Jan 24 2009
Australian Flags
Australia became a unified nation (rather than a collection of separate states) on January 1st 1901. Soon after, there was a competition to design a flag for the new nation, known as the Commonwealth of Australia. The five winners, who had each submitted similar designs, were a schoolboy, a teenager, an artist, an architect and a ship’s captain.
In the top left hand corner of the Australian flag is the Union Jack, the flag of the United Kingdom, reminding us of the origin of Australia’s first modern settlers. Below it is a seven-pointed star, known as the Commonwealth Star, representing the unity of the six states of Australia and all of its territories. The five stars on the right of the flag are reminiscent of the Southern Cross, a constellation of stars, reminding us of Australia’s geographic location in the southern hemisphere. The flag is sometimes known as the ‘Stars and Crosses.’
There is, however, another Australian flag – the flag of the Aboriginal people, who lived in Australia for thousands of years before the arrival of the first fleet. The Aboriginal flag was designed in 1971 by Indigenous Elder Harold Thomas.
At the centre of the Aboriginal flag is the yellow sun, the giver of life. The yellow colour also represents yellow ochre. Below it is the redness of the earth and red ochre and above the earth is black, representing the Aboriginal people.
The Aboriginal flag can only be flown by non-Aboriginal Australians in instances where permission has been granted. An image of the Aboriginal flag can be viewed here.
In addition, each of the states and territories of Australia has its own flag and there is a flag representing the Torres Strait Islands.
