Flag unfurls national pride

By FRAN BAILEY
FLAGS are a way of expressing a people’s identity and pride. They tell a story through their colours, badges and symbols.
The Australian National Flag is an icon we see everyday in our day to day lives, but how many of us take the time to appreciate its history and all that it represents to Australians?
Saturday, 3 September was Australian National Flag Day. Flag Day is an opportunity to celebrate this important symbol and find out more about our flag so that we can better appreciate its place in the history of our nation.
National Flag Day was proclaimed by the GovernorGeneral in 1996 to mark the occasion in 1901 when the flag that became the Australian National Flag was first flown.
Our flag symbolises our country’s values and traditions. It acknowledges our history as well as the birth of the Commonwealth of Australia. It has inspired generations of Australians since it was first flown on 3 September 1901.
The design for our flag was chosen from a competition announced by the then Prime Minister Edmond Barton in April 1901. The competition attracted 32,823 entries received from all over the world.
Five almost identical designs were chosen as the winners and announced on 3 September.
Although our flag was first flown on this day it was not until several decades later with the Flag Act 1953 that the status of the flag was confirmed by law.
Our flag is rich in symbolism. Its design incorporates so much information about our great nation. For example the large star on the flag underneath the Union Jack is called the Commonwealth Star.
Six of the points on the star represent each of the States of Australia and the seventh point represents our territories. The stars of the Southern Cross are a constellation that can only be seen in the night skies of the Southern Hemisphere a beautiful yet simple and reflective symbol of our place in the world.
Since September 1901, our national flag has formed a part of the fabric of Australia’s history providing Australians with a focus for celebration and rejoicing as well as a symbol of unity in times of national commemoration or sadness.
Every day in our community a national flag can be seen in schools, public buildings, community halls, and a growing number of private homes to remind us of what it means to be an Australian.
Our flag is a symbol for the sort of nation we are, a free, open and democratic society where all our citizens enjoy the rights of freedom of speech, freedom of association and the freedom to practise the religion of our choice.