It is Australia’s foremost national symbol and has become an expression of Australian identity and pride. The flag is paraded by our defence forces and displayed around the country at sporting events and by service organisations, schools, community groups and private citizens.
Why is the Australian flag so important to Australia?
The Australian flag is a national symbol representing Australian identity and pride. … Below the Union Jack is the flag’s second element; the Commonwealth star. It has seven points of which six points represent the unity of six states, and the seventh point indicates the territories of the Commonwealth of Australia.
What is the meaning of the 6 stars on the Australian flag?
The Stars. The Commonwealth Star is the emblem of Australian Federation. Six points represent the states and the seventh all the federal territories which together constitute the nation, the Commonwealth of Australia. The constellation of the Southern Cross indicates our geographical location in the southern hemisphere …
What does the red Australian flag represent?
The red in the lower half stands for the earth and the colour of ochre, which has ceremonial significance. The circle of yellow in the centre of the flag represents the sun. The Australian Aboriginal Flag is displayed at Aboriginal centres and is well recognised as the flag of Aboriginal peoples of Australia.
What does the five pointed star represent on the Australian flag?
The five white stars of the fly of the flag represent the Southern Cross. The Southern Cross (or Crux) is the brightest constellation visible in the Southern Hemisphere and has been used to represent Australia and New Zealand since the early days of British settlement.
What are 3 facts about the Australian flag?
The fly contains a representation of the Southern Cross constellation, made up of five white stars – one small five-pointed star and four, larger, seven-pointed stars. There are other official flags representing Australia, its people and core functions of government.
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Flag of Australia facts for kids.
| Use | National flag and state ensign |
| Proportion | 1:2 |
Does New Zealand and Australia have the same flag?
The flag is (somewhat) different
BUT the Australian flag has two extra stars – a small one near the cross and a big one under the Union Jack. Meanwhile, New Zealand’s flag has just four stars but they are red with a white outline. Yes, the difference between the Aussie and NZ flag are small, but they are important.
Why did the Australian flag change from red to blue?
More republican-minded publications and individuals thought the Union Jack was inappropriate, Despite having been flown since 1901, the flag only became official with the Flags Act 1953. … With the Act, the blue version became the Australian national flag, and the red version used only for maritime use.
Is Australia changing its flag?
A dark blue, forward moving, kangaroo silhouetted against a golden sky has replaced the Union Jack and Federation Star featured on the current Australian Flag. … The white stars of the Southern Cross are reversed out of a blue field, which is unchanged from the current flag.
Should Australia change its flag?
The Australian National Flag Association (ANFA) believes that the existing design is an integral part of the Australian heritage and an appropriate expression of our national identity. The existing design of stars and crosses should therefore be retained and not altered in any manner whatsoever.
What are the 3 flags of Australia?
Australia has three official flags: the Australian National Flag, the Australian Aboriginal Flag and the Torres Strait Islander Flag.
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The Australian National Flag
- The flag of Great Britain, known as the Union Jack, is in the top left corner. …
- The Commonwealth Star is under the Union Jack.
What Colour was the original Australian flag?
Australian Red Ensign
| Use | Civil ensign |
| Proportion | 1:2 |
| Adopted | 11 February 1903 in use from 3 September 1901 23 February 1908 (current seven-pointed Commonwealth Star version) |
| Design | A Red Ensign with the Commonwealth/Federation Star at the hoist, and the Southern Cross in the fly half |
What was the original Australian flag?
The first such attempt was the National Colonial Flag created in 1823–1824 by Captains John Nicholson and John Bingle. This flag consisted of a red cross on a white background, with an eight-point star on each of the four limbs of the cross, while incorporating a Union Flag in the canton.
When did the Australian flag change?
What is now the Australian national flag was created soon after Federation in a competition in which nearly 33,000 people took part. However, for the next 50 years Australia’s official flag was the British flag, the Union Jack. This changed in 1954 when the Flags Act came into effect.
When did the Australian flag change from red to blue?
On the 3rd Sep 1901, following Federation, the Australian National Flag (Blue Ensign) became the official national flag of Australia, and has remained so ever since. At the same time, the Red Ensign became the flag of Merchant Naval Shipping, and has remained so ever since.
Why is Australia yellow and green?
Gold conjures images of Australia’s beaches, mineral wealth, grain harvests and the fleece of Australian wool. … Green evokes the forests, eucalyptus trees and pastures of the Australian landscape. Green and gold are also the colours of Australia’s national floral emblem – the golden wattle.