"on 25 December 1966 as part of shipboard Christmas Day celebrations while deployed to the Far East Strategic Reserve. Only two RAN ships served in conflict under both the old and new ensigns: the aircraft carrier (later troopship) and the destroyer . The flag is white, with the Union Flag in the canton. A blue Commonwealth Star is located in the lower hoist. The Southern Cross constellation is depicted in the fly in the same manner as the national flag, but in blue instead of white. Regulations for the use of the Australian White Ensign are detailed in Australian Book"
"Flag of Australia The flag of Australia is a defaced Blue Ensign: a blue field with the Union Jack in the canton (upper hoist quarter), and a large white seven-pointed star known as the Commonwealth Star in the lower hoist quarter. The fly contains a representation of the Southern Cross constellation, made up of five white stars – one small five-pointed star and four, larger, seven-pointed stars. There are other official flags representing Australia, its people and core functions of government. The flag's original design (with a six-pointed Commonwealth Star) was chosen in 1901 from entries in a competition held"
"of the points on the star represent the original six states, while the seventh point represents the combined territories and any future states of Australia. In its entirety the shield represents the federation of Australia. The Red Kangaroo and Emu that support the shield have never been designated as official animal emblems of the nation. They owe their unofficial recognition to the fact that they are endemic Australian fauna (found only on that continent), and likely chosen because they are the most well-known native Australian animals large enough to be positioned together in scale holding up the shield. They were"
"the flag and heraldic symbolism of Australia. In the Australian context, the seven points (also known as the Commonwealth Star, the Federation Star, the Seven Point Star, or the Star of Federation) is a seven-pointed star symbolising the Federation of Australia which came into force on 1 January 1901. Six points of the Star represent the six original states of the Commonwealth of Australia, while the seventh point represents the territories. The seven-pointed stars stand in contrast to the vexillologically more conventional five-pointed stars. The Seal of the Cherokee Nation has an acute gold seven-pointed star in its seal. The"
"seven-pointed Federation Star in the bottom left representing the six states and the territories of Australia. Other official flags include the Australian Aboriginal Flag, the Torres Strait Islander Flag and the flags of the individual states and territories. The Australian Coat of Arms was granted by King George V in 1912 and consists of a shield containing the badges of the six states, within an ermine border. The crest above the shield and helmet is a seven-pointed gold star on a blue and gold wreath, representing the 6 states and the territories. The shield is supported by a red kangaroo"
"Commonwealth Star is one of the distinguishing characteristics of the Australian flag, as opposed to the similar flag of New Zealand. Although the term ""Federation Star"" is frequently used, the term ""Commonwealth Star"" is the official name. This is because that was the name ascribed to the star by the Australian Government when the Australian flag was adopted and such adoption gazetted in the official Government gazette. The Commonwealth Star is found on both the flag of Australia and the Coat of Arms of Australia. On the Australian flag the Star appears in the lower hoist quarter, beneath the representation"
"Commonwealth Star The Commonwealth Star (also known as the Federation Star, the Seven Point Star, or the Star of Federation) is a seven-pointed star symbolising the Federation of Australia which came into force on 1 January 1901. Six points of the Star represent the six original states of the Commonwealth of Australia, while the seventh point represents the territories and any other future states of Australia. The original star had only six points; however, the proclamation in 1905 of the Territory of Papua led to the addition of the seventh point in 1909 to represent it and future territories. The"
"of the Union flag, and as four of the five stars making up the Southern Cross on the fly. In the Coat of Arms, the Star forms the crest, atop a blue and gold wreath. The Star also appears on the badges of the Australian Defence Force and Australian Federal Police, although the badges of the Australian Army, Royal Australian Navy and Royal Australian Air Force feature the St Edward's Crown, as in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms. In the event of the country becoming a republic, it has been suggested that the Commonwealth Star replace the Crown."
"surrounded by a garland of golden roses. Each of the six sections of the flag represents the heraldic badge of the Australian states, and the whole is surrounded by an ermine border representing the federation of the states: The gold seven-pointed star (the Commonwealth Star), represents the states and the territories. The blue disc is taken from the Queen's Personal Flag as used for duties within the Commonwealth of Nations. The flag is used in two ratios, 1:2 and 22:31. The 1:2 ratio ensures the flag maintains visual integrity with other naval flags, which are 1:2. A 22:31 ratio gives"
"following Federation, and was first flown in Melbourne on 3 September 1901, the date proclaimed as Australian National Flag Day. A slightly different design was approved by King Edward VII in 1903. 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"". The Australian flag uses three prominent symbols: the Union Flag, the Commonwealth Star (also the ""Federation Star"") and the Southern Cross (or ""Crux""). In its original"
"Australian Civil Aviation Ensign The Australian Civil Aviation Ensign is an Australian flag that is used by the Australian Civil Aviation Authority. The design of the flag is based on the British Civil Air Ensign, which is divided into quarters by a dark blue cross with a white fimbriation. There is a Union Jack in the upper hoist quarter, and the other quarters light blue. When an Australian version was first adopted in 1935, it included the stars from the Australian National Flag in yellow, and with the Southern Cross rotated by roughly 45 degrees, meaning that the smallest star"
"separating the land and the ocean. The five stars are arranged in three offset rows at the canton, in the shape of the letter X. At first, these were meant to symbolize the provinces that the country was subdivided into at the time of independence. Even though new provinces have since been created, the number of stars has remained unchanged. One of the various proposed alternatives to the present flag of Australia is an emblem labelled the 'Southern Horizon'. Having been voted as the favourite in an unofficial poll of more than 8,000 people, its blue, gold, and green colour"
"Flag of Victoria The flag of Victoria, symbolising the state of Victoria in Australia, is a British Blue Ensign defaced by the state badge of Victoria in the fly. The badge is the Southern Cross topped by an imperial crown, which is currently the St Edward's Crown. The stars of the Southern Cross are white and range from five to eight points with each star having one point pointing to the top of the flag. The flag dates from 1870, with minor variations, the last of which was in 1953. It is the only Australian state flag not to feature"
"contribution to aviation in Australia Australian Civil Aviation Ensign The Australian Civil Aviation Ensign is an Australian flag that is used by the Australian Civil Aviation Authority. The design of the flag is based on the British Civil Air Ensign, which is divided into quarters by a dark blue cross with a white fimbriation. There is a Union Jack in the upper hoist quarter, and the other quarters light blue. When an Australian version was first adopted in 1935, it included the stars from the Australian National Flag in yellow, and with the Southern Cross rotated by roughly 45 degrees,"
"German poet and author Philippus Caesius saw the three main stars as representing the Three Patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (with Atria as Abraham). The Wardaman people of the Northern Territory in Australia perceived the stars of Triangulum Australe as the tail of the Rainbow Serpent, which stretched out from near Crux across to Scorpius. Overhead in October, the Rainbow Serpent ""gives Lightning a nudge"" to bring on the wet season rains in November. Triangulum Australe is a small constellation bordered by Norma to the north, Circinus to the west, Apus to the south and Ara to the east. It"
"Coat of arms of Australia The coat of arms of Australia, officially called the Commonwealth Coat of Arms, is the formal symbol of the Commonwealth of Australia. A shield, depicting symbols of Australia's six states, is held up by the native Australian animals the kangaroo and the emu. The seven-pointed Commonwealth Star surmounting the crest also represents the states and territories, while floral emblems appear below the shield. The first arms were authorised by King Edward VII on 7 May 1908, and the current version by King George V on 19 September 1912, although the 1908 version continued to be"
"holiday. On the centenary of the first flying of the flag, 3 September 2001, the Australian National Flag Association presented the Prime Minister with a flag intended to replace the missing original flag. This flag was not a replica of the original flag, on which the Commonwealth Star had only six points, but was a current Australian National Flag with a seven pointed Commonwealth Star. The flag has a special headband, including a cardinal red stripe and the inscription The Centenary Flag. Presented to the Hon John Howard MP, Prime Minister of Australia on behalf of the people of Australia"
"Major of the Army and Warrant Officer of the Air Force. Coat of arms of Australia The coat of arms of Australia, officially called the Commonwealth Coat of Arms, is the formal symbol of the Commonwealth of Australia. A shield, depicting symbols of Australia's six states, is held up by the native Australian animals the kangaroo and the emu. The seven-pointed Commonwealth Star surmounting the crest also represents the states and territories, while floral emblems appear below the shield. The first arms were authorised by King Edward VII on 7 May 1908, and the current version by King George V"
"National Colonial Flag for Australia The National Colonial Flag for Australia (1823/24) was the forerunner of the many Australian flag designs which featured the Southern Cross and Union Flag in combination. It is the first recorded attempt to design a distinctive national flag for Australia. Designed by Captain John Bingle and Captain John Nicholson, both New South Wales residents, it is inspired by the White Ensign of the Royal Navy, the protector and defender of Australia from 1788 to 1913. The large red cross of St George features four white, eight pointed stars representing the Southern Cross. According to Captain"
"used in some contexts, notably appearing on the reverse of the sixpenny coin. The escutcheon is the focal point of the coat of arms, contained within is the badge of each Australian state, the whole surrounded by an ermine border representing the federation of the states:. In the top half, from left to right, the states represented are: New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland. In the bottom half, from left to right: South Australia, Western Australia, and Tasmania. Above the shield is the seven-pointed Commonwealth Star or ""Star of Federation"" above a blue and gold wreath, forming the crest. Six"
"The Star is also used on numerous Australian medals, including the National Police Service Medal, the Defence Force Service Medal, the civilian Star of Courage, the Public Service Medal, the Ambulance Service Medal and the Australian Police Medal. With the marriage of Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark to Mary Donaldson (now the Crown Princess Mary) in 2004, Princess Mary was honoured with the Order of the Elephant. The chief field of the Crown Princess' coat of arms shows two gold Commonwealth Stars from the Coat of arms of Australia. Commonwealth Star The Commonwealth Star (also known as the Federation Star,"
"July 1936 the Governor-General adopted a new flag for official use in Australia. The flag has a 1:2 ratio, it has a royal blue background and in the centre of the flag there is a Royal Crest (a crowned lion standing on a Tudor Crown) and the words ""COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA"" in dark blue letters on a gold scroll below the Crest. A similar design is used in most other Commonwealth realms. In 1953 the flag was modified again, replacing the Tudor Crown with St Edward's Crown. The flag is otherwise identical to that introduced in 1936. The flag is"
"the Papua and any future territories. Another rationale for the change was to match the star used on the Coat of Arms, which was created in the same year. The Commonwealth Star does not have any official relation to Beta Centauri, despite the latter's brightness and location in the sky; however, the 1870 version of the flag of South Australia featured the ""pointer"" stars, Alpha and Beta Centauri. The Southern Cross is one of the most distinctive constellations visible in the Southern Hemisphere, and has been used to represent Australia since the early days of British settlement. Ivor Evans, one"
"the Australian state of Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory, the Northern Territory, as well as the flag of Magallanes Region of Chile, the flag of Londrina (Brazil) and several Argentine provincial flags and emblems (for example, ""Tierra del Fuego"" and ""Santa Cruz""). The flag of the Mercosur trading zone displays the four brightest stars. Crux also appears on the Brazilian coat of arms and, , on Brazilian passports. A Cross also gets a mention in the lyrics of the Brazilian National Anthem (1909): """"A imagem do Cruzeiro resplandece"""" (""the image of the Cross shines""). Five stars appear in the logo"
"Australian Defence Force Ensign The Australian Defence Force Ensign is a flag of Australia which represents the tri-service Australian Defence Force. The flag was declared a ""Flag of Australia"" under Section 5 of the ""Flags Act 1953"" on 14 April 2000. The Royal Australian Navy and Air Force have ensigns, the Royal Australian Navy Ensign and the Royal Australian Air Force Ensign. The Army has historically used the Australian Flag. The Defence Ensign is supposed to be used in the case of joint activities. It is made up of three vertical bands: dark blue, red and light blue, representing the"
"cross is tilted so that Gamma Crucis stays in the same position as for the Australian National Flag and that Alpha Crucis is moved along the x-axis towards the hoist by one-sixth of the width of the flag. This results in the axis being rotated 14.036° clockwise around Gamma Crucis and each star is rotated in this way, although the constellation as a whole is not simply rotated. The RAAF was established in 1921. On 24 July 1922, the British Royal Air Force Ensign, a sky-blue British ensign with the RAF roundel in the fly, was approved as the ensign"
"to an asterism consisting of δ Crucis, γ Crucis, α Crucis and β Crucis. Consequently, δ Crucis itself is known as (, .). The people of Aranda and Luritja tribe around Hermannsburg, Central Australia named Iritjinga, ""The Eagle-hawk"", a quadrangular arrangement comprising this star, γ Cru (Gacrux), γ Cen (Muhilfain) and δ Cen (Ma Wei). δ Cru is represented in the flags of Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea as one of the stars comprising the Southern Cross. It is also featured in the flag of Brazil, along with 26 other stars, each of which represents a state. δ"
"up parts of the nebula, which varies in brightness accordingly. The name of the constellation was entered as ""Corona Australis"" when the International Astronomical Union (IAU) established the 88 modern constellations in 1922. In 1932, the name was instead recorded as ""Corona Austrina"" when the IAU's commission on notation approved a list of four-letter abbreviations for the constellations. The four-letter abbreviations were repealed in 1955. The IAU presently uses ""Corona Australis"" exclusively. Corona Australis is a small constellation bordered by Sagittarius to the north, Scorpius to the west, Telescopium to the south, and Ara to the southwest. The three-letter abbreviation"
"Royal Australian Air Force Ensign The Royal Australian Air Force Ensign is used by the Royal Australian Air Force and the Australian Air Force Cadets in Australia and overseas. It is based on the Australian national flag, with the field changed to Air Force blue, and the southern cross tilted clockwise to make room for the RAAF roundel inserted in the lower fly quarter. The roundel is a red leaping kangaroo on white within a dark blue ring. The ensign was proclaimed as a Flag of Australia under section 5 of the Flags Act on 6 May 1982. The southern"
"Australia's territories. At the centre of the star is an Indigenous styling of Aboriginal traditions at the heart of the continent. Around the rim are 100 dots depicting 100 years of federation. The reverse features a seven pointed star, with the words ""For Contribution Made to Australian Society"" around the rim. The colours in the ribbon are crimson, which represents federation, and blue and gold for the beginning of the 21st Century. The seven gold and red lines signify the states' pathways to federation. The bar and ribbon are the same so that a recipient can be identified as such."
"navy, army and air force respectively. In the centre is a large joint services emblem in yellow. This emblem features an anchor, crossed swords and a wedge-tailed eagle with wings outstretched combined above a boomerang and below a crest featuring a seven pointed Commonwealth Star. The rank flags of staff with joint services commands, such as the Chief of Defence Force and the Minister for Defence, are derived from the Defence Force Ensign. Australian Defence Force Ensign The Australian Defence Force Ensign is a flag of Australia which represents the tri-service Australian Defence Force. The flag was declared a ""Flag"
"without the bars and star. Australian Honour Flag The Australian Honour Flag is a special Australian flag that was created by the Commonwealth Government in 1918, as a result of World War I. It consists of a white flag, with the national flag in canton, a large 7-pointed star, and three blue vertical bars, with a red border overall. Towns and districts in Australia which subscribed twice their quota of funds to the Commonwealth Government's Seventh War Loan in 1918 were presented with the Honour Flag. Individual contributors were awarded a certificate known as a House Badge, which featured an"
"Edmund Barton announced in the Commonwealth Gazette that King Edward VII had officially approved the design as the flag of Australia on 11 February 1903. The published version made all the stars in the Southern Cross seven-pointed apart from the smallest, and is the same as the current design except the six-pointed Commonwealth Star. In the decades following federation the red ensign was also the preeminent flag in use by private citizens on land. This was largely due to the Commonwealth government and flag suppliers restricting sales of the blue ensign to the general public.Both the blue and red versions"