Historical information

Flag identified by John Vaughan OAM, Vexillographer (Flag historian)
[email protected]

Physical description

Flag has pale blue cross of St. George, with five, five pointed stars. Union Jack in top left hand corner. This flag is a variant of the 'Australian Federation Flag' often called the AUSTRALIAN ENSIGN, a popular design from 1831 to 1901 widely flown across Australia as a possible ’national’ flag. The Australian Ensign appeared in various forms for over a century with variant points to the stars (some with 5 points). A flag chart dated 31st December, 1831, and in subsequent charts, Captain John Nicholson, Harbour master of Sydney, depicted a new flag for Australia, featuring the combination of Southern Cross and Union Jack. The Southern Cross consisted of five eight pointed stars on a large royal blue St Georges Cross. It became the popular but unofficial flag of Australia for seventy years. In the 1890’s it was best known as the Australian Federation Flag.