National flag and state ensign. Flag ratio: 1:2

The Australian Flag at full mast.

The flag of Australia was chosen in 1901 from entries in a worldwide design competition held following Federation. The federation of Australia was the process by which the six separate British self-governing colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, South It was approved by Australian and British authorities over the next few years, although the exact specifications of the flag were changed several times both intentionally and as a result of confusion. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located A flag is a piece of Cloth, often flown from a pole or mast, generally used Symbolically for signaling or identification The current specifications were published in 1934, and in 1954 the flag became legally recognised as the "Australian National Flag". The flag is a defaced Blue Ensign: a blue field with the Union Flag in the canton (upper hoist quarter), and a large white seven-pointed star known as the Commonwealth Star in the lower hoist quarter. Defacement is a term used in Heraldry and Vexillology to refer to the addition of a symbol or charge to another flag The Blue Ensign is a Flag, one of several British ensigns, used by certain organisations or territories associated with the United Kingdom. The Union Flag, also known as the Union Jack, is the national flag of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The Commonwealth Star (sometimes known as The Federation Star, The Seven Point Star or Star of Federation) is a seven-pointed star symbolising the The fly contains a representation of the Southern Cross constellation, made up of five white stars – one small five-pointed star and four, larger, seven-pointed stars. The design and description of Flags typically uses specialised flag terminology' with precise and technical meanings and is hence a form of Jargon. CRUX is a lightweight I686 -optimized Linux distribution targeted at experienced Linux users

In addition to the Blue Ensign there are several additional officially declared Australian flags, including the Aboriginal flag, the Torres Strait Islander flag, and the flags of the Defence Forces and merchant ships. This is a list of flags used in Australia: National Flag Indigenous Australians States and Territories The Australian Aboriginal flag was originally designed as a protest Flag for the land rights movement of Indigenous Australians but has since become a symbol The Torres Strait Islander flag is an official Flag of Australia and is the flag that represents Torres Strait Islander people The design of the Australian flag is the subject of debate within Australia, with some advocating its redesign in connection with the Australian republicanism and republican movement.

The official flag of Australia is defined in the Flags Act 1953. The Flags Act 1953 is an act of the Parliament of Australia which defines the official Flag of Australia. The Act became law on 14 February 1954 when Elizabeth II Queen of Australia gave Royal Assent in person. Events 842 - Charles the Bald and Louis the German swear the Oaths of Strasbourg in the French and German Year 1954 ( MCMLIV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1954 Gregorian calendar) For the ship see RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Context States headed by Elizabeth II TalkCommonewalth realm.-->The monarchy The granting of Royal Assent is the formal method by which a constitutional monarch completes the legislative process of Lawmaking by formally assenting to an Section 3 of the Act specifies that the Blue Ensign is the "Australian National Flag". ^[1] The Act specifies the colours and construction details for this flag, and the Australian Red Ensign (also known as the Australian Merchant Flag). The Australian Red Ensign resulted from the 1901 Commonwealth Government Federal Flag Design Competition which required two entries a flag for official use and one for the mecantile ^[2]

Symbolism

The Australian flag uses three prominent symbols, the Union Flag (also known as the Union Jack), the Commonwealth Star and the Southern Cross. The Union Flag, also known as the Union Jack, is the national flag of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The Commonwealth Star (sometimes known as The Federation Star, The Seven Point Star or Star of Federation) is a seven-pointed star symbolising the CRUX is a lightweight I686 -optimized Linux distribution targeted at experienced Linux users The Union Flag is commonly thought to reflect Australia's history as a collection of British colonies, although a more historic view sees its inclusion in the design as demonstrating loyalty to the British Empire. The British Empire was the largest empire in history and for over a century was the foremost global power. ^[3] The five white stars of the fly of the flag represent the Southern Cross. The Southern Cross (or Crux) is one of the most distinctive constellations visible in the Southern Hemisphere and has been used to represent Australia and New Zealand since the early days of British settlement. In common usage a constellation is a group of celestial bodies that are connected together in some arrangement typically stars to form a visible figure or picture New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island Each of these stars has seven points except for the smallest star, which has only five. Ivor Evans, one of the flag's designers, intended the Southern Cross to refer also to the four moral virtues ascribed to the four main stars by Dante: justice, prudence, temperance and fortitude. The large seven-pointed star below the Union Flag is the Commonwealth or Federation Star, which represents the federation of the colonies of Australia on 1 January 1901. New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 1901 ( MCMI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting There is one point for each of the six original states and one to symbolise the Commonwealth's internal and external territories. The Commonwealth Star does not have any relation to Beta Centauri, despite that star's coincidental location in the sky and its brightness. Beta Centauri (β Cen / β Centauri also known as Hadar or Agena, is the second brightest star in the Constellation Centaurus and the

The blue colour has been described as representing Australia as an island continent, as the blue sky, and as a remnant of the Eureka Flag, which also had a blue background. The Eureka Flag was the battle flag used at the Eureka Stockade, a gold miners' Revolt in 1854 in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia ^[4]

Construction

Construction sheet for the Flag of Australia. The length of the Flag is twice the width.

Under the Flags Act, the Australian National Flag must meet the following specifications:^[1]

1. the Union Jack occupying the upper quarter next the staff;
2. a large white star (representing the 6 States of Australia and the Territories) in the centre of the lower quarter next the pye and pointing direct to the centre of St George's Cross in the Union Jack;
3. 5 white stars (representing the Southern Cross) in the half of the flag further from the staff.

The location of the stars is as follows:

• Commonwealth Star – 7 pointed star, centred in lower hoist.
• Alpha Crucis – 7 pointed star, straight below centre fly 1/6 up from bottom edge. Physical Properties Acrux (α Cru / α Crucis / Alpha Crucis is the brightest star in Constellation Crux, the Southern Cross and
• Beta Crucis – 7 pointed star, 1/4 of the way left and 1/16 up from the centre fly. Mimosa or Becrux (β Cru / β Crucis / Beta Crucis is the second brightest star in the Constellation Crux (after Alpha Crucis or
• Gamma Crucis – 7 pointed star, straight above centre fly 1/6 down from top edge. Gamma Crucis (&gamma Cru / &gamma Crucis often named Gacrux, is a Red giant Star approximately 88 Light-years away in the Constellation
• Delta Crucis – 7 pointed star, 2/9 of the way right and 31/240 up from the centre fly. Delta Crucis (δ Cru / δ Crucis is a B2IV Star in the Constellation Crux.
• Epsilon Crucis – 5 pointed star, 1/10 of the way right and 1/24 down from the centre fly. Epsilon Crucis (ε Cru / ε Crucis is a Class K3III, fourth-magnitude Star in the Constellation Crux.

The outer diameter of the Commonwealth Star is 3/10 of the flag's width, while that of the stars in the Southern Cross is 1/7 of the flag's width, except for Epsilon, for which the fraction is 1/12. Each star's inner diameter is 4/9 of the outer diameter. The flag's width is the measurement of the hoist edge of the flag (the distance from top to bottom).

The colours of the flag, although not specified by the Flags Act, have been given Pantone specifications by the Awards and National Symbols Branch of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Pantone Inc is a corporation headquartered in Carlstadt, New Jersey, USA The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C is an Australian Government department ^[5] The Australian Government's Style Manual for Authors, Editors and Printers also gives CMYK and RGB specifications for depicting the flag in print and on screen respectively. CMYK (short for '''c'''yan, '''m'''agenta, '''y'''ellow, and k ey ( Black) and often referred to as process color ^[6]

History

Before 1901, Australia was a collection of distinct British colonies. Pantone Inc is a corporation headquartered in Carlstadt, New Jersey, USA Web colors are Colors used in designing web pages and the methods for describing and specifying those colors CMYK (short for '''c'''yan, '''m'''agenta, '''y'''ellow, and k ey ( Black) and often referred to as process color The British Empire was the largest empire in history and for over a century was the foremost global power. The Union Flag, as the flag of the British Empire, was often used to represent them collectively; and each colony also had its flag based on the Union Flag. Two attempts were made throughout the nineteenth century to design a national flag. The first such attempt was the National Colonial Flag created in 1823–1824 (when New South Wales was still the only British colony in Australia), by Captain John Nicholson and Captain John Bingle. The National Colonial Flag for Australia (1823/24 was the forerunner of the many Australian flag designs which featured the Southern Cross and Union Flag in combination The flag never achieved public support. The most popular "national" flag of the period was the 1831 Federation Flag, also designed by Nicholson. The Australian Federation Flag, also known as the New South Wales Ensign, was the result of an 1830s attempt to create a flag to represent Australia as a nation The Federation Flag proved immensely popular, and was widely used on the east coast of Australia for over 70 years, particularly by the federation movement. These flags, and many others such as the Eureka Flag, which came into use at the Eureka Stockade in 1854, featured stars representing the Southern Cross. The Eureka Flag was the battle flag used at the Eureka Stockade, a gold miners' Revolt in 1854 in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia The Eureka Stockade was the setting of a gold miners' Revolt in 1854 near Ballarat, Victoria, Australia against the officials supervising the The oldest known flag to show the stars arranged as they are seen in the sky is the Anti-Transportation League Flag, which is similar in design to the present National Flag. The Australian Anti-Transportation League Flag is a flag used historically by members of the Australasian Anti-Transportation League who opposed penal transportation to the British

National Colonial Flag Australian Federation Flag Eureka Flag Anti-Transportation League Flag

As Federation approached, thoughts turned to an official federal flag. In 1900, the Melbourne Herald conducted a design competition in which entries were required to include the Union Jack and Southern Cross, resulting in a British Ensign-style flag. The competition conducted by the Review of Reviews for Australasia later that year thought such a restriction seemed unwise, despite observing that a design without these emblems "might have a small chance of success". After Federation on 1 January 1901, the new Commonwealth Government held an official competition for a new federal flag in April. The federation of Australia was the process by which the six separate British self-governing colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, South New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 1901 ( MCMI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting This article describes the federal government of Australia See Australian governments for other jurisdictions The competition attracted over 32,000 entries (including many originally sent to the Review of Reviews), equivalent to around 1% of the Australian population at that time. The designs were judged on seven criteria: loyalty to the Empire, Federation, history, heraldry, distinctiveness, utility and cost of manufacture. ^[3] The majority of designs incorporated the Union Flag and the Southern Cross, but native animals were also popular. Five almost identical entries were chosen as the winning design, and their designers shared the 200 pounds prize money. The pound was the currency of Australia until 1966 It was subdivided into 20 Shillings each of 12 pence. They were Ivor Evans, a fourteen-year-old schoolboy from Melbourne; Leslie John Hawkins, a teenager apprenticed to an optician from Sydney; Egbert John Nuttall, an architect from Melbourne; Annie Dorrington, an artist from Perth; and William Stevens, a ship’s officer from Auckland, New Zealand. Melbourne ( is the second most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 3 Sydney (ˈsɪdniː is the most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 4 Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. The Auckland metropolitan area or Greater Auckland, in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island The five winners received 40 pounds each.

The flag's initial reception was mixed. The then republican^[7] magazine The Bulletin labelled it,

a staled réchauffé of the British flag, with no artistic virtue, no national significance. The Bulletin is a discontinued Australian weekly Magazine that was published in Sydney from 1880 until January 2008 . . Minds move slowly: and Australia is still Britain's little boy. What more natural than that he should accept his father's cut-down garments, – lacking the power to protest, and only dimly realising his will. That bastard flag is a true symbol of the bastard state of Australian opinion. ^[8]

Winning design As approved by King Edward VII

As the design was basically the Victorian flag with a star added, many critics in both the Federal Government and the New South Wales government objected to the chosen flag for being "too Victorian" . They wanted the Australian Federation Flag and Prime Minister Barton, who had been promoting the Federation Flag, submitted this flag along with that chosen by the judges to the Admiralty for final approval. The Admiralty chose the Red and Blue Ensigns.

On 3 September 1901, the new Australian flag flew for the first time atop the Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne. Events 36 BC - In the Battle of Naulochus, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, Admiral of Octavian, defeats Sextus Pompeius Year 1901 ( MCMI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting The Royal Exhibition Building is located in Melbourne, Australia

A simplified version of the competition-winning design was officially approved as the Flag of Australia by King Edward VII in 1902. ^[9] The number of points on the stars of the Southern Cross on today's Australian flag differs from the original design in that the stars varied between five and nine, reflecting the relative brightness of each in the night sky. The British Admiralty, to increase ease of manufacture, standardised the Southern Cross by giving the four biggest stars seven points and five for the faintest Epsilon Crucis. The Commonwealth Star originally had only 6 points, representing the six federating colonies. However, this changed in 1908 when a seventh point was added to symbolise the Territory of Papua and any future territories. The Territory of Papua was a de facto Australian possession comprising the southeastern quarter of the island of New Guinea, existing from roughly 1902 Around this time, the original design of the Southern Cross was also used again, and there was confusion on this issue until a complete specification for the current design was published in the Commonwealth Gazette in 1934. ^[10]

The Flags Act 1953 specified the Blue Ensign as the National Flag of Australia and the Red Ensign as a civil flag. The Australian Red Ensign resulted from the 1901 Commonwealth Government Federal Flag Design Competition which required two entries a flag for official use and one for the mecantile

The Australian flag existed in two versions, the Australian Red Ensign for merchant ships and the Blue Ensign for government use. The Australian Red Ensign resulted from the 1901 Commonwealth Government Federal Flag Design Competition which required two entries a flag for official use and one for the mecantile The Federal Government didn't have much interest in the Blue Ensign and at first it was only approved for use on Naval vessels. In 1904 due to lobbying by Senator Richard Crouch, the House of Representatives passed a motion that the Blue Ensign "should be flown upon all forts, vessels, saluting places and public buildings of the Commonwealth upon all occasions when flags are used". The government agreed to fly the Blue Ensign on special flag days but not if it meant additional expense which undermined the motion. The Blue Ensign was eventually used on forts in 1908 and as a saluting flag at reviews and ceremonial parades in 1911 although when Australia's new Parliament House was opened in 1927, only Red Ensigns were flown. Old Parliament House, formerly known as the Provisional Parliament House, was the seat of the Parliament of Australia from 1927 to 1988 Despite the government wanting to use the Ensign on Australian warships the British government objected and it was not until 1913 that warships finally did. Technically private non-commercial vessels were liable to a substantial fine if they did not fly the British Red Ensign. However, an Admiralty Warrant was issued on December 5, 1938 which authorised these vessels to fly the Australian Red Ensign.

In the 1920s there was debate over whether the Blue Ensign was reserved for Commonwealth buildings only which culminated in a 1924 agreement that the Union Jack should take precedence as the National Flag. The Blue Ensign could only be flown on a state government building if a state flag was not available. The Red Ensign was the only flag private citizens could fly on land. By traditional British understanding, the Blue Ensign would be reserved for Commonwealth Government use, with State and local governments, private organisations and individuals all using the Red Ensign. There was some confusion over military use of the ensigns with the result that prior to 1941 almost 10% of military flags were Blue Ensigns. In 1940 the Victorian government passed legislation allowing schools to purchase Blue Ensigns which allowed its use by private citizens, Robert Menzies then encouraged private citizens to use the Australian Blue Ensign with a statement the following year allowing Australians to use either ensign. Chifley’s Labor government issued a similar statement in 1947. ^[11] In 1951, King George VI approved a recommendation by the Australian Prime Minister Robert Menzies that the Australian Blue Ensign be adopted as the National Flag. The Prime Minister of Australia is the Head of government of the Commonwealth of Australia, holding office on commission from the Governor-General. Sir Robert Gordon Menzies, KT, AK, CH, QC (20 December 1894 - 15 May 1978 Australian politician was the twelfth person to serve

This status was formalised on 14 February 1954, when Elizabeth II gave Royal Assent to the Flags Act 1953. Events 842 - Charles the Bald and Louis the German swear the Oaths of Strasbourg in the French and German Year 1954 ( MCMLIV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1954 Gregorian calendar) For the ship see RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Context States headed by Elizabeth II The granting of Royal Assent is the formal method by which a constitutional monarch completes the legislative process of Lawmaking by formally assenting to an The Flags Act 1953 is an act of the Parliament of Australia which defines the official Flag of Australia. This was the first Australian legislation to receive the monarch's Assent in person, and was timed to coincide with the Queen's visit to the country. The Act also gives powers to the Governor-General to approve new official flags. The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia is the representative in Australia of the monarch of Australia (currently Elizabeth II Queen of Australia) In 1998, the Flags Act was amended by stipulating rules for changing the national flag's design; to replace the flag entirely, a referendum must be held – assuming the act is not amended by parliament through the normal processes. ^[12]

Protocol

Guidelines for flying the flag are laid out in the 1953 Flags Act and in a pamphlet entitled "The Australian National Flag", which is published by the Australian Government on an infrequent basis. The Flags Act 1953 is an act of the Parliament of Australia which defines the official Flag of Australia. The guidelines say that the Australian National Flag, the Australian Aboriginal flag and the Torres Strait Islander flag are allowed to be flown on every day of the year. The Australian Aboriginal flag was originally designed as a protest Flag for the land rights movement of Indigenous Australians but has since become a symbol The Torres Strait Islander flag is an official Flag of Australia and is the flag that represents Torres Strait Islander people The National Flag must always be flown in a position superior to that of any other flag or ensign when flown in Australia or on Australian territory, and it should always be flown aloft and free. The flag must be flown in all government buildings and displayed in polling stations when there is a national election or referendum. Registered commercial ships over 24 metres in tonnage length must fly the Australian Red Ensign. All other registered ships have the choice of flying either the Australian National Flag or the Red Ensign but not both at the same time. The British Blue Ensign can be flown on an Australian owned ship instead of the Australian Flag if the owner has a warrant valid under British law. ^[13]

The flagpole on Parliament House is 81 metres tall and the flag measures 12. Parliament House is the meeting place of the Parliament of Australia. 8 m by 6. 4 m, about the size of half a tennis court. A tennis court is where the game of Tennis is played It is a firm rectangular surface with a low net stretched across the center

The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet also advises that the flag should only be flown during daylight hours, unless it is illuminated. The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C is an Australian Government department Two flags should not be flown from the same flagpole. When the flag is flown at half-mast, it should be recognisably at half-mast, for example, a third of the way down from the top of the pole. Half-staff or half-mast describes a Flag flying approximately halfway up a flagpole or ship's mast (though anywhere from one-third to two-thirds of the way up is acceptable The Australian Flag should never be flown half mast at Night. Flags are flown at half-mast on government buildings:

• On the death of the Sovereign – from the time of announcement of the death up to and including the funeral. TalkCommonewalth realm.-->The monarchy On the day the accession of the new Sovereign is proclaimed, it is customary to raise the flag to the top of the mast from 11 am.
• On the death of a member of a royal family. TalkCommonewalth realm.-->The monarchy
• On the death of the Governor-General or a former Governor-General.
• On the death of a distinguished Australian citizen. Flags in any locality may be flown at half-mast on the death of a notable local citizen or on the day, or part of the day, of their funeral.
• On the death of the head of state of another country with which Australia has diplomatic relations – the flag would be flown on the day of the funeral.
• On ANZAC day the flag is flown half-mast until noon.
• On Remembrance Day flags are flown at peak till 10:30 am, at half-mast from 10:30 am to 11:03 am, then at peak for the remainder of the day. Remembrance Day also known as Poppy Day, Armistice Day (the event it commemorates or Veterans Day is a day to commemorate the

The Department provides a subscription-based email service called the Commonwealth Flag Network, which gives information on national occasions to fly the flag at half-mast as well as national days of commemoration and celebration of the flag. ^[14]

The Australian National Flag may be used for commercial or advertising purposes without formal permission as long as the flag is used in a dignified manner and reproduced completely and accurately; it should not be defaced by overprinting with words or illustrations, it should not be covered by other objects in displays, and all symbolic parts of the flag should be identifiable. ^[15]

There have been several attempts to make desecration of the Australian flag a crime. Flag desecration is a term applied to various acts that intentionally deface a Flag, most often a National flag (though other flags can be defaced as well In 1953, during the second reading debate on the Flags Act, the leader of the Opposition, Arthur Calwell, unsuccessfully called for provisions to be added to the bill to criminalise desecration. Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition, commonly known as The Opposition, in Australia fulfils the same function as the Official opposition Arthur Augustus Calwell (28 August 1896 - 8 July 1973 Australian politician was Leader of the Australian Labor Party from 1960 to 1967 Michael Cobb introduced private member’s bills in 1989, 1990, 1991 and 1992 to ban desecration, but on each occasion the bill lapsed. Michael Roy Cobb (born 16 March 1945) is an Australian politician who was found guilty of fraud A Private Member's Bill is a proposed Law introduced by a backbench member of Parliament, whether from the government or the opposition side to that ^[16] In 2002, the leader of the National Party, John Anderson, proposed to introduce laws banning desecration of the Australian flag, a call which attracted support from some parliamentarians both in his own party and the senior Coalition partner, the Liberal Party. The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party. John Duncan Anderson (born 14 November 1956) is an Australian politician. The Coalition in Australian politics refers to a pragmatic grouping of Centre-right parties that has existed in the form of a coalition agreement since 1922 The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party. However, the Prime Minister, John Howard, rejected the calls stating that ". See also Howard Government John Winston Howard AC (born 26 July 1939 was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia from 11 March . . in the end I guess it's part of the sort of free speech code that we have in this country. "^[17] In 2003, the Australian Flags (Desecration of the Flag) Bill was tabled in Parliament by Trish Draper without support from Howard and subsequently lapsed. Patricia "Trish" Draper (born 2 April 1959) Australian politician was a Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives ^[18]

National Flag Day

The Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne. Site of the first flying of the Australian flag.

In 1996, the Governor-General, Sir William Deane, issued a proclamation establishing an annual Australian National Flag Day, to be held on 3 September. The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia is the representative in Australia of the monarch of Australia (currently Elizabeth II Queen of Australia) Sir William Patrick Deane, AC, KBE, QC (born 4 January 1931) Australian judge and 22nd Governor-General of Australia. Events 36 BC - In the Battle of Naulochus, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, Admiral of Octavian, defeats Sextus Pompeius ^[19] Flag Day celebrations had been occurring in Sydney since 1984. A flag day is a Flag -related holiday—either a day designated for flying a certain flag (such as a National flag) or a day set aside to celebrate a historical event Sydney (ˈsɪdniː is the most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 4 They were initiated by the vexillographer John Christian Vaughan to commemorate the first occasion when the Flag was flown in 1901. Vexillology is the scholarly study of Flags The word is a synthesis of the Latin word Vexillum and the suffix –''ology'', meaning "study John Christian Vaughan is a Sydney historian and Vexillographer. ^[20] On Flag Day, ceremonies are held in some major centres, and the Governor-General and some politicians attend or release statements to the media. Australian National Flag Day is not a public holiday.

Centenary Flag

On the centenary of the first flying of the flag, 3 September 2001, the Australian National Flag Association presented the Prime Minister with a flag intended to replace the missing original flag. Events 36 BC - In the Battle of Naulochus, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, Admiral of Octavian, defeats Sextus Pompeius Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. The Australian National Flag Association is a registered educational charity founded in Sydney on 10 May, 1983 at a public meeting in response to suggestions This flag was not a replica of the original flag, on which the Commonwealth Star had only six points, but was a current Australian National Flag with a seven pointed Commonwealth Star. The flag has a special headband, including a cardinal red stripe and the inscription

The Centenary Flag. Presented to the Hon John Howard MP, Prime Minister of Australia on behalf of the people of Australia by the Australian National Flag Association on 3 September 2001 at the Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne to commemorate the first flying of the Australian National Flag on 3 September 1901 attended by the Rt Hon Sir Edmund Barton MHR, Prime Minister of Australia. Events 36 BC - In the Battle of Naulochus, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, Admiral of Octavian, defeats Sextus Pompeius Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. Events 36 BC - In the Battle of Naulochus, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, Admiral of Octavian, defeats Sextus Pompeius Year 1901 ( MCMI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting

A warrant authorising the use of the Centenary Flag under section 6 of the Flags Act was issued by the Governor-General and the flag is now used as the official flag of state on important occasions. ^[21]

Other Australian flags

Main article: List of Australian flags

Under Section 5 of the Flags Act 1953, the Governor-General may proclaim flags other than the National Flag and the Red Ensign as flags or ensigns of Australia. This is a list of flags used in Australia: National Flag Indigenous Australians States and Territories Five flags have been appointed in this manner. The first two were the Royal Australian Navy Ensign and the Royal Australian Air Force Ensign, the flags used by the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. The Royal Australian Navy Ensign is the Ensign flown by ships of the Royal Australian Navy, correctly known as the Australian White Ensign or The Royal Australian Air Force Ensign is used by the Royal Australian Air Force in Australia and overseas The Royal Australian Navy ( RAN) is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. The Royal Australian Air Force ( RAAF) is the Air Force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The Australian Army uses the Blue Ensign. The Australian Army is Australia's military land force It is part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF along with the Royal Australian Navy and the The Air Force and the Navy flew the appropriate British ensigns (the White Ensign and the Royal Air Force Ensign) until the adoption of similar ensigns based on the Australian National Flag in 1948 and 1967 respectively. The White Ensign is an Ensign flown on British Royal Navy ships and Shore establishments It consists of a red St George's Cross on The Royal Air Force Ensign is the official Flag which is used to represent the Royal Air Force. The current Navy and Air Force Ensigns were officially appointed in 1967 and 1982 respectively.

In 1995, the Aboriginal Flag and the Torres Strait Islander Flag were also appointed flags of Australia. The Australian Aboriginal flag was originally designed as a protest Flag for the land rights movement of Indigenous Australians but has since become a symbol The Torres Strait Islander flag is an official Flag of Australia and is the flag that represents Torres Strait Islander people While mainly seen as a gesture of reconciliation, this recognition caused a small amount of controversy at the time, with then opposition leader John Howard describing it as divisive. See also Howard Government John Winston Howard AC (born 26 July 1939 was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia from 11 March Some indigenous people, such as the flag's designer Harold Thomas, felt that the government was appropriating their flag, saying it "doesn't need any more recognition". Indigenous Australians are descendants of the first known human inhabitants of the Australian continent and its nearby islands. Harold Joseph Thomas (born c 1947) is an Indigenous Australian descended from the Luritja people of Central Australia. ^[22]

The flag most recently appointed under Section 5 is the Australian Defence Force Ensign, in 2000. The Australian Defence Force Ensign is a flag of Australia which represents the tri-service Australian Defence Force. This flag is used to represent the Defence Force when more than one branch of the military is involved, such as at the Australian Defence Force Academy, and by the Minister for Defence.

Royal Australian Navy Ensign Royal Australian Air Force Ensign Australian Aboriginal Flag Torres Strait Islander Flag Australian Defence Force Ensign

In addition to the seven flags declared under the Flags Act there are two additional Commonwealth flags, the Australian Civil Aviation Ensign and Australian Customs Flag, eight Vice-Regal flags and nine State and Territory flags that are recognised as official flags through other means. The Australian Civil Aviation Ensign is an Australian flag that was used by the Australian Civil Aviation Authority The Australian Customs Flag is the flag flown by Australian Customs Service vessels and sometimes on ACS buildings

The flag debate

A poster calling for a redesign of the Australian Flag, released by Ausflag in 2000 to coincide with the 2000 Summer Olympics. Ausflag is a not for profit organisation that exists to promote debate on Australia's national symbols in particular the Flag of Australia. "I am proud and happy to proclaim that you have presented to the world the best Olympic Games ever

Main article: Australian flag debate

In connection with the issue of republicanism in Australia, there have been low-key but persistent debates over whether or not the Australian flag should be changed in order to remove the Union Flag from the canton. The Australian flag debate is a low-key but persistent debate over whether the Australian flag should be changed in order to remove the Union Flag from the Republicanism in Australia is a movement to change Australia 's status as a Constitutional monarchy to a Republican form of government This debate has come to a head at a number of occasions, such as in the period immediately preceding the Australian Bicentenary in 1988, and also during the Prime Ministership of Paul Keating, who publicly supported a change in the flag and was famously quoted as saying:

I do not believe that the symbols and the expression of the full sovereignty of Australian nationhood can ever be complete while we have a flag with the flag of another country on the corner of it. The bicentenary of Australia was celebrated in 1970 on the 200th anniversary of Captain James Cook landing and claiming the land and again in 1988 to celebrate 200 years Paul John Keating (born 18 January 1944 was the 24th Prime Minister of Australia, from 1991 to 1996 ^[23]

There are two lobby groups involved in the flag debate, the pro-change group Ausflag and the Australian National Flag Association (ANFA), who want to keep the current flag. Ausflag is a not for profit organisation that exists to promote debate on Australia's national symbols in particular the Flag of Australia. The Australian National Flag Association is a registered educational charity founded in Sydney on 10 May, 1983 at a public meeting in response to suggestions The primary arguments for keeping the flag cite historic precedence, while the arguments for changing the flag are based around the idea that the current flag does not accurately depict Australia's status as an independent and multicultural nation. Ausflag periodically campaigns for flag change in association with national events, like the 2000 Summer Olympics and holds flag design competitions, while ANFA's activities include promotion of the current design through events like National Flag Day. "I am proud and happy to proclaim that you have presented to the world the best Olympic Games ever Opinion polls indicate that Australians are split on the issues of flag change; for example, an AGB-McNair poll in 1995 that asked, "If a suitable design for a new Australian flag were found, would you be likely to support or oppose changing the flag in time for the 2000 Olympics?" found support among 50% of respondents and opposition from 46%. ^[24] A 2004 NEWSPOLL which asked "Are you personally in favour or against changing the Australian flag so as to remove the Union Jack emblem?" was supported by 32% of respondents, and opposed by 57% with 11% uncommitted. ^[25]

References

External links

• Australian Government, It's an Honour! - Australian National Flag
• Australia at Flags of the World
• Ausflag
• Australian National Flag Association