Flag of Australia Logo PNG
Australia is a unique country. If only because it is the only country that occupies an entire continent. Apart from this, Australia is famous for its amazing nature and geology, and, of course, there are koalas and kangaroos, which all of us adore. However, there are no architectural monuments in the country, because a little more than a century ago Australia was a British colony.
The British influence is still felt here in many ways. Including the flag, which, along with the coat of arms and the anthem, is the national symbol of the country. In the corner of the flag of Australia we see the flag of Great Britain. Has it always been like this? And what other elements are there on the flag of Australia and what do they mean? These questions will be answered below.
| Colors | HEX | RAL | RGB |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red | E4002B | 3026 | 228, 0, 43 |
| White | FFFFFF | N. A. | 255, 255, 255 |
| Blue | 012169 | 5026 | 1, 33, 105 |
History of the Flag
So, let’s start from the very beginning. And the beginning was in the second half of the 18th century, when the first British colony was established in Australia. This happened on January 26, 1788. By the way, today this date is officially celebrated annually as Australia Day.
Over the following decades, other colonies were founded throughout the continent, and until the very end of the 19th century, the country was fully subordinate to Great Britain. Accordingly, the national flag of Great Britain served as Australia’s flag.
On January 1, 1901 a significant event took place. 6 disparate colonies decided to unite and created the Commonwealth of Australia. Although the territory remained a dominion of Great Britain, it was the first step towards independence. In the same year a contest of national flag design was held. More than 30,000 people took part in it, and the day on which the contest was announced, September 3, is today Australia’s National Flag Day.
Since then, the official flag of the country has been modified and refined several times, and the modern version of the Australian flag was formalized by a declaration in 1954.
1770
Above we mentioned, that the first colony was established on the lands of Australia in 1788, however, the British flag appeared here a bit earlier. It was brought to the mainland by the famous historical figure, James Cook, in 1770. And now we are talking about the British flag, created in 1606, which looked like a dark blue horizontally-oriented rectangle with a white diagonal cross of St. Andrew, symbolizing Scotland, and a red cross of St. George, symbolizing England.
1801
After Ireland joined Great Britain in 1801, the flag was changed. The red cross of St. Patrick was added to it. Accordingly, all British colonies began to use it, including Australia. This flag was called the Union Jack. The three crosses on the flag mean not only three countries, but also: the rights and duties of citizens; the rule of law; freedom of speech and parliamentary democracy.
1901 — 1903
The First National Flag of Australia was introduced in 1901 and stayed unchanged for only two years. It was a solid blue horizontally oriented rectangle with Union Jack placed in the upper left corner, a large white six-pointed star under it, and five white stars in a smaller size, with various amount of peaks, spliced in the right part of the flag.
1903 — 1908
In 1903, in order to make the cloth cheaper, four of the stars in the right part of the flag were made seven-pointed, and one five-pointed. All other elements of the flag remained untouched. This version stayed as the official one for around five years.
1908 — 1984
In 1908, the star under the flag of Great Britain went from a six-pointed star to a seven-pointed star after Papua joined the Commonwealth. It was the only change made to the flag of Australia, and everything else remained untouched. This was the last version of the flag before the adoption of the current version.
1984 — Today
In 1984, the Australian government formally established the precise color standards for the national flag, including the official shade of blue. A deep navy blue, aligned with the Pantone system, was adopted as the standard.
By the way, in 1975 Papua ceased to be part of the Australian Federation, but the appearance of the flag was not affected.
Meaning of Symbols and Colors
Briefly and boringly, the Flag of Australia reflects the political and geographical features of the country. The fact, that the British flag is still placed in the corner of the image, directly indicates the country’s close connection with the British Commonwealth of Nations, and the Stars of the Southern Cross constellation on the right half of the flag emphasize that the country is located in the southern hemisphere. However, let’s talk about each element of the Australian flag in a little more detail.
Symbols
And again, let’s start with the obvious things. The first, and most noticeable element of the Australian flag is Union Jack, the flag of the United Kingdom, which is composed of three heraldic crosses — Saint Patrick’s, Saint Andrew’s and Saint George’s. The second largest element here is the large white seven-pointed star, which symbolizes Australia’s membership of the British Commonwealth. And it also symbolizes the unity of the 6 states and the Northern Territory.
On the right side, five stars form the Southern Cross are drawn in white. This constellation is the most famous in the Southern Hemisphere, where the country is located. In the old days, the brightest constellation in the southern hemisphere sky was used for maritime navigation.
Colors
The flag of Australia is executed in the same color scheme as the flag of Great Britain, which immediately reminds of the historical connection between the two countries, as well as Australia’s allegiance to the British crown.
However, this is not the only meaning. Blue also symbolizes water, as Australia is surrounded by ocean on all sides. So the color palette of the flag, as well as the constellation depicted on it, testify to the geographical position of Australia.
Use of the Flag
The first official rules for the use of the Australian flag were established in the mid-1950s. There was nothing special about them, and they stated that the flag should be flown at a higher height than other flags, and should be displayed on every government building during referendums and elections. And in case of mourning on government buildings, the flag must be lowered to 1/3 of the length of the flagpole.
Today, modern rules have been added to these rules. For example, it is forbidden to use the image of the national flag of Australia in advertising without special permission. At the same time, the flag should not have any additional inscriptions or modifications.
But the most interesting thing is that the Rules of using the flag of Australia are sent to the citizens of the country by mail. Thus, Australians lower and raise the flag on reminders from the government.
Coat of Arms
The coat of arms of Australia is the second most important official symbol of the country. By the way, it is considered one of the most beautiful state emblems in the world. And it depicts the six states and the two main animals of the country – the kangaroo and the ostrich emu. But, about everything in order.
The central part of the coat of arms of Australia – the classic triangular shield, divided into six segments, the number of states of the country. Each segment contains the heraldic image of each of the states:
- New South Wales – the red cross of St. George with a golden lion in the middle;
- Victoria – the royal family’s crown over the Southern Cross constellation on a blue background;
- Queensland – royal crown in the center of a blue Maltese Cross on a white cloth;
- Western Australia – magpie on a yellow background;
- South Australia – black swan on a yellow background;
- Tasmania – red lion on a white background.
A golden seven-pointed star is located on the shield, replacing the crown. And on the sides of the shield are images of the two main animals of the country – kangaroo and ostrich emu. It is very important to mention, that these are the only animals in nature that are physically unable to move backward, and accordingly, symbolize the movement forward. And here the main philosophy and approach of the country are hidden.
In addition to the animals, the coat of arms also depicts a plant, the Golden Acacia, which is the national symbol of Australia.
