Australia Day 2013 and the Flag Debate

Let me start with Happy Australia Day! On this day we commemorate the discovery and settlement of the Australian continent by Captain Cook. I will not discuss the merits/follies of the British claiming Australia as terra nullus. Rather bask in the glory that this discovery has delivered over the years. Now to the Australian Flag Debate.

For as long as I can remember there has been a debate in Australia around the national flag. Over the years a number of alternative flags have been proposed to replace the current flag.

Australian Flag

The current flag (pictured above) is a long standing and attractive flag with a considerable amount of meaning to the nation. It consists of:

The British Union Jack in the top left corner.
The 7 pointed Commonwealth Star in the bottom left.
The Southern Cross on the right.

So in essence there is a nod to the forefathers of the settlement, the celebration of federation, and an constellation that Australia has a somewhat unique view of. So what are the objections?

I think the major objection is the presence of the Union Jack. There are a few reasons for this including:

It is fair to say that some people find that part of the flag a bit of a problem as there is no acknowledgement to the original settlers of the nation.
Makes us look like we are still a part of the United Kingdom.

Personally I am not concerned with the presence of the Union Jack, but can see the arguments for a change. I would though like to see any change preserver the other components of the flag.

There have been many alternatives proposed over the time. These can be seen at the Flag Society of Australia website. Looking at these options I am pleased to see that the 7 pointed Commonwealth Star and the Southern Cross remain on a number of options.

In terms of overall layout my personal favourite from the collection above is Russell Kennedy’s Reconciliation Flag (1997). In fact Russel has further developed the design to alternative flags (including State flags) and can be viewed at Creative Roots.

If the flag is to change to this format I would like to see the Commonwealth Star to be placed on the flag, perhaps the top left corner. I would also suggest that the current state insignia on the current flags could go here.

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