Ausflag says an ensign-style flag does not symbolise Australian independence; migrants and aborigines don't relate
 

The Australian National Flag is blue with a unique combination of the Union Jack, Commonwealth Star and Southern Cross.

For better, for worse or indifferent less than 200 years after the days of the colonies began a modern, western nation had been founded based on British political and social institutions and their national language as opposed to Commonwealth members such as India, which were colonies by conquest with their own pre-existing host cultures. The symbolism of the existing flag does not exclude descendants of the original inhabitants: the Southern Cross was apparently known to pre-historic aborigines, featuring as it does in at least 5 of their traditional legends passed down to this day; the great majority of Australians who self identify as "indigenous" in the census now have a European ancestry. It is also worth nothing that aborigines had the franchise in 4 jurisdictions during the 1890s when the Australian colonies agreed to unite.

It is a myth that there are still aborigines in Australia who live an unadulterated, stone age hunter gatherer existence; 1984 was the last time an uncontracted tribe found, in Western Australia's Gibson Desert. Today many use firearms and outboard motor boats to hunt for food. [1]

"I have personally witnessed live turtles left to suffer on a hot beach for hours on end and then towed up the beach by 4 wheel drives and even then was not killed till the natives were ready to cook it whence it was cut open whilst still alive. In one case a turtle was dragged on a corrugated road behind a 4 wheel drive for 5 miles because the natives were too lazy to lift it on the back of the vehicle."

Source: Rodney Liddell, Cape York - The Savage Frontier, pp. 205.

 

The polls show support for a new national flag is a bell curve highest among the baby boomer generation who came of age around the time of the Vietnam War.
 

[1] Peter Thorley, "Colliding worlds: first contact in the western desert, 1932-1984", Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute, Adelaide, 3-19 March 2006 <http://recollections.nma.gov.au/issues/vol_1_no_2/exhibition_reviews/colliding_worlds> as at 3 September 2011.

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Ausflag says the existing flag is not distinctive/well known enough; too easily mistaken for New Zealand's

Many national flags look-alike; the flags of Monaco and Indonesia are identical concepts. It is common for middle powers such as Australia to have national symbols which are not instantly recognisable overseas.
 

A world of unrecognisable, look-alike national flags.

QUEBEC (CP) - Parti Quebecois Leader Bernard Landry says he has nothing against the Canadian flag, but he was surprised to see it back in the Quebec legislature this week after a nine-year absence.

"I think I was a bit shocked," Landry told reporters on Thursday. "The entire English-Canadian media concluded that there is a real federalist (as premier) for the first time and I think that's true."

Liberal Premier Jean Charest opted to have the Maple Leaf stand side-by-side with the Quebec Fleur-de-lis in the ornate red room of the legislature when he and his new cabinet were sworn in Tuesday.

The Canadian flag was removed when the former PQ government came to power nine years ago.

And Landry caused controversy just two years ago when he called the flag "bits of red rag." He later said he was sorry if he offended anyone and insisted he was referring to the red flag used in bullfighting.

His tone was more conciliatory Thursday.

"They're free to choose their symbol. It's a respectable symbol ... I have nothing against this flag. I predict it will have a bright future."

However, despite losing the April 14 election, Landry said he still dreams of a day when the Canadian and Quebec flags will be on equal footing in the international arena.

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Ausflag says Australian conscripts and volunteers fought under different flags

The existing flag is part of the Anzac Day tradition. It has been flown by Royal Australian Navy warships as a battle ensign from the mainmast and as an additional flag from the jackstaff since 1913; the Australian white ensign replaced the British white ensign at the stern in 1967. It has been flown at all military establishments since 1908 and in 1911 became the saluting flag for the Australian Defence Force at all reviews and ceremonial parades.
 

Some Australian veterans hardy saw the Australian National Flag and yet others tell of prisoners of war being tortured and executed for hiding it a Japanese prison camp.

This flag had been made secretly by Australian POWS who stitched it together using a small Union Jack, that had escaped the notice of Japanese guards, and scavenged material; white handkerchiefs from Red Cross parcels made up the stars. The flag was raised over the ‘X3′ working camp at Bukit Panjang and later over the Australian Imperial Forces headquarters at Changi. This flag is among the many historic flags that are preserved at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.

There is evidence the existing flag design has been seen in every war and conflict Australia has been involved in since Federation. Most of the 81 records of historic flags listed in the Australian War Memorial archives are Australian National Flags.
 

A truly Australian flag covers the grave of 'Breaker' Morant, South Africa, Feburary 1902.

These three verses of a fourteen verse poem, 'We're all Australians Now' by Banjo Paterson were published in 1915 (during World War I) as an open letter to Australian troops in the Sydney Morning Herald. Note the reference to HMAS Sydney flying the Australian National Flag while defeating the German warship SS Emden.

Our six-starred flag that used to fly
Half shyly to the breeze,
Unknown where older nations ply
Their trade on foreign seas.

Flies out to meet the morning blue
With Victory at the prow;
For that's the flag the Sydney flew,
The wide seas know it now!

And with Australia's flag shall fly
A spray of wattle bough,
To symbolise our unity,
We're all Australians now.

 

Postcard commemorating the naval victory of Australian light cruiser HMAS Sydney over the German light cruiser SS Emden at the Battle of the Cocos in 1914.

Every day French school children at Villers-Bretonneau raise the Australian National Flag as a tribute to the 'diggers' who died liberating their homes during WW1.

On 3 September 2001 the Minister for Veterans Affairs issued a media release for the 100th anniversary of the first flying of the Australian National Flag which said:

Today as we mark 100 years of the Australian National Flag I urge all Australians, wherever they are, to fly the flag as a tribute to every Australian who has defended those values and to the courage of the Anzacs.

"Over the past 100 years more than one and half million Australians have served under the Australian National Flag and 102 000 Australians have died defending our national symbol during war and conflict.

"As a country we owe a great deal to those 102 000 men and women. Their service and sacrifice have given us the peace, the freedom, and the lifestyle we all take for granted today." [1]


[1] Bruce Scott, "Australians Urged to Fly the National Flag to Celebrate 100 Years", DVA 135 <http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/download/media/pressrel/U7V46/upload_binary/u7v461.pdf> as at 3 September 2003.

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Ausflag says the existing flag was never passed by plebiscite or referendum; lacks legitimacy
 

Ballot paper for the 1977 National Tune Poll.

The existing flag is Australia's chief national symbol by law, custom and tradition; no design ever promoted by Ausflag has been accorded the same degree of affection by the common people.

Former prime minister John Howard gave a speech when Ausflag was last influential in the 90s:

"This is an appropriate time to say something of the issue of Australia’s national identity.

The Australian identity is the possession of all Australians. It ought not to be the political plaything of one or other side of politics. We should not politicise the Australian character.

It is not for governments, or indeed oppositions, to impose their stereotypes on the Australian identity.

Australians have little patience with either politicians who seek to use nationalism as a partisan political divide, or self-appointed cultural dieticians who seek to implement their own agendas in the area of national identity.

The enduring national symbols of Australia have emerged either after long years of usage and acceptance or, in the case of the ANZAC legend, from a cataclysmic event in our nation’s history.

None have been the product of partisan political fiat." [1]

There were 32,823 entries (equal to 1% of the population) to the Review of Reviews and the Australian government's "Federal Flag Design Competition", announced in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on 29 April 1901, which was advertised in Australia and overseas. The competition winning design was attributed to four Australians and a man from New Zealand and was first flown at the Royal Exhibition Building on 3 September 1901.

 

Entries to the 1901 Federal Flag Design Competition.