Flag of Australia

Australian National Flag
Use	National flag and state ensign
Proportion	1:2
Adopted	11 February 1903; ; 8 December 1908 (current seven-pointed Commonwealth Star version); 8 April 1954 (designated as the Australian National Flag and given precedence over the Union Jack);
Design	A Blue Ensign defaced with the Commonwealth Star in the lower hoist quarter and the five stars of the Southern Cross in the fly half.
Designed by	Annie Dorrington, Ivor Evans, Lesley Hawkins, Egbert Nutall and William Stevens

The national flag of Australia is based on the British Blue Ensign—a blue field with the Union Jack in the upper hoist quarter—augmented with a large white seven-pointed star (the Commonwealth Star) and a representation of the Southern Cross constellation, made up of five white stars (one small five-pointed star and four, larger, seven-pointed stars). Australia also has a number of other official flags representing its states and territories, Indigenous peoples and government bodies.

The original version of the flag first flew as the Commonwealth blue ensign on 3 September 1901, after being selected alongside a merchant naval red ensign in a competition held following Federation. A slightly simplified version as approved by King Edward VII was officially adopted in 1903. It was later modified to the current design on 8 December 1908, with the change from a six to a seven-point Commonwealth Star.

Initially restricted to government and shipping use, the blue ensign slowly gained prominence as a popular Australian symbol alongside the red ensign, which had less restrictions on its use. At first, the flag remained officially subordinate to the Union Jack and flying the blue ensign alone without the Union Jack could be seen expressing disloyalty to the British Empire. By 1954, however, in line with Australia's increasing independence from the United Kingdom, the blue ensign was designated as the Australian National Flag with the passage of the Flags Act 1953. The act also gave the Australian flag precedence over the Union Jack for the first time. Over time, the use of Union Jacks decreased with most Australians considering the blue ensign the national flag by the 1970s.

^ Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No. 8, 20 February 1903
^ "Commonwealth of Australia Gazette 1908 No. 65". Australian Government Federal Register of Legislation. 19 December 1908. p. 1709. Retrieved 25 January 2019.

[ReferenceA-1] Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No. 8, 20 February 1903

[Gazette1908.65-2] "Commonwealth of Australia Gazette 1908 No. 65". Australian Government Federal Register of Legislation. 19 December 1908. p. 1709. Retrieved 25 January 2019.

[1]

[2]