What was the Australian flag before 1954?
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.
What do the symbols on the Australian flag mean?
The stars of the Southern Cross represent our geographical position in the Southern Hemisphere, the Commonwealth Star symbolises our federation of States and Territories, and the Crosses stand for the principles on which our nation is based – namely, Parliamentary Democracy, Rule of the Law and Freedom of Speech.
What are 3 facts about the Australian flag?
The Australian flag was chosen in 1901 after it federated and became an independent country. It was chosen in a public competition. It has a blue background and features the Union Jack, the Southern Cross, and the Commonwealth Star in its design. There is a debate in Australia about changing the flag.
What did the Australian flag look like in 1901?
1901 – 3 September (now Australian National Flag Day) Featuring the Southern Cross, Union Jack and Commonwealth Star on a dark blue field the large flag about 11 metres long, flutters magnificently from the mast on the main dome of the Royal Exhibition Buildings, Melbourne – the site of the first Federal Parliament.
What is the meaning of the Australian flag colors?
The red stripe on the flag represents the Australian Army, the dark blue stripe represents the Royal Australian Navy and the light blue stripe represents the Royal Australian Air Force. The Commonwealth Star and the boomerang on the Australian Defence Force ensign represent Australia.
What was Australia’s flag in ww1?
During the war, Australians fought under the British Union Flag and both the Australian Blue and Red Ensigns. The Blue Ensign was intended for official and Royal Australian Navy purposes, while the Red Ensign was the official flag for Australian registered merchant ships.
What was Australia’s flag in ww2?
Why is there a 7 point star on the Australian flag?
It has seven points representing the unity of the six states and the territories of the Commonwealth of Australia. The star is also featured on the Commonwealth Coat of Arms. The Southern Cross is shown on the flag in white.
Why are there 7 stars on the Australian flag?
What flag did Australian troops fight under?
Most Australians fought under either the Australian Red Ensign or the Union Jack in World War II. All Australian Naval personnel fought under the British Naval Ensign in both world wars. Relatively few have fought in declared wars under the Australian Blue Ensign as we now know it.
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 …
Why does Australia have two flags?
However, people were confused about the use of two Australian flags. The blue ensign was meant to be for official and naval purposes and the red ensign was meant to be used by the merchant fleet, but the general public began using the red ensign on land.
What was Australia’s first ever flag?
But that box contained one of our most significant artefacts from World War I — Australia’s first national flag. Known as the Birdwood Flag, it was flown at the headquarters of General William Birdwood at the Western Front.
Why does the Australian flag have 7 pointed stars?
What do the 5 stars represent in the Australian flag?
the Southern Cross
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.