History of Australian Flag,
The colonies of Australia joined together in 1901. That year, Australia’s first Prime Minister, Rt Hon. Sir Edmund Barton announced an international competition to design a flag for the new nation. It attracted 32,823 entries. When winning flag was chosen, a review of entries revealed that five people submitted almost identical designs. These people were declared joint winners and they shared the award money of £200. The Australian National Flag was raised for the first time in September 3rd, 1901 at the Exhibition Building in Melbourne, which was then the seat of the federal government. The date is proclaimed as Australian National Flag Day.
It was announced in the commonwealth (colonies) of Australia, that King Edward VII approved design for the flag of Australia, known as the Commonwealth blue flag and the commonwealth redflag for the Navy. The stars of the Southern Cross were simplified to four seven-pointed stars and one five-pointed star. In 1908, a seventh point was added to the Commonwealth star to represent the Australian territories.
Confusion developed surrounding the use of the two Australian flags. The blue ensign was intended for official and naval purposes only and the red ensign was to be used by the Australian fleet. However, the general public also began using the red ensign on land. In 1941, Prime Minister Rt Hon. Robert Menzies issued a press statement recommending the blue flag as a national flag. The Flags Act of 1953 ended confusion about which flag to use. This concluded that the national flag of Australia will be the blue flag
An amendment to the Flags Act 1953 was passed in 1998 to ensure that the Australian National Flag can be changed only with the agreement of the Australian people.Other official Australian flags include the Australian Aboriginal Flag, the Torres Strait Islander Flag, and the ensigns of the Australian Defence Force flag.
Australian Flag- Color
According to the Ancient and the Heraldic traditions, there is a great deal of symbolism associated with the color of a nation's flag. The full development of Heraldry in about 1200 AD also brought sophisticated designs of flags, some of which includes a Coat of Arms. The Heraldic tradition of Australian flag represent the following:
White - Peace and honesty
Blue - Vigilance, Truth and Loyalty, Perseverance & Justice
Red - Hardiness, Bravery, Strength & Valour
These colors were approved by King Edward VII in 1903.
Australian Flag - Symbols
The Australian National Flag is Australia’s foremost national symbol. Ever since, it was first flown in 1901, it has become an expression of an Australian citizen identity and pride.
The Australian National Flag is raised over the federal and state parliaments. The flag is paraded by the defence forces and displayed around the country at sporting events and by service organizations, schools, and community groups.
Australian Flag - Elements,
The Australian National Flag has three elements on a blue background:
-the Union Jack,
-the Commonwealth Star and
-the Southern Cross.
The Union Jack in the upper left corner (or canton) acknowledges the history of British settlement.
Below the Union Jack is a white Commonwealth or Federation star. It has seven points representing the unity of the six states and the territories of the federation of Australia. The star is also featured on the Commonwealth Coat of Arms.
The Southern Cross is shown on the fly of the flag in white. This constellation of five stars can be seen only from the southern hemisphere and is a reminder of Australia’s geography.
The colonies of Australia joined together in 1901. That year, Australia’s first Prime Minister, Rt Hon. Sir Edmund Barton announced an international competition to design a flag for the new nation. It attracted 32,823 entries. When winning flag was chosen, a review of entries revealed that five people submitted almost identical designs. These people were declared joint winners and they shared the award money of £200. The Australian National Flag was raised for the first time in September 3rd, 1901 at the Exhibition Building in Melbourne, which was then the seat of the federal government. The date is proclaimed as Australian National Flag Day.
It was announced in the commonwealth (colonies) of Australia, that King Edward VII approved design for the flag of Australia, known as the Commonwealth blue flag and the commonwealth redflag for the Navy. The stars of the Southern Cross were simplified to four seven-pointed stars and one five-pointed star. In 1908, a seventh point was added to the Commonwealth star to represent the Australian territories.
Confusion developed surrounding the use of the two Australian flags. The blue ensign was intended for official and naval purposes only and the red ensign was to be used by the Australian fleet. However, the general public also began using the red ensign on land. In 1941, Prime Minister Rt Hon. Robert Menzies issued a press statement recommending the blue flag as a national flag. The Flags Act of 1953 ended confusion about which flag to use. This concluded that the national flag of Australia will be the blue flag
An amendment to the Flags Act 1953 was passed in 1998 to ensure that the Australian National Flag can be changed only with the agreement of the Australian people.Other official Australian flags include the Australian Aboriginal Flag, the Torres Strait Islander Flag, and the ensigns of the Australian Defence Force flag.
Australian Flag- Color
According to the Ancient and the Heraldic traditions, there is a great deal of symbolism associated with the color of a nation's flag. The full development of Heraldry in about 1200 AD also brought sophisticated designs of flags, some of which includes a Coat of Arms. The Heraldic tradition of Australian flag represent the following:
White - Peace and honesty
Blue - Vigilance, Truth and Loyalty, Perseverance & Justice
Red - Hardiness, Bravery, Strength & Valour
These colors were approved by King Edward VII in 1903.
Australian Flag - Symbols
The Australian National Flag is Australia’s foremost national symbol. Ever since, it was first flown in 1901, it has become an expression of an Australian citizen identity and pride.
The Australian National Flag is raised over the federal and state parliaments. The flag is paraded by the defence forces and displayed around the country at sporting events and by service organizations, schools, and community groups.
Australian Flag - Elements,
The Australian National Flag has three elements on a blue background:
-the Union Jack,
-the Commonwealth Star and
-the Southern Cross.
The Union Jack in the upper left corner (or canton) acknowledges the history of British settlement.
Below the Union Jack is a white Commonwealth or Federation star. It has seven points representing the unity of the six states and the territories of the federation of Australia. The star is also featured on the Commonwealth Coat of Arms.
The Southern Cross is shown on the fly of the flag in white. This constellation of five stars can be seen only from the southern hemisphere and is a reminder of Australia’s geography.