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Parliament house centenary flag (Australia)

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File:Flag Day 2003.jpg
The parliament house centenary flag on display at Gunnedah South Public School on Australian National Flag Day 2003.

The parliament house centenary flag is the "iconic" specimen that flew above the federal capitol building in Canberra on Australian National Flag Day 2001.[1] The 3 September that year marked 100 years to the day from when the first Australian flag was flown at the Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne.

History

The parliament house centenary flag measures 12.8 x 6.4 metres. The stainless steel flag pole on capitol hill stands 81 metres tall and weighs 250 tonnes.[2]

On the 18 September 2001 during the centenary of federation the federal member for Hinkler, Paul Neville, would request of the speaker that:

"before it [the flag] becomes too faded or too tattered, [it] be taken down and perhaps offered to a museum or an art gallery as the seminal flag that flew over this building 100 years from the time the first flag was flown?"[3]

The parliament house centenary flag was subsequently entrusted to the Australian Flag Society (AFS) and has been paraded at schools to mark Flag Day on a tour of the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales and Queensland.[4][5][6][7][8][9][10]

It has resided in Queensland since 2003 where it has become a Flag Day tradition having been exhibited under the auspices of various loyal societies including the local chapter of the Australian National Flag Association (ANFA).[11]

Australian Flag Society collection

The Australian Flag Society logo.

According to Dr Elizabeth Kwan's "Flag and Nation" the AFS was originally constituted as the Australian Capital Territory branch of ANFA.[12][13] However, on 15 July 2003, affiliation with ANFA was severed, and the organisation rebranded as a national body.[14] The AFS was founded by Nigel Morris[15][16] who in 2002 secured federal funding for the distribution of the "Our National Flag ... since 1901" video kit to all primary schools in Australia[17][18][19] being described as a "flag lobbyist" by the Canberra Times.[20]

The official AFS facebook fanpage states the following aims and objectives:

  • Making civics education, vexillogical and other resources available to organisations and the general public and considering all requests for grants of aid and materiel.
  • Due recognition of the Australian National Flag and observance of Australian National Flag Day, 3 September.
  • Facilitating contact between supporters of the Society to discuss ways to promote the Australian National Flag and patriotism in general.
  • Maintaining a general headquarters and preservation of the Society's collection.
  • Continuing to add to the body of knowledge through primary research.[21]

In addition to acting as the custodian of the parliament house centenary flag the AFS has proposed that 22 August be proclaimed as "Captain Cook Day" in 2005 to commemorate the day explorer James Cook laid claim to the east coast of Australia as New South Wales on Possession Island in the name of King George III.[22] In 2013 the AFS would also announce a worldwide quest and $10,000 reward for information leading to the discovery of the Union Jack which was reportedly hoisted as a second flag at the battle of the Eureka Stockade.[23]

The AFS has proposed that all schools in Australia pause to recite the words of the national salute as part of the annual Flag Day commemorations. Formerly a tradition the national salute was part of the school curriculum until falling into disuse from the late 1950s.[24] The version used by the AFS in conjunction with the parliament house centenary flag reads as follows:

"I fear God, I love my country, I honour her Queen, I salute her flag, I promise to always obey her laws."[25]

See also

Footnotes

  1. ^ Iconic flag to tour Warwick, Warwick Daily News, p. 3 <https://www.warwickdailynews.com.au/news/iconic-flag-to-tour-warwick/3215346/>
  2. ^ "43 Parliament House Facts". Parliamentary Education Office. Commonwealth of Australia. Archived from the original on 6 April 2011. Retrieved 1 April 2018. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ Commonwealth, Parliamentary Debates, House of Representatives, 18 September 2001, 30853 (Paul Neville)
  4. ^ Ian Warden, 'How cricketing animals were kept off Australia's national flag', The Canberra Times (Canberra), 4 September 2002, p. 7
  5. ^ 'Students celebrate as the Australian flag turns 103', The Reporter (Acacia Ridge), 8 September 2004, p. 3
  6. ^ Annelie Hailes, 'Huge flag for a big country', Courier Mail, 4 September 2009, p. 33
  7. ^ 'Special day flagged by Central students', The Queensland Times, 2 September 2010, p. 6 <https://www.qt.com.au/news/special-day-flagged-by-central-students/624788>
  8. ^ Sarah Harvey, 'Now that’s a flag! Students salute big flag', The Queensland Times, p. 4 September 2012, p. 1 <https://www.qt.com.au/news/now-thats-a-flag-students-salute-big-flag/1529988>
  9. ^ Chris Owen, ‘Ensign flags a very special Aussie day’, The Queensland Times, 3 September 2013, p. 2 <https://www.qt.com.au/news/ensign-flags-a-very-special-aussie-day/2007216>
  10. ^ Iconic flag to tour Warwick, Warwick Daily News, p. 3 <https://www.warwickdailynews.com.au/news/iconic-flag-to-tour-warwick/3215346>
  11. ^ https://www.facebook.com/notes/australian-flag-society/the-queensland-flag-day-flag-2001-/1004193819596164/
  12. ^ Pickworth, Carin, "ACT student rapt with Aussie flag", The Canberra Times, 6 July 2001
  13. ^ Kwan, Dr Elizabeth. Flag and Nation. University of New South Wales Press, 2006, p. 11
  14. ^ Centenera, Jeff, "Colours lowered as ACT's flag group ordered to disband", The Canberra Times, 4 November 2002
  15. ^ Pickworth, Carin, "ACT student rapt with Aussie flag", The Canberra Times, 6 July 2001
  16. ^ Kwan, Dr Elizabeth. Flag and Nation. University of New South Wales Press, 2006, p. 11
  17. ^ "History of Aussie flag to be given to schools", Canberra Sunday Times, 11 August 2002
  18. ^ "Civics | Our National Flag...since 1901". Curriculum.edu.au. 2005-06-14. Archived from the original on 2012-04-30. Retrieved 2018-04-01. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  19. ^ "Nigel Morris - On Line Opinion Author". Onlineopinion.com.au. Retrieved 2018-04-01.
  20. ^ Centenera, Jeff, "Colours lowered as ACT's flag group ordered to disband", The Canberra Times, 4 November 2002
  21. ^ https://www.facebook.com/Australian.Flag.Society/about
  22. ^ "Society Flags Captain Cook Day", The Canberra Times, 23 August 2005
  23. ^ Cowie, Tom, "$10,000 reward to track down the 'other' Eureka flag", The Courier, 22 October 2013 <http://www.thecourier.com.au/story/1858615/10000-reward-to-track-down-the-other-eureka-flag>
  24. ^ Kwan, Dr Elizabeth. Flag and Nation. University of New South Wales Press, 2006, p. 159
  25. ^ https://www.facebook.com/Australian.Flag.Society/photos/a.210701592278728.64879.124224670926421/1890297980985739

Category:Historical flags Category:Flags of Australia Category:National symbols of Australia Category:Special events flags Category:Southern Cross flags

Parliament house centenary flag (Australia)

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