1) Take one current official Australian flag

2) Remove the Union Flag of Great Britain and the stars

3) Add the national colours of green and gold as most used and identifiable Australian symbol

4) Add the Southern Cross to connect with current flag and denote a southern land

The blue background represents the ocean and historical link to the previous flag

The yellow represents the sun and connection to the aboriginal people

The green represents the land and prosperity of the nation

The design signifies distant - that Australia is a distant land reached across an expansive ocean.

Elements of the national anthem are also reflected in the design with "golden soil" (yellow for the sun's power), "nature's gifts of beauty rich and rare" (green for the land) and "girt by sea" (blue for the ocean).

"To make a flag that is an Australian symbol, not to find Australian symbols to make a flag"

The issue of a new Australian flag as been around since the early 1990s. With all the alternate designs presented over the years, most attempt to evolve from the existing flag, or borrow elements from it. This causes two problems: 1) The poor design elements of the current flag are repeated; 2) If people see such a close similarity to the national flag, they question the reason for change at all.

New concepts over the years have been a greater disaster with the use of polarising emblems like kangaroos and overly elaborate designs trying to appeal to as many as possible. These only succeed in alienating people and driving a revolt back to the flag they know.

Overly high expectations of a new design is also a problem. Do the flags of Canada, Japan and Switzerland wow you? In contrast, it's their simple elegance while simultaneously being bold that makes them so successful.

This flag was designed with a fresh approach, to remove all confusing and divisive symbols and be free of alienating concepts and clutter. It is to be as neutral as possible so the entire flag can generate pride rather just particular elements.

Australia's most powerful national symbol are our national colours, the "green and gold". It's the symbol that the entire nation shares the greatest identity, and therefore takes pride of place on the flag. With the placement of the national colours forming an elegant design concept, the flag is almost complete.

The final element to add is the Southern Cross. It's popularity dictates its inclusion even if as a symbol itself it might have some minor issues with it not being uniquely Australian nor that it is a reversible element. It appears backwards when looking at the reverse side of the flag. Given the overall powerful design of the flag and that most often the front of a national flag is presented, this is a neglible effect and not even a problem realised by most people. 

Vexillology is the study of flags.

1. Keep It Simple - The flag should be so simple that a child can draw it from memory

2. Use Meaningful Symbolism - The flag's images, colours, or patterns should relate to the symbolism expressed

3. Use 2–3 Basic Colours - Limit colours on the flag to three; ensure they contrast well and come from the standard colour set

4. No Lettering or Seals - Never use writing of any kind or an organisation’s seal

5. Be Distinctive or Be Related - Avoid duplicating other flags; use similarities to show connections

In heraldry, there are basic principles that vexillology often follows. Existing are five colours of red, blue, green, purple and black, and two metals of gold (yellow) and silver (white). One metal cannot run adjacent to another metal, nor one colour can run adjacent to another colour. This is to ensure a bold design.

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The most successful and famous flags in the world are very simple designs that are both instantly recognisable and instant identifiable with unique primary design elements. They are also understated, trying to say very little about the country. Think of Japan, Switzerland, Canada, USA, France, Britain, Germany, Sweden, Greece - all classic flags and classic, simple designs and highly prominent.

The gross error of the current national flag is that it tries to say too much and is way too specific. The specific nature is that Australia is primarily a British colony somewhere south. The verbose nature comes via the collection of stars, all of which have unclear definition without explanation and are without a uniquely Australian reason for their inclusion. The official definition of the seven-pointer Commonwealth star is obtuse, with 6 of the points representing each of the colonies that formed the federation. A seventh point was added with the acquisition of the Territory of Papua. It remains at seven points despite Australia how having 8 territories, 2 internal and 6 external. Should it have 14 points, or maybe restrict it to 6 points to preserve history? Always the dilemma with arbitrary symbols.

With this new Australia flag, philosophically, the greatest inspirational link is with Canada's flag. Their flag came into existence in 1965 after a similar process of discontentment with the previous flag that was not seen as distinctive nor uniquely Canadian. The defaced red ensign was of particular annoyance to the French speaking part of Canada, much like the Australian defaced blue ensign is to the non-English immigrant and aboriginal population. Ultimately Canada rejected all designs that included affinities to Britain, France and corny concepts like beavers, and chose the most basic design, combining a uniquely Canadian symbol in a simple, neutral design. They also restricted it to their national colours despite the obvious desire to add blue to enhance the vertical bars as representing the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

Further inspiration came from the break-up of the Soviet Union. Many countries - Estonia, Lithuania, Lativa, Georgia, and Russia included - reverted to very simple, straight designs that often originate centuries before the pre-USSR era. Russia itself a nation of many autonomous republics and ethnic groups, could not hope to institute a flag that offered some representation to everyone - a problem quite analogous to Australia's situation of a flag to represent all - so flies its basic white, blue and red tricolor. The philosophy is that with a basic design that uses key identifiable national colours and symbols, it will appeal to almost all people.

The "green and gold" design. By making the entire field green, this design really emboldens the yellow as a special design element. The green represents the vast land and the yellow the powerful sun that streams across it. No other national flag has such a colour scheme. It's highly prominent, unambiguous and, most of all, has an indigenous feel to it.

A flag is supposed to represent unity, not division. Even a division of 10% is too much. It's on principle that if a significant portion of the population do not accept the flag, it must change. That principle must triumph any personal view on the flag.

In Australia, the significant proportion that do no like the current national flag is consistently 30-40%. At sporting events, the percentage is just as significant of people choosing to wave another flag or novelty items like inflatable kangaroos. This contrasts starkly with just about every other nation on the planet. Survey the percentage of their population that don't like their own flag. It would be practically zero. Check sporting events and see flags other than their own national flag that people wave. Again, zero.

The greatest resistance to changing the flag are: 1) People like, or are used to, the current one; 2) No alternate design has proved inspiring.

Looking back on history, the existing national flag, while designed in 1901, only became official in 1954. Previously, the Union Flag was the official flag, with a Red Ensign (national flag with red background) usually flown as well, with occasion and some circumstance to only fly the Blue Ensign (typically government purposes). Newausflag.com proposes a similar situation. Other than a referendum for a simple straight swap to a new flag, the nation inaugurates a national Flag Day and adopts a second official flag, with the current flag to retain precedence in situations that only one flag can be flown. At all other times, both flags are flown. Obviously this new flag must offer a clear delineation between current and new. The people can then make the decision themselves as to the flag they chose best represents them. Over time, if there's a movement to the new flag, it can become official, while the Blue Ensign is consigned to subordinate status or archived totally.

If ever the new flag does become a official, Flag Day would become the official national day, with Australia Day renamed and downgraded to a non public holiday, or removed from the calendar.

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Last Update: 07 July 2011

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