Flag of Queensland facts for kids
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| Use | Civil and state flag  |
|---|---|
| Proportion | 1:2 |
| Adopted | 1876 |
| Design | A British Blue Ensign defaced with the state badge on a white disc in the fly |
Standard of the Governor of Queensland
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| Use | Other |
| Proportion | 1:2 |
| Adopted | 1952 |
| Design | A Union Flag defaced with the state badge of Queensland surrounded by wreath of laurels |
The flag of Queensland is a special symbol for the Australian state of Queensland. It's a type of flag called a Blue Ensign, which means it has a blue background with the Union Jack (the flag of the United Kingdom) in the top left corner. On the right side of the flag, there's a white circle with Queensland's special badge. This badge shows a light blue Maltese Cross with an imperial crown in its middle. The flag you see today has been around since 1876, with only small changes over time. The badge was created by William Hemmant, who was an important government official in Queensland back in 1876.
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Queensland's First Flag in 1859
On December 10, 1859, a special flag was flown in Brisbane. This flag was light blue with a red Saint George's Cross and the Union Jack in the corner. It's now known as the Queensland Separation Flag. This flag marked a very important day: when Queensland officially separated from New South Wales and became its own colony.
The 1870 Queensland Flag
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The first official State Flag for Queensland was created in 1870. It was a Blue Ensign, meaning it had the Union Jack on a royal blue background. However, it didn't have the Maltese Cross badge we see today. Instead, it showed a picture of Queen Victoria's head on a blue circle. This circle was surrounded by a white ring with the word "Queensland" written in gold letters.
Changes to the Flag in 1876
The flag changed again in 1876. People found it very hard to draw Queen Victoria's head clearly on flags. Many government officials complained about this. They needed a new design that was easier to make.
For example, a letter from the Treasury in Queensland on March 15, 1876, explained the problem. It said that trying to put a good picture of the Queen's head on flags was too difficult. The results were not good enough. So, they decided to stop using that design. The letter suggested a new design: the Maltese Cross with a crown inside it, surrounded by a wreath of laurel leaves. This new design was much simpler to reproduce.
Because of these difficulties, the Maltese Cross with the Crown was chosen to replace Queen Victoria's head on the flag. This is the badge we still see on the flag today.
The Flag from 1901 to 1952
The last official change to the Queensland flag happened in 1901. This was after the death of Queen Victoria. The change was about the crown shown on the Maltese Cross. Different monarchs chose different crowns for their coronations. So, the crown on the flag's badge also had to change to match the new monarch's crown.
Over the years, the crowns on the flag have unofficially kept up with each new monarch. This means the crown on the flag has sometimes changed slightly to reflect the crown chosen by the current King or Queen of Australia.
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Flag of Queensland 1901-1952
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Standard of the Governor of Queensland 1901-1952
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See also
In Spanish: Bandera de Queensland para niños
