State and Territory Flags

State and Territory Flags

The Commonwealth of Australia consists of six states that were originally separate colonies of the United Kingdom. The Constitution provides for the Federal Government to create Territories, some of which have responsible self-government. In addition, some states have island dependencies, the most significant of which are Lord Howe Island (NSW) and Macquarie Island (Tasmania).

The state flags consist of the British Blue Ensign, each with a badge that represents the state. This flag pattern was introduced in 1865, when the British Admiralty determined that vessels maintained by the colonies would each use a flag bearing its seal or a badge. In 1868 the use of these badges was extended to the centre of the Union Jack, for use by the Colonial Governor. By 1875 all of the Australian states (then colonies) had adopted badges for use on the blue ensign and the Governor's flag, though several were subsequently changed. Gradually the flags came to be used on land by the state governments and from the 1970s their wider public use as a state flag was encouraged.

As the territories were never separate British colonies, they have progressively adopted flags that are not based on the colonial pattern. Several territories have no flag: the Australian National Flag is used for the Australian Antarctic Territory, Jervis Bay Territory, Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Coral Sea Islands Territory and Heard and McDonald Islands.

		New South Wales - The badge was adopted on 15 February 1876. It consists of a red St. George's Cross bearing four 8-pointed golden stars and a lion passant guardant. There is no contemporary explanation of the design but it was similar to an unofficial coat of arms that dates from 1821 and included the cross and stars. The lion was likely to signify the vice-regal authority of the Governor.
		Victoria - The current Victorian state flag dates from 30 November 1877, though it has undergone two changes in the type of crown - in 1901 from an Imperial Crown to a Tudor Crown and in 1953 to St. Edward's Crown. The Southern Cross uses different numbers of points on the stars to indicate their relative brightness - 8,7,7,6 and 5.
		Queensland - The badge was selected by Governor William Cairns and was officially adopted on 29 November 1876. It consists of a blue Maltese Cross bearing a Crown in the centre. The drawing of the badge has changed over time - new crowns in 1901 and 1953, the size and shape of the cross enlarged and the shade of blue changed from the original dark blue. There is no contemporary explanation of the design but it is evident from the other designs considered that the badge was intended to represent the vice-regal authority of the Governor or to represent Queen Victoria for whom the colony had been named.
		South Australia - At Federation, only South Australia decided to obtain a new flag badge. Described as an Australian piping shrike, the bird is actually a white-backed magpie. The heraldic display of the wings has been attributed to the arms of Prussia. The yellow disc was intended to refer to a golden rising sun of Federation. The new badge was officially adopted on 14 January 1904.
		Tasmania - Adopted on 29 November 1875, the Tasmanian badge consists of a red lion passant. There appears to have been no attempt for the badge to be emblematic of the colony. The lion was originally intended to be used only on the flag of the Governor. A distinctive design for local shipping, featuring a Southern Cross, was abandoned as it did not comply with the British Admiralty pattern for colonial flags.
		Western Australia - The black swan recalls the origin of the colony as the Swan River Settlement. Adopted on 3 January 1870 by Governor Frederick Weld, the swan originally faced away from the hoist. The direction was changed on 10 November 1954. If the change of direction is ignored, then the Western Australian flag is the oldest state flag.
		Northern Territory - When self-government was granted on 1 July 1978, the Northern Territory adopted a flag. The flag is divided into two panels - black at the hoist equal to one third the length of the flag and the other in ochre. The main emblem is a stylisation of Sturt's Desert Rose, and uses seven petals around a seven-pointed black star, evoking the Commonwealth Star. Note that the Southern Cross uses the Victorian configuration of stars, reflecting its design by Robert Ingpen, a Victorian artist.
		Australian Capital Territory - The ACT flag was adopted on 25 March 1993 based on a design by Mr Ivo Ostyn, a local artist. The flag is divided into two panels - blue at the hoist and yellow, the heraldic colours of the Commonwealth of Australia. The main emblem is a simplified version of the coat of arms of the city of Canberra, which had been granted in 1928. The shield contains a triple-towered castle and a crown above a sword of Justice crossed with the Parliamentary mace. A small white rose alludes to the 1927 opening of the old Parliament House by the then Duke of York.
		Norfolk Island - Norfolk Island has had self-government since 1979 and on 17 January 1980 it adopted a distinctive flag. Two vertical green panels are separated by a slightly
		wider white panel, upon which is a representation of the Norfolk Island pine tree.
		Christmas Island - A Federal territory, local services are provided by the Shire of Christmas Island, which has officially adopted a flag unofficially in use since 1986. The flag was designed by Tony Couch, who won a public competition. The blue and green diagonal panels represent the sea and the island's vegetation, a small map of which is included in the centre. The main emblem is a Golden Bosun Bird, a sub-species of white-tailed tropicbird.
		Cocos (Keeling) Islands - A Federal territory under the control of an Administrator, who is based on Christmas Island. A local flag has been unofficially in use since 2003. The crescent acknowledges that a majority of the small population are Sunni Muslims, descendents of Malays originally brought to the island to provide labour on copra plantations.
		Lord Howe Island - An unofficial flag for the island was designed by John Vaughan, a Sydney vexillologist and first flown in November 1998. The central badge represents the island's topography, whilst the field of the flag alludes to the pre-1801 Union Jack. Lord Howe Island is administered by the Lord Howe Island Board on behalf of the NSW Government.

Australian National Flag

Australian National Flag

The National Flag of Australia contains three elements:

• The British Union Jack on a blue field - reflecting the historical origins of the Australian flag,

• The Southern Cross - reflecting Australia's geographic position in the Southern Hemisphere, and

• A seven pointed star - representing the Federation of six states, with an additional point to represent the territories collectively.

In addition to the Australian National Flag, there are several other flags used by the Australian Defence Forces and Commonwealth Government agencies. The Australian Army does not have a separate flag, but uses the Australian National Flag. The Australian Aboriginal flag and the Torres Strait Islanders flag in 1995 were proclaimed to be Flags of Australia under the Flags Act 1953. Special flags are also used by HM the Queen when in Australia and by the Governor General.

Other Flags of Australia

		The Australian Defence Force Ensign - the flag represents the Australian Defence Force and the three services collectively. The dark blue stripe and the anchor in the central emblem represent the RAN, the red stripe and the crossed swords for the Australian Army, whilst the light blue stripe and eagle is for the RAAF.
		The Australian White Ensign - the national flag for use by commissioned warships and shore establishments of the Royal Australian Navy. The flag is flown by warships from the ensign staff at the stern. The blue Australian national flag is flown on the jack-staff at the bow, when vessels are in port. Prior to 1967, the RAN used the British White Ensign.
		The RAAF Ensign - the official flag of the Royal Australian Air Force. The flag is flown at RAAF bases. Originally adopted in 1949, the ensign was modified in 1982 when the roundel was altered to include a red kangaroo. During World War II, the RAAF used the flag of the British Royal Air Force.
		The Australian Red Ensign - the national flag for use by ships registered in Australia. From 1981 yachts and small ships may use the blue Australian National Flag in place of the Australian Red Ensign.
		The Customs flag - the flag used by vessels in the service of the Australian Customs Service. The flag is also painted on the fuselage of aircraft undertaking Customs duties.
		The Australian Civil Aviation flag - originally used by aircraft (flown from the pilot's window after landing) and flown at all Australian airports and other properties controlled by the Department of Civil Aviation, the flag is now only used by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority.
		The Australian Federal Police flag - used on buildings and facilities operated by the Australian Federal Police. The flag was adopted in 1981.  The checked border is part of the design, not a fringe.
		Australian Aboriginal Flag - A flag to represent and identify Australian Aboriginal people did not exist until 12 July 1971 when a flag designed by Mr Harold Thomas was first flown in Adelaide. The red stripe represents the land and the black symbolises the Aboriginal people. The yellow circle represents the Sun, the giver of life. Copyright of the Aboriginal Flag is owned by Mr Thomas who has granted an exclusive manufacturing licence to Carroll and Richardson Flagworld Pty Ltd. Originally designed in the proportions 3x5 the flag is now only available in the proportions of 1x2.
		Torres Strait Islander Flag - A flag was adopted in May 1992 to represent the Torres Strait Islanders. The design is attributed to Mr Bernard Namok and copyright is owned by the Torres Strait Island Coordinating Council. The green stripes represent the land, the blue stripe represents the sea and the black symbolises the people. The central device is a Dhari, a dancer's headress with a 5-pointed star star to symbolise the five island groups in Torres Strait.
		Australian South Sea Islanders Flag - South Sea Islanders are descendants of islanders brought from various Pacific islands from 1863 to 1904 to work as labourers in the Queensland sugar  and timber industries.  The flag was formally adopted in 1998 by the Australian South Sea Islanders United Council to represent this distinct community. The black panels symbolise the people standing strong and the continuity of their traditions, blue represents the sea and the sky and gold the sun, the green is for the land and the Islanders' contribution to agriculture. For more information visit www.flagsaustralia.com.au/ASSI.html
		Her Majesty the Queen's Personal Flag for Australia - Since the 1963 Royal Visit of Australia, HM Queen Elizabeth II has used in Australia a distinctive personal flag, rather than the Royal Standard used when she is in the United Kingdom. The flag is a banner of the Australian Coat of Arms with a badge consisting of the Commonwealth Star upon which is the Queen's Royal badge showing her initial surmounted by a crown and surrounded by a garland of roses and wattle. Note that the Western Australian swan faces away from the hoist, the same as in the Coat of Arms. The correct proportions are 22 x 31, not the 1 x 2 proportions that are used for other British Royal Standards.
		Governor-General's flag - The Queen's representative in Australia is the Governor-General whose flag is flown on buildings and other locations when he is present. A small version is used as a car pennant. The central device is the Royal Crest - a  St Edward's Crown surmounted by a crowned lion. The Australian Governor-General's flag was introduced in 1936, a British Union Jack with a central badge featuring the Commonwealth Star and a Royal Crown having been previously used.
		United Nations flag - 24 October is United Nations Day and its flag is flown on that day in Australia. If there is only one flagpole, it may replace the Australian flag for the day. The United Nations was founded on 24 October 1945 with Australia one of the 51 original signatories. There are currently 193 member states. Australia has been an active member of the United Nations and its various agencies and it has contributed military and police forces to a number of peace-keeping missions. Australia was one of the 16 UN member countries that participated in the 1950-53 Korean Conflict in support of South Korea.

The Australian National Flag

The current national flag of Australia has evolved from its origins in a flag design competition held after the establishment of the Commonwealth of Australia.

On 3 September 1901, two designs were announced as the competition winners - a blue flag for use by the government and the same design with a red field for use by merchant ships. Ordinary Australians continued to use the British Union Jack on land. The competition design featured a large six pointed star to represent the Federation of the previous colonies, now states. The stars of the Southern Cross had different numbers of points to indicate the relative brightness of each star.

In 1903 the British Admiralty approved the use of these new flags. The Southern Cross was simplified by using only seven-pointed stars for the four brightest stars and a five-pointed star for Epsilon Crucis.

In 1908 the Australian Government decided to increase the number of points on the large Commonwealth Star to seven in order to represent the Australian territories collectively. The blue version of the Australian National Flag was used by ships owned by the Commonwealth Government and it was flown on government owned buildings. For many years, private citizens were not permitted to use the blue Australian national flag. The red version was used by privately owned ships registered in Australia and as there were no restrictions on its use on land, it was also used by private citizens, often with the British Union Jack on a second flag pole.

In 1941 official restrictions on private use of the blue Australian national flag were removed, but it was not until 1954 and the enactment of the Flags Act that the Australian National Flag was officially designated for use by all Australians.