Competitions seeking designs for a national flag run by the Melbourne Herald and the Review of Reviews for Australasia were well supported. On 29 April 1901 a notice was placed in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette inviting entries in an official competition. It attracted 32, 823 entries from Australia and overseas, including those originally sent to the Review of Reviews. One of these was submitted by an unnamed Governor of a colony. The two contests were merged after the Review of Reviews agreed to being integrated into the government initiative. The £75 prize money of each competition were combined and augmented by a further £50 donated by Havelock Tobacco Company.
Entries to the 1901 Federal Flag Design Competition.
A photograph of the winning design, a composite "embodying the general ideas of the five successful competitors, but different in detail", was published in the Review of Reviews on 20 September 1901. The names of the successful contestants were: Ivor Evans, a fourteen-year-old schoolboy from Melbourne; Leslie John Hawkins, a teenager apprenticed to an optician from Sydney; Egbert John Nuttall, an architect from Melbourne; Annie Dorrington, an artist from Perth; and William Stevens, a ship's officer from Auckland, New Zealand. They received £40 each. The designs were judged on seven criteria: loyalty to the Empire, Federation, history, heraldry, distinctiveness, utility and cost of manufacture. The majority of designs incorporated the Union Jack and the Southern Cross, but native animals were also popular, including one that depicted a variety of indigenous animals playing cricket. The entries were put on display at the Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne and the judges took six days to deliberate before reaching their conclusion.
Until 1903 the stars of the Southern Cross had 9, 8, 7, 6 and 5 points to represent the relative brightness of each star in the constellation. The Commonwealth Star, symbol of the Australian Federation, had six points, representing the six original States.
In 1908 a seventh point was added to represent Australia's territories.
On 3 September 1901 the "blue ensign" as it was originally known was flown for the first time from the dome of the Royal Exhibition Building.
According to the Age newspaper:
At the exhibition Building yesterday afternoon the Countess of Hopetoun formally opened the Commonwealth Flag and Seal Exhibition and announced the names of the successful competitors.
The event was timed for 2:30pm and at that hour a large number of people had assembled about the entrances, attracted by the absolutely unique occasion. Among those present were a goodly sprinkling of legislators, both Federal and State, and a number of clergymen of various denominations.
As Lady Hopetoun entered, a huge Blue Ensign with theprize design of the Southern Cross and a six pointed star thereon was run up to the top of the flagstaff on the dome and breaking, streamed out on the heavy south-westerly breeze, a brave and inspiring picture.
On entering the rooms reserved for the thousands of designs which go to make up the exhibition, the beholders were almost dazzled by the polychromatic spectacle which greeted their eyes. Every conceivable and inconceivable combination of colours flared from the walls which were spread from top to bottom with the artistic, in-artistic and, in many instances, weird designs sent in, and for a few minutes the feeling was truly overpowering. After making a brief inspection of the principle designs which had been awarded prizes or honourable mention, Lady Hopetoun seated herself at the prize table.
The Prime Minister rose and said the Countess of Hopetoun had kindly consented to open the Exhibitions, but before doing so wanted him to explain how the competition had come about and how it had resulted. With regard to the flags, he read the following letter from the judges.
Melbourne 2nd September
Sir,
Attracted by the loyalty and sentiment of the Australian people as represented by the 30,000 designs for a national flag, the great majority of which contain the Union Jack and Southern Cross. It was felt that the only additional emblem was one representing the Federation of the 6 States. This was supplied by various forms such as coloured bars, shields, devices, stars, figures, letters, animals etc. introduced in various forms, colours and positions on the various designs.
Having carefully examined every exhibit with due regard to history, heraldry, blazonry, distinctiveness, utility and cost of making it up in bunting, it was apparent that a Commonwealth Flag, to be representative, should contain -
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The Union Jack on a blue or red ground.
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A six pointed star, representing the federated States of Australia, immediately underneath the Union Jack and pointing directly to the centre of the St George's Cross, in a size to occupy the major portion of one quarter of the Flag.
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The Southern Cross; in the fly, as indicative of the sentiment of the Australian nation.
Many
designs were rejected as not being in accord with
heraldry-borders around the Union Jack, contrary to the heraldry
and blazonry of flags... crosses, coloured stars, stars too
small to be seen at a distance, and otherwise faulty in design.
In conclusion we may state that our task was not an easy one,
but our desire was to give the people of our new born nation a
symbol that would be endearing and lasting in its effect, and
with that end in view we hope that we have been successful.
On behalf of the judges -
JW Evans
JA Mitchell
On 16 September 1901 the first Vice Regal (and formal) raising of the blue ensign by Governor-General, Lord Hopetoun took place in Townsville, Queensland.
A simplified version of the
competition-winning design was
officially approved by the British
Admiralty and King Edward VII as the
Flag of Australia in 1902; this was
announced in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on 11 February
1903.
The blue ensign replaced the Union Jack at the Olympic Games at St Louis in 1904. In the same year, due to lobbying by Senator Richard Crouch, it had the same status as the Union Jack in the UK, when the House of Representatives proclaimed that the blue ensign "should be flown upon all forts, vessels, saluting places and public buildings of the Commonwealth upon all occasions when flags are used".
A proud moment for Australia and for flag bearer and Olympian Andrew Gaze as he acknowledges the crowd at the opening ceremony of the Sydney 2000 Olympics.
In 1908, Australian Army Military Order (No 58/08) ordered that
the "Australian Ensign" replace the Union Jack at
all military establishments. From 1911
it was the saluting flag of the
Australian army at all reviews and
ceremonial parades and in the same year
was adopted for use by the newly formed
Royal Australian Navy.
On 14 April 1954 the blue ensign formally replaced the Union Jack as the "Australian National Flag" upon commencement of the Flags Act 1953 (Cth).
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HMAS Hobart, invasion of Solomon islands, 1942.
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Australia Day 2011, Canberra. |
Citizenship ceremony.
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