Flag of Australia
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The flag of Australia is blue
with the flag of the United Kingdom (the
Union Flag) in the canton (the upper hoist-side quadrant), and a large
seven-pointed star known as the Commonwealth Star (six points
representing the six original states and one point for the territories and any future states of Australia) in the lower
hoist-side quadrant; the remaining half is a representation of the Southern Cross
constellation in white with one small five-pointed star and four, larger, seven-pointed stars. It is a defaced British
Blue Ensign - defacement being a term in vexillology referring
to the practice of adding badges or symbol to an existing flag. It does not imply debasement.
History
The flag was proclaimed by the monarch in 1904 after a design competition (for which the rules implied that a British ensign
flag was required). This flag was mainly intended for naval use. Throughout the first fifty years of the Australian colony, the
Union Flag was widely used, as was the
"Red Ensign" (the same
design with a red background) - as the unofficial national flag. On 14th April 1954 the "Blue Ensign" flag became the official
Australian flag, though it was not until well into the 1960's that the national flag usurped the Union Flag completely in public
consciousness. The blue ensign design was adopted over the red ensign design due to the fact that red was the symbol of communism
and the rise of anti-communist feelings in Australia at the time.
The flag debate
In connection with the issue of republicanism in
Australia, there has been a low-key but persistent debate over whether or not the Australian flag should be changed,
particularly in order to remove the Union Flag from the canton. This debate has come to a head at a number of occasions, such as
immediately preceding the Australian National Bicentennial in 1988, and also
during the Prime Ministership of Paul Keating, who had publicly supported a change in the flag.
Arguments in favour of flag change
The case for changing the flag has been led by the organisation known as Ausflag. The organisation has not consistently supported one design, but has sponsored a number
of design competitions to develop alternative flag candidates.
Supporters of changing the flag typically argue that:
- The flag currently is not distinctive, containing as it does the national flag of another country in a position of
prominence. In particular, the flag is difficult to distinguish from a wide variety of flags based on the British Blue Ensign, most notably the national flag of New Zealand and the state flag of
Victoria.
- Further to this argument, the flag does not accurately reflect Australia's status as an independent nation. The status
of the flag as a defaced Union Ensign
suggests Australia is a colony or dependency of Great Britain. New Zealand, Fiji and Tuvalu are the only other independent
nations in the world to feature the Union Flag as a component of their national flags. Other Commonwealth countries whose flags originally depicted the
British flag, such as Canada, have since changed them. The flag's colours of red, white
and blue are neither Australia's official colours (green and gold) nor its traditional heraldic colours (blue and gold).
- In representing only Australia's British heritage, the flag is anachronistic, and does not reflect the change to a
multicultural, pluralist
society. In particular, the flag makes no mention of indigenous Australians, many of whom regard the Union Flag as a reminder of
colonial oppression and dispossesion.
- The flag is not a historically important national symbol. For most of the time since Federation, it has been flown alongside the Union Flag, which was equally regarded as an Australian flag. The
colour of the flag, as well as the number of points and arrangement of the stars, have been varied since 1901, and it was not officially adopted in its current form until 1954. Before then, confusion reigned between
whether the red or blue version was to be preferred, the red often winning out. Claims that Australians have "fought and died
under the flag" are spurious, given that during all the wars Australians have been involved in, they have usually "fought under"
the Union Flag and Red Ensign alongside the current Blue Ensign design. The Royal Australian Air Force and Royal Australian Navy used British flags and insignia in both World Wars. Only the Vietnam War occurred after the official adoption of the present Australian flag. In any
case, flags are not literally carried into battle in modern warfare.
Arguments against flag change
The supporters of the current version of the national flag argue that:
- The flag uniquely and distinctively represents Australia, with the Southern Cross representing Australia's position, the
Federation Star representing the States, and the Union Flag representing Australia's historical origins, and its membership of
the Commonwealth of Nations, as well as the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy practised in Australia.
The Southern Cross, being traditionally important to Aboriginal people, acts to represent the prior indigenous inhabitants.
- The flag is a popular symbol, widely and enthusiastically used. No alternative national flag has attained the same degree of
affection accorded to the current flag. Sporting flag designs, such as the Boxing Kangaroo, have failed to
supplant it.
- The flag does not reflect Australia's subordination to Britain. The flag of Hawaii has retained the Union Flag in the canton even
though it is now an American state and was never a
British colony.
- The flag provides continuity with the respective flags of the six Australian states, all of which are based on the defaced
blue Ensign.
- The flag is of historical importance, having been first developed on the eve of Federation, and containing elements of
earlier flags, such as that of the Anti-Transportation League. Efforts to change it are essentially revisionist and divisive.
Supporters of the Australian flag have formed the Australian National Flag Association to resist any attempts at change.
Progress of the debate
No official proposal has ever been legislated to precipitate a change in the status quo. Defenders of the flag have in the
past supported its addition to the Constitution,
to no avail. In 1996, however, the Howard government passed an amendment to
the Flags Act so that the national flag could not be changed except by means of public referendum, angering some proponents of change. Some however have questioned the constitutional validity of this
legislation, since it involves Parliament acting to
bind its own legislative power.
It seems certain that the flag debate will not be resolved before the question of an Australian republic is settled. It remains a low priority for most Australians.
Other national flags
The Australian Red
Ensign is used by Australian merchant ships, and there is also a white Naval Ensign and a light blue Air Force Ensign. In addition, the Aboriginal Flag and the Torres Strait Islander flag were each proclaimed a "Flag of Australia" under section
5 of the Flags Act 1953 by the Governor-General of Australia, Bill
Hayden, on 14 July 1995.
Flag trivia
- The originally number of points on the stars of the southern cross varied between five and eight, depending on the stars'
relative brightness in the sky. It was later fixed to seven (the same as the federation star) for the brightest four stars, and
five for Epsilon Crucis, the
faintest.
- Australia's national flag is one of only two in the world to feature a seven-pointed star. The other is that of Jordan.
See also
External links
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