Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Welcome
Welcome Welcome to the blog for Assignment 1: Federation Flagpole. The group comprises of Matthew, Nicole and David from the University of Western Sydney. We are all undertaking the unit 101292 - Primary Curriculum 1. This blog has been developed to display the various aspects of creating our Flagpole for our first Assignment. Please enjoy your stay here and feel free to post any comments or feedback.
Design Ideas
Our first task was to comeup with a big idea that would demonstrate the key elements of the assessment task. We wanted to keepit simple and decided on a flagpole linked to the Federation of Australia as a way of integrating key components of both the Science and HSIE syllabuses. We began our research for the layout of the model and features that the flagpole would include. We narrowed our designideas down to:
* A fan to keep the flag flying
* A motor to raise the flag
* Lights
* L.E.D.s
We decided to keep the model simple and from basic materials that could be easily obtained for a classroom setting.
* A fan to keep the flag flying
* A motor to raise the flag
* Lights
* L.E.D.s
We decided to keep the model simple and from basic materials that could be easily obtained for a classroom setting.
Research
Having decided the artefact we would create in accordance with the unit outline, the next step was to research ideas before beginning production of the model.
As the group had worked out that the topic was going to be a flagpole, we decided that it would fit in the following syllabus outcomes:
HSIE Syllabus – Stage 3
Outcomes and Indicators
Strand: Change and Continuity
CCS3.1 Explains the significance of particular people, groups, places, actions and events in the past in developing Australian identities and heritage
• Identifies significant components of the Australian national flag
• Evaluates how the development of the design represents aspects of Australian heritage
CCS3.2 Explains the development of the principles of Australian democracy
• Identifies and examines the principles of Australian democracy and its relation to British colonization
Strand: Cultures
CUS3.3 Describes different cultural influences and their contribution to Australian identities
• Identifies and explains the history and significance of the Australian flag (and any other flag relevant to the particular class, can be adapted to suit cultural background of students)
CUS3.4 Examines how cultures change through interactions with other cultures and the environment
• Examines issues surrounding the relevance of the Australian flag in relation to current cultural diversities and Aboriginal history
Science and Technology Syllabus - Stage 3
Outcomes and Indicators
Strand: Physical Phenomena
PP S3.4 Identifies and applies processes involved in manipulating, using and changing the form of energy.
Indicators
• determines, records and reports on the conditions necessary for an electrical circuit to operate (eg a light, a motor, a buzzer on either parallel or series circuits)
Strand: Built Environments
BES3.1 Creates and evaluates built environments demonstrating consideration of sustainability and aesthetic, cultural, safety and functional and issues
• selects and safely uses resources ... when planning and constructing a model
• uses bookmarked websights to compare designs and propose reasons for differences
Outcome by Learning Process
DMS3.8 Develops and resolves a design task by planning, implementing, managing and evaluating design processes
Values and Attitudes Outcomes
VA5 Works cooperatively with others in groups on scientific and technological tasks and challenges
As the group had worked out that the topic was going to be a flagpole, we decided that it would fit in the following syllabus outcomes:
HSIE Syllabus – Stage 3
Outcomes and Indicators
Strand: Change and Continuity
CCS3.1 Explains the significance of particular people, groups, places, actions and events in the past in developing Australian identities and heritage
• Identifies significant components of the Australian national flag
• Evaluates how the development of the design represents aspects of Australian heritage
CCS3.2 Explains the development of the principles of Australian democracy
• Identifies and examines the principles of Australian democracy and its relation to British colonization
Strand: Cultures
CUS3.3 Describes different cultural influences and their contribution to Australian identities
• Identifies and explains the history and significance of the Australian flag (and any other flag relevant to the particular class, can be adapted to suit cultural background of students)
CUS3.4 Examines how cultures change through interactions with other cultures and the environment
• Examines issues surrounding the relevance of the Australian flag in relation to current cultural diversities and Aboriginal history
Science and Technology Syllabus - Stage 3
Outcomes and Indicators
Strand: Physical Phenomena
PP S3.4 Identifies and applies processes involved in manipulating, using and changing the form of energy.
Indicators
• determines, records and reports on the conditions necessary for an electrical circuit to operate (eg a light, a motor, a buzzer on either parallel or series circuits)
Strand: Built Environments
BES3.1 Creates and evaluates built environments demonstrating consideration of sustainability and aesthetic, cultural, safety and functional and issues
• selects and safely uses resources ... when planning and constructing a model
• uses bookmarked websights to compare designs and propose reasons for differences
Outcome by Learning Process
DMS3.8 Develops and resolves a design task by planning, implementing, managing and evaluating design processes
Values and Attitudes Outcomes
VA5 Works cooperatively with others in groups on scientific and technological tasks and challenges
Basic Flag Facts
What do teachers need to know before they can teach this topic
LOTS!!!
Basic Facts about the National Flag of Australia
1) The Australian flag has a dark royal blue base.
2) The Australian flag has a depiction of the British Union Jack in the upper left quarter. It represents that Australia was first colonised by Britain and are still a part of the Commonwealth as well as representing the principles on which our nation is based, namely, parliamentary democracy, rule of law and freedom of speech.
3) The Australian flag has a large white seven-pointed star under the Union Jack. This star is called the Star or Federation. Six of the points represent the six Australian states, with the seventh point representing the territories.
4) The Australian flag has a pattern of five stars representing the Southern Cross. The Southern Cross is a constellation that can be seen in every Australian state.
See next post for further information
LOTS!!!
Basic Facts about the National Flag of Australia
1) The Australian flag has a dark royal blue base.
2) The Australian flag has a depiction of the British Union Jack in the upper left quarter. It represents that Australia was first colonised by Britain and are still a part of the Commonwealth as well as representing the principles on which our nation is based, namely, parliamentary democracy, rule of law and freedom of speech.
3) The Australian flag has a large white seven-pointed star under the Union Jack. This star is called the Star or Federation. Six of the points represent the six Australian states, with the seventh point representing the territories.
4) The Australian flag has a pattern of five stars representing the Southern Cross. The Southern Cross is a constellation that can be seen in every Australian state.
See next post for further information
Federation Research
In teaching these topics we needed to identify a ‘time and place’ that could be linked appropiately to the two syllabuses.
We decided on the Federation of Australia - 1901
Following Federation as a new nation (the Commonwealth of Australia) on 1st January, 1901 the Commonwealth Government announced a Federal Flag design competition on 29th April, 1901. The review of Review for Australiasia, a Melbourne journal, had initiated an Australian flag competition in 1900, a unique event at the time. It was agreed that the entries received by this journal would be accepted in the Government’s competition. The contest attracted 32,823 entries from men, women and children. An expert panel of judges assessed the entries using guidelines which included history, heraldry, distinctiveness, utility and cost of manufacture.
On 3rd September, 1901, a public ceremony was held at the Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne, where Lady Hopetoun, wife of the Governor-General, opened a display of the entries in the competition. The Prime Minister of Australia, Sir Edmund Barton, announced that five entrants, who had submitted similar designs, were to share the honour of being declared the designers of Australia’s own flag. They were: Ivor Evans, a fourteen-year-old schoolboy from Melbourne; Leslie John Hawkins, a teenager apprenticed to a Sydney optician; Egbert John Nuttall, a Melbourne architect; Annie Dorrington, an artist from Perth; and William Stevens, a ship’s officer from Auckland, New Zealand.
In 1996 the Governor-General, Sir William Deane, proclaimed 3rd September as Australian National Flag Day, to commemorate the day in 1901 on which our national flag of "Stars and Crosses" was first flown. It is the right and privilege of every Australian to fly the Australian National Flag.
Flags before Federation
Prior to Federation on 1 January 1901, the official flag of the Australian Colonies was the flag of Great Britain the 'Union Jack'. However, the British colonial Naval Defence Act 1865 authorised the establishment of naval defence forces by the colonies and specified that such naval vessels should fly a Blue ensign with 'the seal or badge of the colony in the fly thereof'. Such flags were designed and adopted by the colonies. The flags of the Australian colonies date from 1876 (New South Wales and Queensland), 1877 (Victoria) and 1895 (Tasmania and Western Australia). South Australia did not adopt a flag until 1904. Over time, use of these flags was extended beyond mere display on naval vessels.
We decided on the Federation of Australia - 1901
Following Federation as a new nation (the Commonwealth of Australia) on 1st January, 1901 the Commonwealth Government announced a Federal Flag design competition on 29th April, 1901. The review of Review for Australiasia, a Melbourne journal, had initiated an Australian flag competition in 1900, a unique event at the time. It was agreed that the entries received by this journal would be accepted in the Government’s competition. The contest attracted 32,823 entries from men, women and children. An expert panel of judges assessed the entries using guidelines which included history, heraldry, distinctiveness, utility and cost of manufacture.
On 3rd September, 1901, a public ceremony was held at the Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne, where Lady Hopetoun, wife of the Governor-General, opened a display of the entries in the competition. The Prime Minister of Australia, Sir Edmund Barton, announced that five entrants, who had submitted similar designs, were to share the honour of being declared the designers of Australia’s own flag. They were: Ivor Evans, a fourteen-year-old schoolboy from Melbourne; Leslie John Hawkins, a teenager apprenticed to a Sydney optician; Egbert John Nuttall, a Melbourne architect; Annie Dorrington, an artist from Perth; and William Stevens, a ship’s officer from Auckland, New Zealand.
In 1996 the Governor-General, Sir William Deane, proclaimed 3rd September as Australian National Flag Day, to commemorate the day in 1901 on which our national flag of "Stars and Crosses" was first flown. It is the right and privilege of every Australian to fly the Australian National Flag.
Flags before Federation
Prior to Federation on 1 January 1901, the official flag of the Australian Colonies was the flag of Great Britain the 'Union Jack'. However, the British colonial Naval Defence Act 1865 authorised the establishment of naval defence forces by the colonies and specified that such naval vessels should fly a Blue ensign with 'the seal or badge of the colony in the fly thereof'. Such flags were designed and adopted by the colonies. The flags of the Australian colonies date from 1876 (New South Wales and Queensland), 1877 (Victoria) and 1895 (Tasmania and Western Australia). South Australia did not adopt a flag until 1904. Over time, use of these flags was extended beyond mere display on naval vessels.
Flag Research
The Australian National Flag has three elements on a blue background: the Union Jack, the Commonwealth Star and the Southern Cross.
The Union Jack in the upper left corner (or canton) acknowledges the history of British settlement.
Below the Union Jack is a white Commonwealth or Federation star. It has seven points representing the unity of the six states and the territories of the Commonwealth of Australia.
The Southern Cross is shown on the fly of the flag in white. This constellation of five stars can be seen only from the southern hemisphere and is a reminder of Australia’s geography.
History
The colonies of Australia federated to become a single Commonwealth in 1901. That year, Australia’s first Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Sir Edmund Barton announced an international competition to design a flag for the new nation. It attracted 32,823 entries. Five near-identical entries were awarded equal first and the designers shared the £200 prize.
The Australian National Flag was flown for the first time in September 1901 at the Exhibition Building in Melbourne, which was then the seat of the federal government.
It was announced in Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No 8 of 1903 that King Edward VII approved designs for the flag of Australia, known as the Commonwealth blue ensign, and for the flag of the merchant navy, known as the Commonwealth red ensign. The stars of the Southern Cross were simplified to four seven-pointed stars and one five pointed star. (The 1901 design depicted the stars with a differing number of points to signify their brightness.) In 1908 a seventh point was added to the Commonwealth star to represent the Australian territories.
Confusion developed surrounding the use of the two Australian flags. The blue ensign was intended for official and naval purposes only and the red ensign was to be used by the merchant fleet. However, the general public also began using the red ensign on land. In 1941, Prime Minister the Rt Hon Robert Menzies issued a press statement recommending the flying of the blue ensign as a national emblem. The Flags Act 1953 ended confusion about which ensign to use.
An amendment to the Flags Act 1953 was passed in 1998 to ensure that the Australian National Flag can be changed only with the agreement of the Australian people.
Other official Australian flags include the Australian Aboriginal Flag, the Torres Strait Islander Flag and the ensigns of the Australian Defence Force.
Flying the flag
The flag should be raised briskly and lowered ceremoniously.
The flag should be raised no earlier than first light and lowered no later than dusk.
When the flag is raised or lowered, or when it is carried in a parade or review, everyone present should be silent and face the flag. People in uniform should salute.
The flag should always be flown freely and as close as possible to the top of the flagpole with the rope tightly secured.
Unless all flags are raised and lowered simultaneously, the Australian National Flag should be raised first and lowered last.
When the Australian National Flag is flown with flags of other nations, all flags should be the same size and flown on flagpoles of the same height
When flying with only one other national flag, the Australian National Flag should fly on the left of a person facing the flags.
Two flags should not be flown from the same flagpole.
The flag may be flown at night only when it is illuminated.
The flag should never be flown if it is damaged, faded or dilapidated. When the material of a flag deteriorates it should be destroyed privately and in a dignified way. i.e it may be cut into small unrecognisable pieces then disposed of with the normal rubbish collection.
The flag should not be flown upside down, even as a signal of distress.
The flag should not fall or lie on the ground or be used as a cover (although it can be used to cover a coffin at a funeral).
Flying flags at half-mast
Flags are flown at half-mast as a sign of mourning.
The half-mast position will depend on the size of the flag and the length of the flagpole. The flag must be lowered to a position recognisably half-mast to avoid the appearance of a flag which has accidentally fallen away from the top of the flagpole. An acceptable position would be when the top of the flag is a third of the distance down from the top of the flagpole.
There are times when direction will be given by the Australian Government for all flags to be flown at half-mast. The Commonwealth Flag Network can notify you of these occasions by email.
Flags in any locality can be flown at half-mast on the death of a local citizen or on the day, or part of the day, of their funeral.
When lowering the flag from a half-mast position it should be briefly raised to the peak and then lowered ceremoniously.
The flag should never be flown at half-mast at night even if it is illuminated.
When flying the Australian National Flag with other flags, all flags in the set should be flown at half-mast. The Australian National Flag should be raised first and lowered last.
The Australian Flag came into being after the the federation of the Australian States into the Commonwealth of Australian on 1 January, 1901. The Commonwealth Blue Ensign was selected a a result of a public competition (over 30 000 designs were submitted); although selected in 1901 and gazetted in 1903, it was not given Royal assent and adopted as the definitive Australian flag until 1954 in the Flags Act 1953 (Act No. 1 of 1954)! It is based on the Blue Ensign of the United Kingdom, is twice as long as it is wide, and consists of a dark blue field that can be notionally divided into four quadrants. There is a different motif in each of the upper and lower hoist quadrants and the remaining two quadrants of the fly share another different constellation motif.
The present Australian flag can be considered to consist of three main elements:
· The Union Jack in the upper hoist quadrant or first quarter (also know as the Canton), denoting Australia's historical links with Great Britain. The Union Jack itself is composed of red and white intersecting and overlayed vertical and diagonal crosses on a blue background,
· The Southern Cross in the second quarter (also known as the top or head) and fourth quarter. Consists of five stars in a more or less kite-like pattern - Alpha Crucis (7-point), Beta Crucis (7-point), Gamma Crucis (7-point), Delta Crucis (7-point) and the smaller Epsilon Crucis (5-point). The outer diameter of each of the 4 major stars is 1/7 the width of the fly and the inner diameter is 4/9 outer diameter; the diameter of Epsilon Crucis is 1/12 the width of the fly and the inner diameter is 4/9 the outer diameter. The constellation of the Southern Cross is a significant navigational feature of the southern hemisphere, strongly places Australia geographically and has been associated with the continent since its earliest days,
· The Commonwealth Star or Star of Federation, central in the third quarter or lower hoist, has seven points to denote the six states and the combined territories of the Commonwealth. The seventh point was added in 1909. The outer diameter is 3/5 the width of the Union Jack (3/10 the width of the fly) and the inner diameter is 4/9 the outer diameter.
Other Australian Ensigns
The Australian Army is represented by and protector of the Australian National Flag. In addition to the the Commonwealth Ensign, there are three other official Australian ensigns:
· The Australian Red Ensign - Merchant Navy, as for the Australian flag, but with a red field with white stars. Proclaimed in the Flags Act 1953. Covers Australian registered ships under section 30 of the Shipping Registration Act 1981.
· The Australian White Ensign - Royal Australian Navy - as for the Australian flag but with a white field and dark blue stars. Gazetted in 1967.
· The Sky-blue Ensign - Royal Australian Air Force - as for the Australian flag but with a pale blue field, the southern cross rotated clockwise c. 20 degrees and the blue roundel with white inner and red kangaroo of the Royal Australian Air Force in the lower fly. Gazetted in 1982.
Flags Similar to the Australian Flag
Several nations and territories have flags with similar appearance to the Australian National Flag, reflecting either a common British colonial history or previous association with Austrlaia. Most notable is the New Zealand National Flag, a Blue Ensign with a Southern Cross of four red stars.
State and Territory Flags
Each of the six states of Australia has its own Official State Flag consisting of a Blue Ensign defaced with the badge or heraldic device of the state concerned; the heraldic devices are those represented in the Commonwealth Arms.
The flags of the Australian territories and of more individual nature and are not based on the Blue Ensign.
Other "Australian" Flags
The Queen's Personal Flag for Australia
This flag is for the Queen's personal use when in Australia and was approved by her in 1962. It is based on the Australian Commonwealth Arms in the form of a banner n the ratio 31:22 of the Arms in rectangular form with the Ermine border, superimposed with a large gold 7-pointed star at the centre, the star bearing a blue roundel with the gold initial 'E', the Royal Crown and a circle of gold roses. It is use in the same manner as the Royal Standard in the United Kingdon, to denote the monach's presence.
The Governor General's Flag
This flag was gazetted for the personal use of the Queen's representative in Australia in 1936. It is a royal blue, twice as long as wide. It bears the Royal Crest in gold ('on a St Edward's Crown a Lion statant guardant also crowned') beneath which is a gold scroll with the words 'COMMONWEALTH of AUSTRALIA' in dark blue letters. It is flown continuously whenever the Govenor General is in residence and on vehicles in which he (or she?) is travelling.
The "Eureka Flag"
This is a famous but unofficial Australian flag, that features a white vertical cross on a blue background five whsite, blue-margined, 8-pointed stars superimposed at the end of each arm of the cross and at the intersection of the arms, a stylized Southern Cross. First used in Victoria in 1854 by a group of rebellious gold-miners protesting the cost of prospecting licences at the 'Eureka stockade', this flag has become the symbol of Australians prepared to fight to defend rights and liberties. It has been adopted as a symbol by some of the more militant trade unions and has also been used as symbol of the republican movement.
The Republican Movement
Associated with recent republican activities in Australian there have been several campaigns to find a new Australian flag and other icons that reflect the 'true Australian identity'. The Eureka flag has been suggested as a suitable replacement for the current Australian flag. One proposal includes a flag with a blue field with a central enlarged Southern Cross. This issue of a new Australian Flag has created a great deal of spirited debate.
The Flag of Aboriginal Australia
This flag was adopted as the symbol of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people when it was first flown in 1971. It is a strident 3-colour flag composed of a large central yellow circle imposed on a background of a red lower half and a black upper half; the black represents the Aboriginal people, the yellow the sun as a life force, the red the earth and the blood of the Aboriginal people. It has no official government standing but is becoming widely recognized and acknowledged by the community and is perhaps the only symbol commonly accepted by the diversity of Aboriginal people.
“Australia’s flag is unique in that it is the only one to fly over an entire continent, and also in the way it was chosen following federation in 1901”. There was a huge response to the competition announced by the new Commonwealth Government – the number of entries was equivalent to about 1% of the Australian population at the time. The judges settled on five designs that were almost identical; so each of the five winners received ₤40 when their names were revealed on 3 September 1901. The winners were:
Annie Dorrington from Perth (who became quite a well-known artist);
Ivor Evans from Melbourne (a 14 year-old schoolboy whose father owned a flag-making business);
Leslie John Hawkins from Leichhardt in NSW (an 18 year-old, apprenticed to an optician);
Egbert John Nuttall from Prahran in Victoria (a 35 year-old architect); and
William Stevens (First Officer in the Union Steamship Company of New Zealand).
The Union Jack in the upper left corner (or canton) acknowledges the history of British settlement.
Below the Union Jack is a white Commonwealth or Federation star. It has seven points representing the unity of the six states and the territories of the Commonwealth of Australia.
The Southern Cross is shown on the fly of the flag in white. This constellation of five stars can be seen only from the southern hemisphere and is a reminder of Australia’s geography.
History
The colonies of Australia federated to become a single Commonwealth in 1901. That year, Australia’s first Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Sir Edmund Barton announced an international competition to design a flag for the new nation. It attracted 32,823 entries. Five near-identical entries were awarded equal first and the designers shared the £200 prize.
The Australian National Flag was flown for the first time in September 1901 at the Exhibition Building in Melbourne, which was then the seat of the federal government.
It was announced in Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No 8 of 1903 that King Edward VII approved designs for the flag of Australia, known as the Commonwealth blue ensign, and for the flag of the merchant navy, known as the Commonwealth red ensign. The stars of the Southern Cross were simplified to four seven-pointed stars and one five pointed star. (The 1901 design depicted the stars with a differing number of points to signify their brightness.) In 1908 a seventh point was added to the Commonwealth star to represent the Australian territories.
Confusion developed surrounding the use of the two Australian flags. The blue ensign was intended for official and naval purposes only and the red ensign was to be used by the merchant fleet. However, the general public also began using the red ensign on land. In 1941, Prime Minister the Rt Hon Robert Menzies issued a press statement recommending the flying of the blue ensign as a national emblem. The Flags Act 1953 ended confusion about which ensign to use.
An amendment to the Flags Act 1953 was passed in 1998 to ensure that the Australian National Flag can be changed only with the agreement of the Australian people.
Other official Australian flags include the Australian Aboriginal Flag, the Torres Strait Islander Flag and the ensigns of the Australian Defence Force.
Flying the flag
The flag should be raised briskly and lowered ceremoniously.
The flag should be raised no earlier than first light and lowered no later than dusk.
When the flag is raised or lowered, or when it is carried in a parade or review, everyone present should be silent and face the flag. People in uniform should salute.
The flag should always be flown freely and as close as possible to the top of the flagpole with the rope tightly secured.
Unless all flags are raised and lowered simultaneously, the Australian National Flag should be raised first and lowered last.
When the Australian National Flag is flown with flags of other nations, all flags should be the same size and flown on flagpoles of the same height
When flying with only one other national flag, the Australian National Flag should fly on the left of a person facing the flags.
Two flags should not be flown from the same flagpole.
The flag may be flown at night only when it is illuminated.
The flag should never be flown if it is damaged, faded or dilapidated. When the material of a flag deteriorates it should be destroyed privately and in a dignified way. i.e it may be cut into small unrecognisable pieces then disposed of with the normal rubbish collection.
The flag should not be flown upside down, even as a signal of distress.
The flag should not fall or lie on the ground or be used as a cover (although it can be used to cover a coffin at a funeral).
Flying flags at half-mast
Flags are flown at half-mast as a sign of mourning.
The half-mast position will depend on the size of the flag and the length of the flagpole. The flag must be lowered to a position recognisably half-mast to avoid the appearance of a flag which has accidentally fallen away from the top of the flagpole. An acceptable position would be when the top of the flag is a third of the distance down from the top of the flagpole.
There are times when direction will be given by the Australian Government for all flags to be flown at half-mast. The Commonwealth Flag Network can notify you of these occasions by email.
Flags in any locality can be flown at half-mast on the death of a local citizen or on the day, or part of the day, of their funeral.
When lowering the flag from a half-mast position it should be briefly raised to the peak and then lowered ceremoniously.
The flag should never be flown at half-mast at night even if it is illuminated.
When flying the Australian National Flag with other flags, all flags in the set should be flown at half-mast. The Australian National Flag should be raised first and lowered last.
The Australian Flag came into being after the the federation of the Australian States into the Commonwealth of Australian on 1 January, 1901. The Commonwealth Blue Ensign was selected a a result of a public competition (over 30 000 designs were submitted); although selected in 1901 and gazetted in 1903, it was not given Royal assent and adopted as the definitive Australian flag until 1954 in the Flags Act 1953 (Act No. 1 of 1954)! It is based on the Blue Ensign of the United Kingdom, is twice as long as it is wide, and consists of a dark blue field that can be notionally divided into four quadrants. There is a different motif in each of the upper and lower hoist quadrants and the remaining two quadrants of the fly share another different constellation motif.
The present Australian flag can be considered to consist of three main elements:
· The Union Jack in the upper hoist quadrant or first quarter (also know as the Canton), denoting Australia's historical links with Great Britain. The Union Jack itself is composed of red and white intersecting and overlayed vertical and diagonal crosses on a blue background,
· The Southern Cross in the second quarter (also known as the top or head) and fourth quarter. Consists of five stars in a more or less kite-like pattern - Alpha Crucis (7-point), Beta Crucis (7-point), Gamma Crucis (7-point), Delta Crucis (7-point) and the smaller Epsilon Crucis (5-point). The outer diameter of each of the 4 major stars is 1/7 the width of the fly and the inner diameter is 4/9 outer diameter; the diameter of Epsilon Crucis is 1/12 the width of the fly and the inner diameter is 4/9 the outer diameter. The constellation of the Southern Cross is a significant navigational feature of the southern hemisphere, strongly places Australia geographically and has been associated with the continent since its earliest days,
· The Commonwealth Star or Star of Federation, central in the third quarter or lower hoist, has seven points to denote the six states and the combined territories of the Commonwealth. The seventh point was added in 1909. The outer diameter is 3/5 the width of the Union Jack (3/10 the width of the fly) and the inner diameter is 4/9 the outer diameter.
Other Australian Ensigns
The Australian Army is represented by and protector of the Australian National Flag. In addition to the the Commonwealth Ensign, there are three other official Australian ensigns:
· The Australian Red Ensign - Merchant Navy, as for the Australian flag, but with a red field with white stars. Proclaimed in the Flags Act 1953. Covers Australian registered ships under section 30 of the Shipping Registration Act 1981.
· The Australian White Ensign - Royal Australian Navy - as for the Australian flag but with a white field and dark blue stars. Gazetted in 1967.
· The Sky-blue Ensign - Royal Australian Air Force - as for the Australian flag but with a pale blue field, the southern cross rotated clockwise c. 20 degrees and the blue roundel with white inner and red kangaroo of the Royal Australian Air Force in the lower fly. Gazetted in 1982.
Flags Similar to the Australian Flag
Several nations and territories have flags with similar appearance to the Australian National Flag, reflecting either a common British colonial history or previous association with Austrlaia. Most notable is the New Zealand National Flag, a Blue Ensign with a Southern Cross of four red stars.
State and Territory Flags
Each of the six states of Australia has its own Official State Flag consisting of a Blue Ensign defaced with the badge or heraldic device of the state concerned; the heraldic devices are those represented in the Commonwealth Arms.
The flags of the Australian territories and of more individual nature and are not based on the Blue Ensign.
Other "Australian" Flags
The Queen's Personal Flag for Australia
This flag is for the Queen's personal use when in Australia and was approved by her in 1962. It is based on the Australian Commonwealth Arms in the form of a banner n the ratio 31:22 of the Arms in rectangular form with the Ermine border, superimposed with a large gold 7-pointed star at the centre, the star bearing a blue roundel with the gold initial 'E', the Royal Crown and a circle of gold roses. It is use in the same manner as the Royal Standard in the United Kingdon, to denote the monach's presence.
The Governor General's Flag
This flag was gazetted for the personal use of the Queen's representative in Australia in 1936. It is a royal blue, twice as long as wide. It bears the Royal Crest in gold ('on a St Edward's Crown a Lion statant guardant also crowned') beneath which is a gold scroll with the words 'COMMONWEALTH of AUSTRALIA' in dark blue letters. It is flown continuously whenever the Govenor General is in residence and on vehicles in which he (or she?) is travelling.
The "Eureka Flag"
This is a famous but unofficial Australian flag, that features a white vertical cross on a blue background five whsite, blue-margined, 8-pointed stars superimposed at the end of each arm of the cross and at the intersection of the arms, a stylized Southern Cross. First used in Victoria in 1854 by a group of rebellious gold-miners protesting the cost of prospecting licences at the 'Eureka stockade', this flag has become the symbol of Australians prepared to fight to defend rights and liberties. It has been adopted as a symbol by some of the more militant trade unions and has also been used as symbol of the republican movement.
The Republican Movement
Associated with recent republican activities in Australian there have been several campaigns to find a new Australian flag and other icons that reflect the 'true Australian identity'. The Eureka flag has been suggested as a suitable replacement for the current Australian flag. One proposal includes a flag with a blue field with a central enlarged Southern Cross. This issue of a new Australian Flag has created a great deal of spirited debate.
The Flag of Aboriginal Australia
This flag was adopted as the symbol of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people when it was first flown in 1971. It is a strident 3-colour flag composed of a large central yellow circle imposed on a background of a red lower half and a black upper half; the black represents the Aboriginal people, the yellow the sun as a life force, the red the earth and the blood of the Aboriginal people. It has no official government standing but is becoming widely recognized and acknowledged by the community and is perhaps the only symbol commonly accepted by the diversity of Aboriginal people.
“Australia’s flag is unique in that it is the only one to fly over an entire continent, and also in the way it was chosen following federation in 1901”. There was a huge response to the competition announced by the new Commonwealth Government – the number of entries was equivalent to about 1% of the Australian population at the time. The judges settled on five designs that were almost identical; so each of the five winners received ₤40 when their names were revealed on 3 September 1901. The winners were:
Annie Dorrington from Perth (who became quite a well-known artist);
Ivor Evans from Melbourne (a 14 year-old schoolboy whose father owned a flag-making business);
Leslie John Hawkins from Leichhardt in NSW (an 18 year-old, apprenticed to an optician);
Egbert John Nuttall from Prahran in Victoria (a 35 year-old architect); and
William Stevens (First Officer in the Union Steamship Company of New Zealand).
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