Flag of Australia
Oceania
Quick Facts
- Capital
- Canberra
- Flag adopted
- 1954
- Population
- 27,536,874
- Area
- 7,692,024 km²
- Languages
- English
- Currency
- Australian dollar ($) — AUD
- Demonym
- Australian
- Government
- federal parliamentary democracy 
- Subregion
- Australia and New Zealand
- Driving side
- Left
- Timezones
- UTC+05:00, UTC+06:30 +6 more
- Independence
- 1901
Religions
- None 38.4%
- Protestant 21.6%
- Roman Catholic 20%
- Unspecified 7.3%
- Muslim 3.2%
- Hindu 2.7%
- Buddhist 2.4%
- Orthodox 2.3%
- Other 2.1%
About This Flag
The flag of Australia features a dark blue field with the Union Jack in the upper-left canton (representing Australia's historical ties to Britain), a large white seven-pointed Commonwealth Star below the canton, and the five stars of the Southern Cross constellation on the right half of the flag. The Commonwealth Star has seven points representing the six states and the territories of Australia.
The Southern Cross is a constellation visible from all of Australia and has been used to represent the country since early colonial times. The flag was first flown on September 3, 1901, after being chosen from a public competition that attracted over 32,000 entries.
It was formally adopted under the Flags Act on April 14, 1954.
What the colors & design mean
The Union Jack represents Australia's historical ties to Britain. The Commonwealth Star's seven points represent the six states and the territories. The Southern Cross constellation represents Australia's geographic position in the Southern Hemisphere and has been a navigational guide for Pacific explorers for centuries.
Pattern: Canton Design
Fun Facts
- The flag was chosen from a 1901 design competition that drew over 32,000 entries — five virtually identical designs were submitted independently, so the prize was shared among five designers.
- The Commonwealth Star originally had six points (one per state) but gained a seventh in 1908 to represent the territories, including the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory.
- Australia's flag is frequently confused with New Zealand's, as both feature the Union Jack and Southern Cross on a blue field — the key differences are the number and color of the stars.
- There have been several campaigns to change the flag, particularly to remove the Union Jack and create a distinctly Australian design, but referendums and public polls have consistently favored keeping the current flag.
Similar looking flags
These flags share similar colors and patterns:
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