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Flag of Australia
The Australian flag consists of the Union Flag in the upper left corner with the Commonwealth Star beneath it. To the right of that are stars representing the Southern Cross constellation. This design was adopted in 1903. Questions about the Australian flag can be directed here.
180 Questions
What is the star at the left hand side corner of the Australian flag known as?
The seven-pointed star in the lower left quarter of the Australian flag is known as the Commonwealth Star, or the Federation Star. Six of the star's points represent the six original states of the Commonwealth of Australia, while the seventh point represents the territories and/or any future states.
Is there an easy way to draw the Australian flag?
No. There isn't but the easiest way is to draw the UK flag, put blue around it in a rectangular shape. Then draw stars on that blue part (dark blue).
What is the name of the biggest star known to man?
The name of the biggest star so far known to man is called VY Canis Majoris.
What is so important about the Australian flag?
The Australian flag is important to many people because it is the first flag designed when Australia federated (slight design alterations notwithstanding). It is the flag under which our defence forces fought in the two World wars and subsequent wars. The flag encompasses both our heritage and our independence from the nation that founded Australia.
Each of the components of the Australian flag holds significance.
The Union Jack symbolises Australia's links to Great Britain.
The Southern Cross symbolises the great "south land" which so many sailors and explorers sought; the Southern Cross was also a significant navigational aid in the 1600s and 1700s.
The Commonwealth Star symbolises the union of the states and territories.
When is the Australian Flag flown at half-mast?
These are the protocols for flying the flag at half mast.
On the death of the Sovereign - from the time of announcement of the death up to and including the funeral.
On the death of a member of a royal family.
On the death of the Governor-General or a former Governor-General.
On the death of a distinguished Australian citizen.
Flags in any locality may be flown at half-staff on the death of a notable local citizen or on the day, or part of the day, of their funeral.
On the death of the head of state of another country with which Australia has diplomatic relations on the day of the funeral.
On ANZAC day the flag is flown half-mast until noon.
On Remembrance Day flags are flown at peak till 10:30 am, at half-mast from 10:30am to 11:03am.
What does the four main stars on the Australian flag represent?
There are six stars on the Australian flag. The big star is the Commonwealth Star which has seven points, one for each state and one for the territories. The other five stars form the Southern Cross constellation which is visible from anywhere in Australia.
Why should we not change the Australian flag?
The Australian National Flag was chosen at a design competition after the Federation of Australia in 1901. The current design with the seven-pointed Commonwealth Star on the Blue Ensign and the Union Jack in the corner was chosen in 1908.
How many people entered the competition to design the Australian flag?
The design of the Australian flag was a result of a competition in which 32,823 entries were received but only five almost identical entries were selected.
The five entries came from Ivor Evans, a fourteen-year-old schoolboy from Melbourne; Leslie John Hawkins, a teenager apprenticed to an optician from Sydney; Egbert John Nuttall, an architect from Melbourne; Annie Dorrington, an artist from Perth; and William Stevens, a ship's officer from Auckland, New Zealand.
What was the Australian flag prior 1901?
Australia was called a lot of things prior to Federation.
Terra Australis Incognita, New South Wales, New Holland, the Colonies and others.
Further information:
Originally, Australia was inhabited by Aborigines who had a grasp on their locality but did not concern themselves with the nature of the whole continent. They are not known to have had a name for the continent.
Once European exploration in the area commenced, Australia was initially known as Terra Australis Incognita, meaning "Unknown Southern land".
From the 1600s, the Dutch traders named the western half of the continent New Holland. But for many years, the continent was still referred to as Terra Australis Incognita on Dutch and Portuguese maps.
When Captain James Cook charted the eastern coast in 1770, he claimed it for England under the name of New South Wales. In between this time, some map-makers of the 1700s called it the Great South Land.
Matthew Flinders was the one who first proposed the name "Terra Australis", which became "Australia", the name adopted in 1824 - which was 36 years after the British arrived.
When and how was the Australian Flag first created?
Answer 1:
In 1900, just before the colonial states joined in Federation. A public competition was held, and several winners, with very similar designs, shared the prize money. The flag was first flown officially in late 1901.
Answer 2:
The Australian flag was designed following Federation of the Australian states on 1 January 1901. On 29 April 1901, the new Commonwealth Government announced a Federal Flag design competition which attracted over 30,000 entries. The idea for the competition was initiated by Melbourne journal Review for Australiasiain 1900.
What does the 6 stars represent on the australian flag?
Actually, it is a seven sided star. It is the Commonwealth Star, also known as the Federation Star. There is one point for each of Australia's six states, and the other point represents all Australia's mainland and external territories.
What does the color Red on the Australian flag stand for?
the man in 19027
The Southern Cross are stars of a constellation which can be seen prominently in the southern hemisphere . It is widely used as a cultural national symbol in Australia .
What animal is on the Western Australia flag?
The black swan is on the flag of Western Australia.
The black swan is unique to Australia, and was first identified in Western Australia by Dutch explorer Willem de Vlamingh in 1697.
How did Australias flag come about?
Prior to Federation, each of the colonies of Australia had its own flag, but because they did not make up a nation, there was no national flag. After the Commonwealth of Australia was proclaimed on 1 January 1901, the Commonwealth government held a design competition for a new national flag. There were 32,000 entries in the competition, and most featured the Union Jack, the Southern Cross, or native animals.
Five almost identical entries were selected to share the 200 pound prize. The entries belonged to Ivor Evans, a fourteen-year-old schoolboy from Melbourne; Leslie John Hawkins, a teenager apprenticed to an optician from Sydney; Egbert John Nuttall, an architect from Melbourne; Annie Dorrington, an artist from Perth; and William Stevens, a ship's officer from Auckland, New Zealand.
On 3 September 1901, the new Australian flag flew for the first time from the top of the Exhibition Building in Melbourne. The flag was simplified, and approved by King Edward VII in 1902.
What does the british flag on the Australian flag mean?
They are very different. The flag of the United Kingdom, which is referred to as the British flag, appears in the top left corner of the Australian flag. The rest of the Australian flag is blue and has some stars on it, including some representing the Southern Cross, which is a constellation, and the Commonwealth Star.
What is the Australia flag called and where did Australia flag come from?
The flag doesn't have a name
The Union Jack represents our roots from England
The southern cross represents the southern hemisphere
The Federation star is in the bottom left hand corner, each point represents one state.
The blue represents us surrounded by ocean-being an island
How big is the Australian flag at parliament house?
The length of the flag should be 1.9 times the height, and the union should be 40% of the size of the flag. This is the official size of the US "title 4" flag.
What do the stars represent on the Australia flag?
Sourced from The Australian National Flag Association:
The Commonwealth or Federation Star represents the federation of all lands and people in the nation. The points on the star represent the unity of the six States, with a seventh point representing the federal Territories. The star as a whole represents Australia's bright aims for the future. It is known as the Commonwealth Star.
On what special days is it important to fly the Australian flag?
- ANZAC Day (25 April) is arguably the most significant day to fly the Australian flag.
- Australia Day (26 January) is also a patriotic time, commemorating the beginning of European settlement in Australia.
- Remembrance Day (November 11) is another time to fly the flag.
Apart from the above, the Department of the Prime Minister & Cabinet in the Australian Government also advises that there are "days of [national] commemoration on which the flying of the Australian National Flag ... is particularly encouraged", including:
- 1 January - Anniversary of the establishment of the Commonwealth of Australia
- 3 September - Australian National Flag Day
What are the colours of the Australian flag?
Like most of the nations of the British Commonwealth of Nations, the flag of Australia uses the same colors as the flag of the United Kingdom - namely red, white, and blue. It actually incorporates the Union Jack in the upper left corner and then adds the Southern Cross to the field to the right and a seven pointed "Commonwealth Star" to the field below the Union Jack. Usually the stars are displayed on a blue field (the Blue Ensign) but there is a variant which uses a red field - the Australian Red Ensign. The Red Ensign is flown by maritime vessels. From 1901 to 1954 the Red Ensign was used as a civil flag by State and local governments, private organisations and individuals. During that time the Blue Ensign was reserved for use by the Commonwealth Government, the Australian Olympic team and the military as a saluting flag at all reviews and ceremonial parades. In 1941, Prime Minister Robert Menzies stated that there should be no restrictions on private citizens using the Blue Ensign on land and, in 1947, Prime Minister Ben Chifley reaffirmed this position but it wasn't until the passage of the Flags Act 1953 that the restriction on civilians flying the Blue Ensign was officially lifted after which use of the Red Ensign on land became a rarity.
What are the features on the Australian Flag?
There is a British flag on the upper left corner of the Australian flag because Australia used British grammar and languages. Australia can use American languages or grammar too.
What do the blue white and red represents on the Australian flag?
Dark blue was the colour of the British blue ensign, which was used in colonial times for the flags of most colonies and south of the equator, such as Australia and New Zealand.
Why does Australia have a Union Jack on its flag?
The Union Jack in the upper left quadrant of the Australian flag is an historical reminder that Australia was settled by the British. It represents Australia's relationship with Britain as a member of the Commonwealth and also as the parent nation. The Union Jack is a combination of the flags of the United Kingdom - England (St. George's cross), Scotland (St. Andrew's cross) and Ireland (St. Patrick's cross).
The group of five stars on the right hand side form the constellation of the Southern Cross, a valuable navigation aid to early sailors travelling through the southern hemisphere, and an unofficial symbol of Australia, the southern continent. It is visible and distinctive in Australia and other parts of the Southern Hemisphere, so it relates to Australia's geographic position.
The sixth star, situated below the Union Jack, is known as the Federation star or Commonwealth star. It has seven points, with six of the points representing the six states of Australia, and the seventh representing Australia's two mainland territories as well as its numerous external (offshore) territories.
What does the colors represent on the Australia flag?
The blue represents the seas surrounding Australia, the Union Jack reflects our predominant heritage, the Southern Cross is a constellation that is visible from anywhere in Australia and is somewhat symbolic of Australia, the Commonwealth Star has seven points, one for each State and one for the Territories.
