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The flag of Australia was chosen in 1901 from entries in a nationwide design competition held following in the upper hoist quarter, and a large white seven-pointed star known as the Commonwealth Star that symbolises the six states and other territories of the Commonwealth of Australia; 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. In addition to the Blue Ensign there are several additional Australian Flags , including the Aboriginal Flag , the Torres Strait Islander Flag and the flags of the Defence Forces. The design of the Australian flag is the subject of debate within Australia, with some advocating its redesign in connection with the Republican Movement . DESIGN The official flag of Australia is defined in the '' Flags Act 1953 ''. The Act became law on 14 February 1954 when Elizabeth II Queen Of Australia gave Royal Assent in person. Section 3 of the Act specifies that the Blue Ensign is the "Australian National Flag". The Act specifies the colours and construction details for this flag, and the Australian Red Ensign (also known as the Australian Merchant Flag). Symbolism The Australian flag uses three prominent symbols, the 1901 . There is one point for each of the six original states, and one which now represents all of the Commonwealth's internal and external territories. The blue colour has been interpreted to have a broader significance than a continuation of the Union Jack. It has been described as representing Australia as an island continent, as a symbol of the journey humans had to make to reach Australia, as the blue sky, and as a remnant of the Eureka Flag which also had a blue background. Construction Under the Flags Act, the Australian National Flag must meet the following specifications:
The location of the stars is as follows:
The outer diameter of the Commonwealth Star is 3/10 of the flag's width, while that of the stars in the Southern Cross is 1/7 of the flag's width, except for ''Epsilon'', for which the fraction is 1/12. Each star's inner diameter is 4/9 of the outer diameter. The flag's width is the measurement of the hoist edge of the flag (the distance from top to bottom). The colours of the flag, although not specified by the Flags Act, have been specified by the Awards and National Symbols Branch of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. HISTORY Before 1901, Australia was a collection of distinct British colonies. The Union Flag, as the flag of the British Empire, was often used to represent them collectively; and each colony also had its flag based on the Union Flag. 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 (when New South Wales was still the only British colony in Australia), by Captain John Nicholson and Captain John Bingle. The flag never achieved public support. The most popular "national" flag of the period was the 1831 Federation Flag , also designed by Nicholson. The Federation Flag proved immensely popular, and was widely used on the east coast of Australia for over 70 years, particularly by the federation movement. These flags, and many others such as the Eureka Flag , which came into use at the Eureka Stockade in 1854, featured stars representing 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 is similar in design to the present National Flag.
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