Australia's National Flag

In 1901, the Commonwealth of Australia

was formed.  Until this time, Australia
used Britain's flag, the Union Jack.  A
competition was held to find the design
for Australia's own flag.  Five designers
shared the prize because they came up with similar ideas for the Australian flag.

In the top left hand corner is the Union Jack.  This shows that Australia is part of the
British Commonwealth.  Beneath the Union Jack is a large white star with seven
points.  The points represent the six states and the territories.  Originally this star had
six points.  The seventh point, for the territories was added in 1908.

On the right hand side are the stars of the Southern Cross. The southern Cross was
chosen because it can always be seen in the
Australian sky at night.

The Aboriginal Flag

The Aboriginal Flag was designed by Harold

Thomas, an artist and an Aboriginal, in 1971. The
flag was designed to be an eye-catching rallying
symbol for the Aboriginal people and a symbol of
their race and identity. The black represents the
Aboriginal people, the red the earth and their
spiritual relationship to the land, and the yellow the sun, the giver of life. 

In the late 1960s, Aborigines stepped up their campaign for indigenous land rights
through protest marches, demonstrations, banners and posters. The protests increased
in the early 1970s and Harold Thomas noticed they were often outnumbered by non-
Aborigines with their own banners and placards. He decided they needed to be more
visible and the idea of the flag was born. 

The Aboriginal flag was first raised in Victoria Square in Adelaide on National
Aboriginal Day in 1971, but was adopted nationally by Aborigines and Torres Strait
Islanders in 1972 after it was flown above the Aboriginal "Tent Embassy" outside of the
old Parliament House in Canberra. 

The Aboriginal flag is increasingly being flown by both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal
people. In view of its increasing importance in Australian society, the Government
initiated steps in 1994 to give the flag legal recognition. After a period of public
consultation, the Government made its own decision in July 1995 that the flag should
be proclaimed a "Flag of Australia" under section 5 of the Flags Act 1953. The flag was
so proclaimed by the Governor General of Australia, William Hayden, on 14 July 1995.