Australian Flag Designs
...the less a statesman amounts to,
the more he loves the flag.
— Frank McKinney
Hubbard.
Beneath our radiant Southern Cross...
My preferred option:
"National Flag and Ensign"
(Southern Cross theme; proportion
2:3)
© Gavin R. Putland, December 26, 1999
The Southern Cross, with large stars for maximum visibility, takes the senior position. Each of the four main stars is a Commonwealth Star, with seven points representing the six Original States and the Territories. The five-pointed star (Epsilon Crucis) imitates not only the corresponding star on the present National Flag, but also the white star on the Torres Strait Islander Flag, whose five points, like the five stars of the Southern Cross, represent the five main island groups. Together, the stars also recall the navigational skills of the Islanders. The boomerang is the most recognizable of indigenous symbols and the most obviously Australian feature of the design. The colour Black, as on the Aboriginal Flag and the Torres Strait Islander Flag, represents the indigenous peoples. Black also conveniently depicts the night sky. Gold represents the sun (as on the Aboriginal Flag) and the Golden Wattle, the Australian Floral Emblem. On this driest of continents, Gold represents fire as master and servant — bushfires, controlled burn-offs, cane fires, coal fires, gas fires, and the glow of molten iron — and Black the aftermath of fire. Red represents the land (as on the Aboriginal Flag) and the blood of martyrs of all races. Three of the four colours (Black, Red and Yellow/Gold) are found on the Aboriginal Flag. Two (Black and White) are found on the Torres Strait Islander Flag. Two (Red and White) are found on the present Australian National Flag and the Australian Red Ensign. One (Gold) is shared with the national colours (Green and Gold) and with the colours of the crest of the Australian Coat of Arms (Blue and Gold).
My collected designs
For the purpose of adopting a new flag or presenting new flag designs to the Australian voters, the webmaster is willing to surrender the copyrights in any or all of the above designs to the Commonwealth of Australia for the sum of $1 (one Australian dollar).
Note: I use my real name on the internet. Critics who send recycled arguments under assumed names from fly-by-night email accounts will not be dignified with any response. War veterans who claim to have fought "for the Flag" will be respectfully asked whether, if 51% of the Australian people were to vote for a new National Flag, the other 49% would be justified in taking up arms to defend the old one.
