Australian Desk Flag Decoration

Includes one Australian desk flag, 30cm x 15cm.

Before Federation, Australia's six colonies principally flew the UK flag. From 1870, each colony flew a British blue ensign with significant symbol utilised in the "Fly" to set it apart from the other colonies. When the colonies united to form the Commonwealth of Australia on the 1st of January 1901, flags were needed for the nation. A worldwide competition attracted more than 30,000 designs, from which five almost identical designs were chosen. The winning designs led to the Commonwealth blue ensigns, for official and naval purposes and the Commonwealth red ensigns for merchant ships. Some confusion ensued over the decades with the flags being flown inappropriately. In 1953, the Flags Act proclaimed the blue ensign as the Australian National Flag and in 1954 the Queen signed the Act, making it law. The Union Jack is symbolic of our early white settlers, the Federation Star represents the unity of the States and Territories and the Southern Cross represents our place in the universe. Thus, the Australian National Flag shows our history, unity and our independent position.