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Why our Flag should remain ‘Aloft and Free’
Australia should be a republic and therefore needs a new flag.
Debating Points
- It is a colonial flag that signifies our subordination to Britain.
- The Design was imposed on us by the British Government.
- The rules of the 1901 flag competition made it compulsory for entries to include the Union Jack.
- The Canadians changed their flag in 1965, why don’t we do the same?
- When Australians go overseas, nobody recognises our flag.
- The Australian National Flag is very similar to the New Zealand flag.
- Should the Aboriginal flag be our national flag?
- Are there any Aboriginal connections to the Australian flag?
- The flag doesn’t reflect our multicultural society.
- The colours of our flag are out of line with our national colours, therefore we should change our flag to bring it in line.
- We didn’t have a national flag until the Menzies Flag Act of 1953.
- Australians never went to war under the National Flag but under the Union Jack.
Why our Flag should remain ‘Aloft and Free’
Australia’s flag was officially raised for the first time on 3rd September 1901 at the Royal Exhibition Buildings, Melbourne. The design was the product of a competition held to find a national flag for the newly federated Australian nation. The competition attracted 32, 832 entries from Australia and overseas and five individuals shared the honour of submitting the winning design. Apart from a few minor differences in the magnitude and number of points on the stars these people had designed what we know as the Australian National Flag.
The Australian flag was called the Australian or Commonwealth Blue Ensign until the Flags Act of 1953 gave it the title of Australian National Flag confirming it as the chief national symbol by law, custom and tradition. The continuity of the Australian National Flag can be traced back to 3 September 1901, the day it was unveiled, in the presence of Australia
