The English Australian Flag
1988
The flag with red cross on white field is derived from St.Georges Cross Argent, a cross gules dates back to around 1192AD. Saint George was Greek and was a Praetorian Guard who was sentenced to death for refusing to recant his Christian faith and has been venerated since the Crusades. Saint George is the patron Saint of England and as is the custom of Christians the empty cross symbolises their faith. The cross also represents unity of English people.
The canton has blue mullet stars representing the Southern Cross and our geographical position in the Southern Hemisphere.
The early colonisation of Australia was a very risky idea it was more than the voyage of Captain Cook or the arrival of the First Fleet. It’s a story of a British culture at the time who encountered the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples culture creating further stories and a legacy.
Australians born in England or of English ancestry made up more than fifty percent of the population at the time of Federation. Today the figure is thirty six percent.
Australia and the UK today have a significant and comprehensive relationship underpinned by shared heritage, common values people to people links closely aligned strategic, trade and investment links. People of English ancestry have contributed enormously to Australian society and have left their mark.
Designer John Christian Vaughan OAM