98-589: The Australian Aboriginal flag is an official flag of Australia that represents Aboriginal Australians . It was granted official status in 1995 under the Flags Act 1953 , together with the Torres Strait Islander flag , in order to advance reconciliation and in recognition of the importance and acceptance of the flag by the Australian community. The two flags are often flown together with
196-801: A 1924 agreement that the Union Jack should take precedence as the National Flag with state and local governments henceforth able to use the blue ensign. As the Union Jack was recognised as the national flag, it was considered disloyal to fly either ensign without the Union Jack alongside, and it was the Union Jack that covered the coffins of Australia's war dead. In 1940 the Victorian government passed legislation allowing schools to purchase Blue Ensigns, which in turn allowed its use by private citizens. Prime Minister Robert Menzies then recommended schools, government building and private citizens to use
294-714: A call that attracted support from some parliamentarians both in his own party and the senior Coalition partner, the Liberal Party . The Prime Minister, John Howard , rejected the calls, stating that "in the end I guess it's part of the sort of free speech code that we have in this country". In 2003, the Australian flags (Desecration of the Flag) Bill was tabled in Parliament by Trish Draper without support from Howard and subsequently lapsed. In 2006, following
392-725: A fee. Many Aboriginal people celebrated the freeing of the flag; however, Bronwyn Carlson, Professor of Indigenous Studies and Director of the Centre for Global Indigenous Futures at Macquarie University , expressed a contrary opinion, suggesting that to "free" the flag for all and sundry may demean it as a symbol of Aboriginal identity and history. She wrote in The Conversation : "the Aboriginal flag has always been our flag. We didn't need an act of parliament to recognise its significance." Some Indigenous people are not happy to see
490-563: A flag-burning incident during the 2005 Cronulla riots and a burnt flag display by a Melbourne artist, Liberal MP Bronwyn Bishop introduced the Protection of the Australian National Flag (Desecration of the Flag) Bill 2006 . This bill sought to make it an offence to desecrate the flag by "wilfully destroying or otherwise mutilating the Australian National Flag in circumstances where a reasonable person would infer that
588-533: A marine ensign and favouring King's Regulations that specified the use of the Union Jack. After being approached by the Department of Defence, Prime Minister Chris Watson stated in parliament that he was not satisfied with the design of the Australian flag and that implementation of the 1904 resolution could wait until consideration was given to "adopt another [flag] which in our opinion is more appropriate". In 1908, Australian Army Military Order, No 58/08 ordered
686-763: A matter of protocol. The Blue Ensign replaced the Union Jack at the Olympic Games at St Louis in 1904. In the same year, due to lobbying by Richard Crouch MP, it had the same status as the Union Jack in the UK, when the Australian House of Representatives proclaimed 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
784-475: A red cross on a white background, with an eight-point star on each of the four limbs of the cross, while incorporating a Union Jack in the canton. The most popular national flag of the period was the 1831 Federation Flag , also designed by Nicholson. This flag was the same at the National Colonial Flag, except that the cross was blue instead of resembling that of St. George. Although the flag
882-575: A request from the British government to design a new flag, the new Commonwealth Government held an official competition for a new federal flag in April. The competition attracted 32,823 entries, including those originally sent to the Review of Reviews . One of these was submitted by an unnamed governor of a colony. The two contests were merged after the Review of Reviews agreed to being integrated into
980-464: A ship's officer from Auckland , New Zealand . The differences to the current flag were the six-pointed Commonwealth Star, while the components stars in the Southern Cross had different numbers of points, with more if the real star was brighter. This led to five stars of nine, eight, seven, six and five points respectively. The Inner Diameter of the six-pointed Federal Star in the lower Hoist
1078-414: A situation of distress. The flag is not to be placed or dropped on the ground, nor should it be used to cover an object in the lead-up to an unveiling ceremony, or to hide other material. Flags that have decayed or faded should not be displayed. Old or decayed flags should be disposed of in private "in a dignified way"; a method given as an example is to cut the flag into small pieces before being placed in
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#17327869916081176-586: A six pointed star thereon, was run up to the top of the flagstaff on the dome, and breaking, streamed out on the heavy south-westerly breeze a brave and inspiriting picture. The report carried by the Argus newspaper was also celebratory in nature, stating, In years to come the flag which floated yesterday in the Exhibition building over Her Excellency the Countess of Hopetoun, who stood for Great Britain, and
1274-409: A symbol of Aboriginal people of Australia. The flag is horizontally and equally divided into a black region (above) and a red region (below); a yellow disc is superimposed over the centre of the flag. The overall proportions of the flag, as proclaimed and in its original design, are 2:3; however, the flag is often reproduced in the proportions 1:2 as with the Australian national flag. On 14 July 1995,
1372-531: Is actually generally lighter than the shade used (no specific shade is specified ) in the British flag (Pantone 186C, Hex: #C8102E) from which it originated. The blue colour has a different hex code for RGB scheme, but when printed -the Pantone number- it is the same: Australia (Pantone 280C, Hex: 00008B) vs. United Kingdom (Pantone 280C, Hex: 012169). Under the Flags Act, the Australian National Flag must meet
1470-718: Is based on the British Blue Ensign —a blue field with the Union Jack in the upper hoist quarter—augmented with a large white seven-pointed star (the Commonwealth Star ) and a representation of the Southern Cross constellation, made up of five white stars ( one small five-pointed star and four, larger, seven-pointed stars). Australia also has a number of other official flags representing its people and government bodies. The original version of
1568-483: Is co-owned by Birubi Art owner Ben Wooster) a licence for the use of the flag on clothing. In June 2019, it was reported that WAM Clothing had demanded that Aboriginal-owned businesses stop selling clothing that featured the flag. They also sent notices to the NRL and AFL about their use of the flag on Indigenous round jerseys. In June 2020, after a prominent Aboriginal footballer began selling WAM-licensed teeshirts bearing
1666-648: Is depicted on the Australian flag. Each colony also had its own flag based on the British Blue Ensign, defaced with a state badge. As an Australian national consciousness began to emerge, several flag movements were formed and unofficial new flags came into common usage. 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 by Captains John Nicholson and John Bingle. This flag consisted of
1764-591: Is often included in various proposed designs to replace the current Australian Flag . One proposal has been to substitute the Union Flag , located in the canton of the Australian Flag, with the Aboriginal flag. Harold Thomas said of this idea: "I wouldn′t reject it out of hand, but I could make a decision to say no. Our flag is not a secondary thing. It stands on its own, not to be placed as an adjunct to any other thing. It shouldn't be treated that way." In
1862-699: Is similar in design to the present National Flag. The differences were that there was no Commonwealth Star, while the components of the Southern Cross are depicted with eight points and in gold. This flag was only briefly in usage, as two years after the formation of the Anti-Transportation League in 1851, the colonial authorities decided to stop the intake of convicts, so the ATL ceased its activities. The Eureka Flag has become an enduring symbol in Australian culture and has been used by various groups and movements. The Murray River Flag , popular since
1960-603: 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. 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
2058-479: Is the measurement of the hoist edge of the flag (the distance from top to bottom). Guidelines for flying the flag are laid out in the pamphlet "Australian Flags", which is infrequently published by the Australian Government. The guidelines say that the Australian National Flag is allowed to be flown on every day of the year, and that it "should be treated with the respect and dignity it deserves as
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#17327869916082156-529: The Melbourne Herald conducted a design competition with a prize of 25 Australian pounds (A$ 4,400 in 2021 terms). The competition conducted by the Review of Reviews for Australasia —a Melbourne-based publication— suggested that entries incorporate a design based on the British ensigns and around the Southern Cross, noting that designs without these emblems were unlikely to be successful. After Federation on 1 January 1901, and following receipt of
2254-543: The 2000 Summer Olympics . The Olympics organisers announced that the Aboriginal flag would be flown at Olympic venues. The flag has been flown over the Sydney Harbour Bridge during the march for reconciliation of 2000 and many other events, including Australia Day . On 4 February 2022, the New South Wales government announced that the flag would be flown from the Harbour Bridge permanently. On
2352-450: The Australian flag . It has also been flown in front of Adelaide Town Hall since the same date. Various councils in Australian towns fly the Aboriginal flag from the town halls, such as Bendigo (adopted in 2005). The flag is also flown at many other public buildings such as a number of the state Parliament Houses including that of Victoria. In April 2021 Regional NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Gary Worboys said that he would like to see
2450-568: The Australian national flag . The Australian Aboriginal flag was designed by Aboriginal artist Harold Thomas in 1971, and it was first flown in Adelaide in July of that year. Thomas held the intellectual property rights to the flag's design until January 2022, when he transferred the copyright to the Commonwealth government . The flag was designed for the land rights movement and became
2548-693: The Commonwealth Star . Adopted in its current form in 1801, the Union Jack incorporates three heraldic crosses representing the nations of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland as they were constituted at the time: The Union Jack acknowledges the history of British settlement in Australia. Further, the British Admiralty required a flag based on the Blue or Red Ensign for maritime use. The Commonwealth Star , also known as
2646-460: The Greek alphabet , in decreasing order of brightness in the sky. Alpha was originally larger than Beta and Gamma whilst Delta was originally smaller than Beta and Gamma. In order to simplify manufacture, the British Admiralty standardised the size and shape of the four larger outer stars at seven points and each of the same size, leaving the smaller, more central star with five points. This change
2744-553: The Keating government advised the proclamation of the Aboriginal flag as "the flag of the Aboriginal peoples of Australia and to be known as the Australian Aboriginal flag", under section five of the Flags Act 1953 . The proclamation noted that the flag was "recognised as the flag of the Aboriginal peoples of Australia and a flag of significance to the Australian nation generally". Due to an administrative oversight,
2842-663: The Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne and the judges took six days to deliberate before reaching their conclusion. Five almost identical entries were chosen as the winning design, and the designers shared the £200 (2021: $ 35,200) prize money, with £40 each. 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,
2940-424: The governor-general to appoint "flags and ensigns of Australia" and authorise warrants and make rules as to use of flags. Section 8 ensures that the "right or privilege" of a person to fly the Union Jack is not affected by the act. South Australia chose to continue with the Union Jack as the national flag until 1956, when schools were given the option of using either the Union Jack or Australian flag. The former
3038-408: The science fiction film Event Horizon , actor Sam Neill , himself a New Zealander, designed a flag for use on his sleeve as the way he thought the Australian flag should look in 2047, which incorporated the Aboriginal flag. The Australian Aboriginal flag is celebrated in the painting The First Supper (1988) by Susan Dorothea White where the central figure is an Aboriginal woman who displays
Australian Aboriginal flag - Misplaced Pages Continue
3136-536: The "Australian Ensign" replace the Union Jack at all military establishments. From 1911 it was the saluting flag of the Australian army at all reviews and ceremonial parades. The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) was promulgated on 5 October 1911 and was directed to fly the British White Ensign on the stern and the flag of Australia on the jackstaff . Despite the government wanting to use the Blue Ensign on Australian warships, officers continued to fly
3234-474: The 1850s, is still widely used by boats that traverse Australia's main waterway . It is the same as the National Colonial Flag, except that the white background in the three quadrants other the canton were replaced with four alternating blue and white stripes, representing the four major rivers that run into the Murray River. As Federation approached, thoughts turned to an official federal flag. In 1900,
3332-540: The 1920s the Federation Flag remained the most popular Australian flag for public and even some official events. It was flown at the 1907 State Premiers conference in Melbourne and during the 1927 visit to Australia of the Duke and Duchess of York, the future King George VI and Queen Elizabeth . In the 1920s there was debate over whether the Blue Ensign was reserved for Commonwealth buildings only, culminating in
3430-524: The 1971 flag as an artistic work expired upon transfer to the Commonwealth. The flag's current legal status was debated in an Australian Senate estimates committee in mid‑February 2022, when it was also revealed that the Morrison government had paid $ 13.75m to Thomas to assume copyright, and also paid $ 6.3m to two non-Indigenous businesses which held licences to use the flag. These companies are WAM Clothing, which received $ 5.2m, and Wooster Holdings, which
3528-411: The 1995 proclamation was not lodged so that it would continue in force indefinitely; hence it automatically expired on 1 January 2008. It was therefore almost identically replaced, on 25 January 2008, with effect as from 1 January. The symbolic meaning of the flag colours (as stated by Harold Thomas) are: Discussing the process of designing the flag in a copyright trial, Thomas also elaborated that
3626-625: The 30th anniversary of the flag in 2001, thousands of people were involved in a ceremony where the flag was carried from the Parliament of South Australia to Victoria Square. The first city council to fly the Aboriginal flag was Newcastle City Council in 1977. On 8 July 2002 the Adelaide City Council endorsed the permanent flying of the Aboriginal flag close to the location of its first raising at Victoria Square in 1971 (now dual-named Tarntanyangga), which now flies adjacent to
3724-594: The Aboriginal flag and the Torres Strait Islander flag alongside the national flag at ministerial press conferences. Upon the opening of the new Parliament , both flags began to be displayed in the House of Representatives and Senate chambers. From 27 May 2022, at the start of National Reconciliation Week , both the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags were hoisted on the front lawn of Government House, Adelaide , to be permanently flown alongside
3822-400: The Australian community." The move was also criticised by the designer of the flag, Harold Thomas, arguing that the flag "doesn't need any more recognition" and that "This move will mean that the flag has been taken over by the white man and will lose its potency as a symbol." The National Indigenous Advisory Committee campaigned for the Aboriginal flag to be flown at Stadium Australia during
3920-461: The Blue Ensign on special flag days, but not if it meant additional expense, which undermined the motion. The Blue Ensign could only be flown on a state government building if a state flag was not available. On 2 June 1904 a resolution was passed by parliament to replace the Union Jack with the "Australian flag" on forts. Initially the Department of Defence resisted using the Flag, considering it to be
4018-661: The Blue Ensign, issuing a statement the following year allowing Australians to use either ensign providing it was done so respectfully. Prime Minister Ben Chifley issued a similar statement in 1947. On 4 December 1950, the Prime Minister Robert Menzies affirmed the Blue ensign as the National flag and in 1951 King George VI approved the Government's recommendation. When the Flags Bill
Australian Aboriginal flag - Misplaced Pages Continue
4116-573: The Colonies at the time of colonial settlement (1804), and after whom Hobart is named. The colour used on the arms Lord Hobart was, in fact, sable (black), rather than blue. The red lion is from the Tasmanian flag – and its location at the top of the shield signifies Hobart's position as the Capital City. Notable is the city's coat of arms in the centre of the ensign and the city's name on
4214-424: The Commonwealth government announced, after more than three years of confidential negotiations, that Thomas had transferred the copyright in the flag to the Commonwealth. The federal government paid $ 20.05m to Thomas and licence holders (including WAM Clothing and Carroll and Richardson Flagworld) to extinguish existing licences and secure copyright. As part of the copyright transfer, Thomas retained moral rights over
4312-402: The Federal Government's 1995 proclamation of the design, and his claim was contested by two others, George Brown and James Tennant. After winning copyright, Thomas awarded rights solely to Carroll & Richardson – Flagworld Pty Ltd and Birubi Art Pty Ltd for the manufacture and marketing of the flag and of products featuring the flag's image. In November 2018, Thomas granted WAM Clothing (which
4410-559: The Federation Star, originally had six points, representing the six federating colonies. In 1908, a seventh point was added to symbolise the Territory of Papua , and any future territories. Another rationale for the change was to match the star used on the coat of arms, which was created in the same year. The Commonwealth Star does not have any official relation to Beta Centauri , despite the latter's brightness and location in
4508-616: The Flags Act, have been given Pantone specifications by the Parliamentary and Government Branch of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet . 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. The shade of the red colour in the canton of the Australian flag (Pantone 185C, Hex: #FF0000)
4606-729: The Menzies government (and other organisations such as the Catholic Church), however it was also suitable to the Labor party as it was the same colour as the Eureka Flag. The Red Ensign continues to be paraded on Anzac Day in recognition of its historical significance. Technically, private non-commercial vessels were liable to a substantial fine if they did not fly the British Red Ensign. However, an Admiralty Warrant
4704-424: The Prime Minister (Mr Barton), who stood for Australia, will, in all human probability, become the emblem upon which the millions of the free people of the Commonwealth will gaze with a thrill of national pride. Alternatively, the then republican magazine The Bulletin labelled it, a staled réchauffé of the British flag, with no artistic virtue, no national significance ... Minds move slowly: and Australia
4802-566: The Red Ensign or the Australian National Flag, but not both. 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. The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet also advises that the flag should only be flown during daylight hours, unless it is illuminated. Two flags should not be flown from the same flagpole. The flag should not be displayed upside down under any circumstances, not even to express
4900-545: The Union Jack, and it was not until 1913, following public protest in Fremantle after its use for the review of HMAS Melbourne , that the government reminded them of the 1911 legislation. The British White Ensign was finally replaced by a distinctively Australian White Ensign on 1 March 1967 (see Flags of the Australian Defence Force ). Despite the new Australian flags official use, from 1901 until
4998-721: The arrival of the First Fleet , Captain Arthur Phillip established a convict settlement at Sydney Cove on 26 January 1788. He first raised the Union Jack on 7 February 1788 when he proclaimed the Colony of New South Wales. The Union Jack at that stage was the one introduced in 1606, which did not include the Saint Patrick's Saltire ; it was included from 1801 after the Acts of Union 1801 . The second version post-1801
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#17327869916085096-399: The black represented "black consciousness, black awareness, black power [and] be[ing] proud of your blackness". The other colours of yellow and red were sourced from the predominant colours used to decorate pukamani poles . Thomas also explained why the black was placed above the red stripe: I wanted to make it unsettling. In normal circumstances you'd have the darker colour at the bottom and
5194-461: The black, red and green colours of the Pan-African flag as a symbol of black consciousness, and a flag with a red-black field containing a spear and four crescents in yellow. Cathy Freeman caused controversy at the 1994 Commonwealth Games by carrying the Aboriginal flag as well as the Australian national flag during her victory lap of the arena, after winning the 200 metres sprint; only
5292-560: The blood shed by Aboriginal people. The official colour specifications of the Australian Aboriginal flag are: In most cases, on-screen or digital reproductions of the flag should use the RGB colours as in the table above. When displaying in physical fabric formats, it is much preferred to use the Pantone specifications. When printing on paper, the CMYK colours are superior. The original design
5390-404: The blue ensign altogether. A memo from the Prime Minister's Department dated 6 March 1939 states that "the Red Ensign is the flag to be flown by the public generally" and the federal government policy was "The flying of the Commonwealth Blue Ensign is reserved for Commonwealth Government use but there is no reservation in the case of the Commonwealth Merchant Flag, or Red Ensign". In the 1940s,
5488-583: 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 for private vessels and Blue Ensigns for government ships. The Barton government regarded both the Blue and Red Ensigns as colonial maritime flags and "grudgingly" agreed to fly it only on naval ships. Later governments, that of Chris Watson in 1904 and Andrew Fisher in 1910, were also unhappy with
5586-424: The conventions of heraldry, originality, utility, and the cost of manufacture. The majority of designs incorporated the Union Jack and the Southern Cross, but native animals were also popular, including one that depicted a variety of indigenous animals playing cricket , a six-tailed kangaroo representing the six Australian states, and a kangaroo aiming a gun at the Southern Cross. The entries were put on display at
5684-411: The day to be legislated for as the chief national symbol, although no cabinet documents yet released to the public including the more detailed minutes have ever been adduced in support of this theory. This theory is unlikely, as since 1904 the Australian Government had given precedence to the blue ensign, for example by giving the right to fly it in schools in 1940. Blue suited the anti-communist policy of
5782-413: The design, wanting something "more distinctive" and more "indicative of Australian unity". On 3 September 1901, the new Australian flag flew for the first time from the dome of the Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne. The names of the joint winners of the design competition were announced by Hersey, Countess of Hopetoun (the wife of the Governor-General , the 7th Earl of Hopetoun ) and she unfurled
5880-419: The destruction or mutilation is intended publicly to express contempt or disrespect for the Flag or the Australian Nation". The bill received a second reading but subsequently lapsed and did not proceed to be voted in the House of Representatives. The Union Jack, as the flag of the British Empire, was first used on Australian soil on 29 April 1770 when Lieutenant James Cook landed at Botany Bay . Following
5978-408: The federal government began to encourage public use of the blue ensign. Despite this, there remained confusion until the Flags Act 1953 declared the Blue Ensign to be the national flag and the Red Ensign the flag of the Australian mercantile marine. It has been claimed that this choice was made on the basis that the predominately red version carried too many communist overtones for the government of
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#17327869916086076-422: The federal government have control of the flag, rather than an Indigenous organisation, and law professor Isabella Alexander said that some legal questions remained, for as long as details of the agreement were still commercial-in-confidence. Upon the release by the Australian government of the Assignment Deed following an FOI application, David J. Brennan has identified a likelihood that the Australian copyright in
6174-423: The flag (which include the right to be identified as its creator). Following the copyright transfer, Carroll and Richardson Flagworld continued to be the exclusive manufacturer, although individuals may make copies for personal use. The Commonwealth agreed to fund a scholarship in Thomas's name for Indigenous students to further the development of Indigenous governance and leadership and an online education portal on
6272-444: The flag at half-mast as well as national days of commemoration and celebration of the flag. 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
6370-418: The flag first flew as the Commonwealth blue ensign on 3 September 1901, after being selected alongside a red version (the Red Ensign ) in a competition held following Federation . A slightly simplified version as approved by King Edward VII was officially adopted in 1903. It was later modified to the current design on 8 December 1908, with the change from a six- to a seven-point Commonwealth Star. In 1954,
6468-455: The flag flown at every New South Wales Police regional police station in the state, expanding from the 12 of the 89 then flying it. The Australian Aboriginal flag has been hoisted alongside the Australian national flag as a permanent feature of the Australian Embassy in Dublin , Ireland, since 5 March 2021. Following the 2022 Australian federal election on 21 May 2022, the incoming Anthony Albanese led Labor government started displaying
6566-410: The flag for the first time. Since 1996 this date has been officially known as Australian National Flag Day . The competition-winning designs were submitted to the British Colonial Secretary in 1902. Prime Minister Edmund Barton announced in the Commonwealth Gazette that King Edward VII had officially approved the design as the flag of Australia on 11 February 1903. The published version made all
6664-438: The flag has been subject to controversy, as to original and ongoing ownership of the copyright. In 1997, in the case of Thomas v Brown and Tennant , the Federal Court of Australia declared that Harold Thomas was the owner of copyright in the design of the Australian Aboriginal flag, and thus the flag has protection under copyright law of Australia . Thomas had sought legal recognition of his ownership and compensation following
6762-428: The flag on her T-shirt. The flag was to be part of the logo on Google Australia's home page on Australia Day 2010, but the company was forced to modify the design due to its creator Harold Thomas demanding payment if Google were to use it. The anti-Islamic group Reclaim Australia used the flag at their protests in 2015, which was condemned by the flag's creator, Harold Thomas, who called it "idiotic". Copyright in
6860-409: The flag should be identifiable. It also must sit first (typically, left) where more than one flag is used. For this reason the Collingwood Football Club had to reverse its logo, which previously featured the flag until a logo refresh at the end of 2017. There have been several attempts to make desecration of the Australian flag a crime. In 1953, during the second reading debate on the Flags Bill,
6958-404: The flag through his own website, Aboriginal former senator Nova Peris , a leader of a "free the flag" campaign, wrote to the Governor-General , requesting his support for divesting WAM of the copyright. After consultation with its Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Council, the AFL did not enter into a commercial agreement with WAM in 2020, in line with general Aboriginal sentiment on
7056-502: The flag was recognised in legislation with the passage of the Flags Act 1953 . This act also ended the confusion since 1901 as to whether the red ensign or the blue ensign was to be used, with the blue ensign designated as the Australian National Flag and given priority for the first time over the Union Jack . The Australian flag uses three prominent symbols: the Southern Cross , the Union Jack (Union Flag) and
7154-476: The flag's history. An original painting by Thomas detailing the transfer of copyright would be "displayed in a prominent location" by the Commonwealth. All royalties from the copyright are to be transferred to the National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee , and $ 2m would be devoted to establishing a not-for-profit organisation that will make periodic payments for activities related to
7252-582: The flag. About the use of the flag, the government statement reads: The Aboriginal Flag will now be managed in a similar manner to the Australian National Flag, where its use is free, but must be presented in a respectful and dignified way. All Australians can now put the Aboriginal Flag on apparel such as sports jerseys and shirts, it can be painted on sports grounds, included on websites, in paintings and other artworks, used digitally and in any other medium without having to ask for permission or pay
7350-471: The following specifications: The location of the stars is as follows: The outer diameter of the Commonwealth Star is 3 ⁄ 20 of the flag's width, while that of the stars in the Southern Cross is 1 ⁄ 14 of the flag's width, except for Epsilon, for which the fraction is 1 ⁄ 24 . Each star's inner diameter is 4 ⁄ 9 of the outer diameter. The flag's width
7448-418: The four moral virtues ascribed to the four main stars by Dante : justice, prudence, temperance and fortitude. The number of points on the stars of the Southern Cross on the modern Australian flag differs from the original competition-winning design, in which they ranged between five and nine points each, representing their relative brightness in the night sky. The stars are named after the first five letters of
7546-703: The general public. Both the blue and red versions were used by armed forces during the First and Second World Wars (see: Flags of the Australian Defence Force ). A colourised version of a photograph held by the Australian War Memorial of the Armistice Day celebrations in Sydney's Martin Place, 11 November 1918, reveals both ensigns being displayed by the assembled crowd. Illustrations and photos of
7644-400: The government initiative. The £75 prize money of each competition were combined and augmented by a further £50 donated by Havelock Tobacco Company. Each competitor was required to submit two coloured sketches, a red ensign for the merchant service and public use, and a blue ensign for naval and official use. The judging criteria for the designs included historical relevance, compliance with
7742-438: The government's support for Aboriginal pride and reconciliation. However, the decision was criticised at the time by Liberal opposition leader John Howard . He stated that the recognition "would rightly be seen by many in the community not as an act of reconciliation but as a divisive gesture" and that "No matter how these flags bulk large in the affections of our indigenous people, they can only ever be symbols for one section of
7840-553: The issue. In August 2020, Ken Wyatt , Minister for Indigenous Australians , said that he would love to see the flag freely used across Australia, and former AFL player Michael Long said its absence would have a negative effect on the players in the Sir Doug Nicholls Indigenous Round . Wyatt encouraged spectators to bring flags to the games, beginning in Darwin on 22 August 2020. On 24 January 2022,
7938-531: The leader of the Opposition , Arthur Calwell , unsuccessfully called for provisions to be added to the bill to criminalise desecration. Michael Cobb introduced private member's bills in 1989, 1990, 1991 and 1992 to ban desecration, but on each occasion the bill lapsed. In 2002, the leader of the National Party , John Anderson , proposed to introduce laws banning desecration of the Australian flag,
8036-433: The left of the flag, lettered from top to bottom. The predominant colours are white and teal. The three white rings in the flag intersect to create eight spaces from their loops and exterior, symbolising the unity of the eight amalgamated former councils. The colour of teal also represents unity. [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Flag of Australia The national flag of Australia
8134-417: The lighter colour on top and that would be visibly appropriate for anybody looking at it. It wouldn't unsettle you. To give a shock to the viewer to have it on top had a dual purpose, was to unsettle ... The other factor why I had it on top was the Aboriginal people walk on top of the land. Others, including Nova Perris and social worker Tileah Drahm-Butler, have also interpreted the red as representing
8232-541: The nation's most important national symbol". 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 (where possible) displayed in or near polling stations when there is a national election or referendum. Government ships, fishing vessels, pleasure craft, small craft and commercial vessels under 24 metres in tonnage length, can fly either
8330-556: The national flag and the South Australian flag . The sale of condoms in the colours of the Aboriginal flag won a public health award in 2005 for the initiative's success in improving safe sex practices among young Indigenous people. Aboriginal-designed emojis titled Indigemojis and including the flag on several designs, were released in December 2019 via an app, with the permission of Harold Thomas. The Aboriginal flag
8428-509: The national flag is meant to be displayed. Despite strong criticism from both Games officials and Australian team president Arthur Tunstall , Freeman carried both flags again after winning the 400 metres. In 1995, the Keating government advised the governor-general to give the flag official status as a flag of Australia, through a proclamation under the Flags Act . In a statement, the minister for Administrative Services argued this reflected
8526-442: The opening of Australia's provisional Parliament House in 1927 show Australian Ensigns flown alongside Union Jacks. However, sources disagree on the colours of the Australian flags, leaving open the possibility that either ensign or both were used. A 1934 issue of National Geographic covering the flags of the world and containing coloured illustrations describes the red ensign as "Australia – Merchant" and omits
8624-518: The precise form of the flag or the circumstances of its use, and this bill has been brought down to produce that result. This status was formalised on 14 February 1954, when Queen Elizabeth II gave royal assent to the Flags Act 1953 , which had been passed two months earlier. The monarch's assent was timed to coincide with the Queen's visit to the country and came after she had opened the new session of Parliament. The act confers statutory powers on
8722-476: The sky; however, the 1870 version of the flag of South Australia featured the pointer stars, Alpha and Beta Centauri. The Southern Cross is one of the most distinctive constellations visible in the Southern Hemisphere, and has been used to represent Australia since the early days of British settlement. Ivor Evans , one of the flag's designers, intended the Southern Cross to also refer to
8820-415: The stars in the Southern Cross seven-pointed and of equal size apart from the smallest—and is the same as the current design except for the six-pointed Commonwealth Star. In the decades following federation the red ensign was also the pre-eminent flag in use by private citizens on land. This was largely due to the Commonwealth government, assisted by flag suppliers, discouraging the use of the blue ensign by
8918-561: The waste. 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. The Australian flag should never be flown half mast at night, unless directed to half-mast for an extended period. Days on which flags are flown at half-mast on government buildings include, The department provides an email service called the Commonwealth Flag Network, which gives information on national occasions to fly
9016-629: Was designed by Nicholson in 1831, it did not become widely popular until the latter part of the century, when calls for federation began to grow louder. These flags, and many others such as the Eureka Flag (which came into use at the Eureka Stockade in 1854), featured the Southern Cross. The oldest known flag to show the stars arranged as they are seen in the sky is the Anti-Transportation League Flag , which
9114-704: Was in the proportion 2:3, rather than 1:2, to make the flag more "squared up", as Thomas felt that the Australian Flag, at 1:2, was too long. The flag was first flown on National Aborigines Day in Victoria Square in Adelaide on 9 July 1971. It was also used in Canberra at the Aboriginal Tent Embassy from late 1972. In the early months of the embassy—which was established in February that year—other designs were used, including flags with
9212-406: Was introduced into parliament on 20 November 1953, Menzies said, This bill is very largely a formal measure which puts into legislative form what has become almost the established practice in Australia ... The design adopted was submitted to His Majesty King Edward VII, and he was pleased to approve of it as the Australian flag in 1902. However, no legislative action has ever been taken to determine
9310-507: Was issued on 5 December 1938, authorising these vessels to fly the Australian Red Ensign. The Shipping Registration Act 1981 reaffirmed that the Australian Red Ensign was the proper colours for commercial ships over 24 metres (79 ft) in tonnage length. As a result of the declaration of 3 September as Merchant Navy Day in 2008, the Red Ensign can be flown on land alongside the Australian national flag on this occasion as
9408-476: Was larger than that of the later seven-pointed version of the Federal Star in the lower Hoist. Alpha Crucis and Delta Crucis were of different sizes than they are today—with Alpha being larger than at present and Delta being smaller than at present. The flag's initial reception was mixed. Readers of The Age newspaper were told that, a huge "Blue Ensign," with the prize design of the Southern Cross and
9506-536: Was officially gazetted on 23 February 1903. A complete specification for the official design was published in the Commonwealth Gazette in 1934. The flag of Australia is represented as the Unicode emoji sequence U+1F1E6 🇦 REGIONAL INDICATOR SYMBOL LETTER A , U+1F1FA 🇺 REGIONAL INDICATOR SYMBOL LETTER U . The colours of the flag, although not specified by
9604-501: Was paid $ 1.1m. Interests in both companies are held by Gold Coast businessman Ben Wooster, former director of Birubi Art (which was fined $ 2.3m in 2018 for selling fake Aboriginal art). List of Australian flags This is a list of flags of different designs that have been used in Australia . Sources: The star is derived from the arms of Lord Hobart, 4th Earl of Buckinghamshire (1760–1816), Secretary of State for War and
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