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30-676: The Australian white ensign (also known as the Australian naval ensign or the Royal Australian Navy ensign ) is a naval ensign used by ships of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) from 1967 onwards. From the formation of the RAN until 1967, Australian warships used the British white ensign as their ensign. However, this led to situations where Australian vessels were mistaken for British ships, and when Australia became involved in

60-535: A jack to identify their nationality. Australian warships regularly found themselves mistaken for their British counterparts. One attempt to alleviate this was made by the executive officer of HMAS  Anzac during the Korean War , when he had a kangaroo -shaped 'weathervane' made and mounted to the destroyer's mainmast: this became the basis for the red kangaroo symbol fixed to the funnels or superstructure of major RAN vessels. Australia's participation in

90-691: A serious drafting error in Table A of the Act. The outer diameter of the Commonwealth Star was recorded as being three-eighths of the width of the flag, instead of the true value of three-tenths of the width of the flag. The Act was amended to correct the error in 1954. The Flags Amendment Act 1998 was passed after the 1996 Australian federal election , during a period where republicanism and other debates about Australian national identity were prominent. The Flags Amendment Act 1998 added to section 3 of

120-603: Is a warship , a merchant ship , a ship under contract to carry mail , or a yacht , for example. The national flags of several Commonwealth countries originated in the ensigns of the United Kingdom. Some of these national flags include those of Australia, New Zealand and several island nations. It is also very likely that the Grand Union Flag , from which the flag of the United States developed,

150-656: The Colonial navies flew the British Blue Ensign , defaced with the symbol of the relevant colony. When operating outside colonial waters, these ships had to be commissioned into the Royal Navy, and consequently flew the British white ensign . During the early 1900s, several British dominions , including Australia, began to campaign for the right to create naval forces independent of the Royal Navy, and capable of deploying outside territorial waters. During

180-689: The Royal Air Force Ensign ) and civil air ensigns . In heraldry , an ensign is an ornament or sign, such as the crown, coronet, or mitre, borne above the charge or arms . Flags Act 1953 The Flags Act 1953 is an act of the Parliament of Australia which defines the official Australian National Flag and the Australian Red Ensign . In the decades following the Federation of Australia in 1901

210-616: The Union flag in the canton . A blue Commonwealth Star is located in the lower hoist . The Southern Cross constellation is depicted in the fly in the same manner as the national flag, but in blue instead of white. Regulations for the use of the Australian White Ensign are detailed in Australian Book of Reference (ABR) 1834 Volume III. Although the flag is normally reserved for use by commissioned warships of

240-555: The Vietnam War put the RAN in a difficult situation: the United Kingdom was not involved in the conflict, and RAN ships were effectively fighting under the flag of another, uninvolved nation. During a Naval Estimates hearing in 1965, Victorian politician Samuel Benson voiced concern over the use of the British ensign by Australian ships on wartime deployments, and Don Chipp , Minister for the Navy , announced that an Australian ensign

270-434: The Vietnam War , the RAN was effectively fighting under the flag of another, uninvolved nation. Proposals were made in 1965 for a unique Australian ensign, which was approved in 1966, and entered use in 1967. The Australian white ensign is identical in design to the Australian national flag , but with the reversal of the blue background and the white Commonwealth Star and Southern Cross . Before Australia's Federation ,

300-575: The 1909 Imperial Conference, Canada and Australia campaigned for this, and suggested that these ships fly the British White Ensign, defaced with an emblem representing the dominion. No binding decision was made on the matter. During the lead up to the creation of the RAN, the issue was raised again: Australian politicians and the public wanted Australian ships to fly a unique ensign, while the British Admiralty wanted them to fly

330-653: The 1920s there was debate over whether the blue ensign was reserved for Commonwealth buildings only, culminating in a 1924 agreement that the Union Flag should take precedence as the National Flag and that state and local governments were henceforth able to use the blue ensign. A memo from the Prime Minister of Australia 's Department dated 6 March 1939 stated: "the Red Ensign is the flag to be flown by

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360-700: The Australian National Flag and the Australian Red Ensign (also known as the Australian Merchant Flag). Sections 5 & 6 confer statutory powers on 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. The Act originally contained

390-612: The British White Ensign . Suggested Australian ensigns included the British ensign defaced with a blue Commonwealth Star , or a variant of the Australian national flag . Australian warships used the national flag as an ensign until the formal creation of the RAN from the Commonwealth Naval Forces on 10 July 1911: ships were ordered to fly the British ensign, while the Australian flag was used as

420-538: The Flags Act and provided that the present Australian National Flag could only be replaced if a majority of State and Territory electors qualified to vote for the House of Representatives agree. It was promoted by its supporters as "ensuring a degree of protection for" and "the first substantive parliamentary steps towards defining a process for the change of" the Australian National Flag. During parliamentary debate in

450-531: The House of Representatives over the Flags Amendment Bill 1996, Laurie Ferguson MP, Member for Reid, whilst supporting the legislation, raised concerns that, "whilst the bill cements the idea of a plebiscite , with people being consulted in a manner similar to the consultation on the change to the national anthem, one of the weaknesses of the bill is that it does not set out any long-term process for

480-588: The RAN, special dispensation has been granted to the museum vessels HMAS  Vampire and HMAS  Onslow , The sail training ship Young Endeavour as a non-commissioned ship in Naval service wears the AWE. The Blue Ensign of the Australian Navy Cadets uses the Australian White Ensign in the canton . During battle, commissioned ships of the RAN will fly a large Australian white ensign at

510-491: The Red Ensign was the pre-eminent flag in use by private citizens on land. This was largely due to the Commonwealth Government and flag suppliers restricting sales of the blue ensign to the general public. By traditional British understanding, the blue ensign was reserved for official government use. State and local governments, private organisations and individuals were expected to use the red ensign. In

540-651: The Union flag and replacing the cross with the six stars from the Australian flag. McNicoll was in favour of retaining the Union flag, and in January 1966, the Naval Board recommended that the second design for the new ensign. The design was approved under section five of the Australian Flags Act 1953 . Royal Assent was granted to the new flag by Queen Elizabeth II on 7 November 1966, and its creation

570-579: The blue ensign be flown at schools, government buildings and by private citizens and continued use of the red ensign by merchant ships, providing it was done so respectfully. Prime Minister Ben Chifley issued a similar statement in 1947. On 4 December 1950, Menzies affirmed the Blue ensign as the National flag, and in 1951 King George VI approved the government's recommendation. When the Flags Bill

600-546: The foremast of single masted ships, and at the mainmast of two masted ships. Ensign (flag) The Middle English ensign is derived from the Latin word insignia . Vexillologists distinguish between three varieties of ensigns: Some countries like the United States and France use just one flag as an ensign and also as a jack , while lacking special cantons and transparent identification. All ships of

630-504: The precise form of the flag or the circumstances of its use, and this bill has been brought down to produce that result." Queen Elizabeth II gave royal assent to the ' Flags Act 1953 on 14 February 1954 after opening the Commonwealth Parliament during her 1954 Royal Tour . It was the first of the few Commonwealth statutes enacted by the reigning monarch. The act specifies the colours and construction details for

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660-645: 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 1940 the Victorian government passed legislation allowing schools to purchase blue ensigns. The following year prime minister Robert Menzies issued a media release recommending that

690-557: The seagoing services of the United States Government except for the United States Coast Guard fly the national flag as their ensign, although the ships of some agencies also fly an agency flag as a distinctive mark . Countries like Ukraine , Italy , Russia , South Africa , Australia , New Zealand and Japan use different ensigns. These are strictly regulated and indicate if the vessel

720-476: The ship is under way, becoming known as a steaming ensign . A boat flag is also often used as guest country flag and is flown on the boat when navigating in foreign waters or entering another country's port. With the creation of independent air forces and the growth in civil aviation in the first half of the 20th century, a range of distinguishing flags and ensigns were adopted. These may be divided into air force ensigns (often light blue in color, such as

750-556: The ship. This includes employment contracts, safety regulations, stamp duty or value-added taxes . In most countries, especially in Europe and the countries of the Commonwealth of Nations , it is common for the ensign to display additional information, like whether it is a civil, state or military flag. Ensigns are usually at the stern flagstaff when in port, and may be shifted to a gaff (if available) or mast amidships when

780-411: Was formally announced by Prime Minister Holt on 23 December 1966. The official changeover occurred on 1 March 1967, with all ships and establishments hoisting the new flag that day. The date was brought forward from 1 May 1967 to correspond with the commissioning of the chartered cargo ship Boonaroo , which became the first ship commissioned under the new ensign. However, the frigate HMAS  Stuart

810-462: 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

840-555: Was strongly influenced by either the British Red Ensign or the flag of the British East India Company . In nautical use, every boat uses a flag belonging to a specific Nation to indicate its organizational membership. This flag signifies the home port of the ship owner and that taxes for ship-related income are paid there. Flagging out always means that the relevant laws of the country apply on

870-484: Was the first to use the ensign, when the ship's company unofficially flew the flag on 25 December 1966 as part of shipboard Christmas Day celebrations while deployed to the Far East Strategic Reserve . Only two RAN ships served in conflict under both the old and new ensigns: the aircraft carrier (later troopship) HMAS  Sydney and the destroyer HMAS  Vendetta . The flag is white, with

900-564: Was under consideration. In 1966, Prime Minister Harold Holt added his support to the idea that a unique RAN ensign was required. The First Naval Member of the Australian Commonwealth Naval Board , Sir Alan McNicoll , proposed two designs to the board members: one retaining the St George's Cross from the old ensign but replacing the Union flag in the canton with the Australian flag, the other retaining

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