www.monumentaustralia.org.au

Centenary of the Australian National Flag Print Page Print this page

28-March-2015
28-March-2015

Photographs supplied by Russell Byers
Two plaques commemorate the centenary of the Australian flag.

The flag's original design (with a six-pointed Commonwealth Star) was chosen in 1901 from entries in a competition held following Federation, and was first flown in Melbourne on 3 September 1901; this date has been proclaimed as Australian National Flag Day.  A slightly different design was approved by King Edward V11 in 1902. The seven pointed commonwealth star version was introduced by a proclamation dated 23 February 1908. The dimensions were formally gazetted in 1934,and in 1954 the flag became recognised by, and legally defined in, the Flags Act 1953, as the "Australian National Flag".

Location

Address:A M White Drive , Bolivia Hall , Bolivia , 2372
State:NSW
Area:AUS
GPS Coordinates:Lat: -29.296816
Long: 151.958852
Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate.
View Google Map

Details

Monument Type:Plaque
Monument Theme:Government
Sub-Theme:Federal
Approx. Event Start Date:1901
Approx. Event End Date:2001

Dedication

Approx. Monument Dedication Date:2001
Front Inscription

Plaque :

Centenary of our National Flag
1901 - 2001 

Did you know ?

The Australian National Flag is the only one to fly over a whole continent. 

The Australian National Flag also flies over Australia's seven external territories - Norfolk Island, Heard Island & McDonald Islands, Christmas Island, The Cocos (Keeling Islands), The Australian Antarctic Territory, The Coral Sea Islands and Ashmore & Cartier Islands.  

The Australian National Flag was the first National Flag chosen in an open public competition the prize money for the design competition (200 pounds) was a substantial sum of money in those days — in fact it was equivalent to four years wages for an average worker ! Given that there were 32,823 entries in the design competition & the Australian population was estimated to be around 3.6 million in 1901, an equivalent response rate from today's population of 19.2 million would amount to 175,000 entries. 

Plaque :

Our flag

Our flag bears the stars that blaze at night In our southern sky of blue
And the little old flag in the corner That`s part of our heritage too

It`s for the English, the Scots & the Irish who were sent to the ends of the earth
The rogues & schemers, the doers & dreamers who gave modern Australia birth

And you, who are shouting to change it you don`t seem to understand
It`s the flag of our law & our language not the flag of our far away land

There are plenty of people who`ll tell you how when Europe was plunged into night
That little old flag in the corner was their symbol of freedom & light

It doesn`t mean we owe allegiance to a forgotten imperial dream
We`ve the stars to show where we`re going and the old flag to show where we`ve been

By an unknown soldier




 

Source: MA
Monument details supplied by Monument Australia - www.monumentaustralia.org.au