Australia Orders Up Nicole Kidman

Fri., Apr. 13, 2007 11:58 AM PDT by Sarah Hall

There's no doubt that Nicole Kidman is tops Down Under.

The Oscar-winning actress was presented with Australia's highest civilian honor Friday in a ceremony at Government House in Canberra.

Kidman was actually appointed a Companion in the General Division of the Order of Australia last year, but was unable to attend the 2006 Australia Day festivities to accept the award in person due to film commitments.

She received the honor—which affords her the right to take the letters AC after her name, should she wish to do so—in recognition of her successful film career, as well as for her work promoting women's and children's health and advocacy for cancer research.

On Friday, she was joined by her husband, Keith Urban, and her parents, Janelle MacNeille and Antony Kidman, who looked on proudly as she accepted the honor from Governor-General Michael Jeffery.

"I think the great thing about you, Ms. Kidman, is what have you have done to better the human condition," Jeffrey said, as he presented the award.

"You have become become an honorary ambassador to UNICEF and UNIFEM, you're looking after children and women's issues. You've been a great support for children at Sydney hospital and a great supporter of research for cancer.

"Not only are you a tremendous actress but you are…a great attribute to the nation."

Kidman, who dressed for the occasion in a pink dress with a maroon velvet ribbon in her hair, told reporters she was very flattered by the honor, which she said she believed would bring her parents even more pride than her Best Actress Oscar for The Hours.

"It's a pat on the back, which as a little girl is something I think you dream of," she said.

Having turned down a private ceremony in favor of accepting her award along with 40 honorees announced on this year's Australia Day, Kidman also paid tribute to the contributions of her fellow citizens.

"It was wonderful to be able to hear all of the contributions…all of these people who are working so hard to represent Australia and take care of Australia," Kidman said.

"It inspires me listening to what everyone else has been doing to keep forging ahead. I'm very glad to be back here for the rest of the year."

Kidman is expected remain in Sydney for the bulk of the next seven months while shooting the aptly named Baz Lurhmann epic Australia opposite Hugh Jackman.

Both stars have been brushing up on their horseback riding skills to prepare for their roles in the film, which is set in the Australian outback of 60 years ago. Kidman caused a stir earlier this week when she was seen trotting through Sydney's Centennial Park in full equestrian gear.

Locations for the 20th Century Fox film include Kununurra in Western Australia and Bowen in Queensland. The project's budget is expected to come in at around $130 million.

Russell Crowe was originally slated to play the male lead opposite Kidman, but was replaced by Jackman last year after he was unable to resolve a script-approval dispute with the studio.

Kidman's rough-and-tumble role in the film played into the latest pregnancy denial from her camp, with her rep Wendy Day calling a British tabloid report that she and Urban were expecting "100 percent not true."

"She is about to get on a horse in the outback and break in brumbies. I hardly think she will be able to do that if she is pregnant," Day said in a statement.

(A quick consultation of our Australian-American dictionary revealed that "brumbies" are feral horses.)

While Urban joined his wife in their native Australia for Easter, he is due to depart for Europe shortly, where he'll kick off his Love, Pain & the whole crazy World tour in Germany on Thursday.