie Ford | For service to the community, particularly with the Red Cross Society, the National Council of Women, and the Catholic Women's League in the Northern Territory. |
| Lester Thomas William Frew | For service to the Naval Association of Australia, to Naval servicemen and to members of the Merchant Navy. |
| Ruth Gilmour | For service to the community. |
| Harold Goldsworthy | For service to local government and to the community. |
| country=AUS|JP}} | For service to the Surf Live Saving Movement. |
| Lancelot Arthur Hardy | For service to music, particularly as Organist and Master of Choristers at St Paul's Cathedral, Melbourne |
| James Hoare | For service to local government and to the community. |
| Hector Hutchins | For service to Band music. |
| Percy Clifton Jacques | For service to local government and to the community. |
| country=AUS|JP}} |
| Mary MacKinnon Keach | For service to the community. |
| Beryl Lipman | For service to the community, in particular to the Adelaide Children's Hospital. |
| Dena Murphy | For service to the community, particularly as Postmistress at Speed, Victoria. |
| Alice Mead Musgrave | For service to the community and to Legacy. |
| Natalie Mary Paton | For service to the Nursing Mothers' Association of Australia. |
| Kenneth Albert Rawson {{small|DFC and Bar}}}} | For service to the electrical industry and to the community. |
| George Harold Russell | For service to the community in the north-western district of Tasmania. |
| Maxwell Sharrad | For service to the community. |
| Clarence George Skews | For service to the community, particularly with the TOC 'H' organisation. |
| Gladys Viola Smith | For service to local government and to the community. |
| Nicholas Stephens | For public service with the Australian Embassy, Athens. |
| Godfrey Wignall | For service to trade unionism. |
| Percy Cecil Simpson Winter | For public service and for service to the community. |
| John Stanley Womersley | For service to the sport of Archery. |
| Walter Edgar Wotzke | For service to Art and to the community. |
| Branch | Recipient | Citation | Notes |
|---|
| Navy | Warrant Officer}} Ronald John Ashton | For exceptional performance of duty requiring technical competence. | [1] |
| Warrant Officer}} William James Richards | For exceptional service to the Naval Dental Branch. |
| Chief Petty Officer}} Richard Vincent Egan | For outstanding service to the Naval Victualling Branch and to Naval Cadets. |
| Army | Warrant Officer Class One}} John Stewart Allan {{small|RA Inf}} | For outstanding service as REgimental Sergeant Major of the First Recruit Training Battalion. |
| Warrant Officer Class Two}} Peter John Amos {{small|AACC}} | For outstanding performance as Unit Caterer. |
| Warrant Officer Class One}} Elma Gladys Phelps | For outstanding performance and dedication in instructional and administrative appointments. |
| Warrant Officer Class One}} Rex Peter Taylor {{small|RAA}} | For outstanding performance as a Regimental Sergeant Major. |
| Warrant Officer Class Two}} Dennis Zalundardo {{small|RA Inf}} | For leadership and devotion to duty with the Citizen Forces. |
| Warrant Officer Class Two}} Paul Robert Jeffrey {{small|RAAC}} | For dedication and loyalty in administrative and quartermaster postings. |
| Air Force | Warrant Officer}} Neil Edwin Bettins | For meritorious service in maintenance of aircraft. |
| Warrant Officer}} Peter Beresford Jay | For outstanding and loyalty in the catering field. |
| Warrant Officer}} Edward Plant | For outstanding service in the radio and radar fields. |
1. ^1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 {{cite web|title=AD78|url=http://gg.gov.au/sites/default/files/files/honours/AD78.pdf|accessdate=13 February 2018|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150403031537/http://gg.gov.au/sites/default/files/files/honours/AD78.pdf|archivedate=3 April 2015|publisher=Governor General's Office of Australia}}
{{Australian Honours Lists}}{{DEFAULTSORT:Australia Day Honours 1978}}