Flag of the governor-general of New Zealand facts for kids

Flag of the governor-general of New Zealand, adopted in 2008

The flag of the governor-general of New Zealand is a special flag for New Zealand. It flies over buildings and places when the governor-general is there. The current flag was chosen in 2008. It is a blue flag with the shield from the New Zealand coat of arms and a royal crown on top.

History of the Flag

New Zealand as a Colony

The flag flying over Parliament when Anand Satyanand became governor-general (2006)

New Zealand became its own colony, separate from New South Wales, in 1841. By 1853, it could govern itself. In 1869, the British Admiralty said that governors of British colonies could fly the Union Jack (the UK flag) with their colony's symbol in the middle. New Zealand didn't have a symbol yet.

So, in October 1869, they decided to add the "Southern Cross" stars to the flag. These are the same stars seen on the New Zealand flag. In 1874, Sir James Fergusson added the letters "NZ" (for New Zealand) to the center of the stars. Governors started using this flag on land, and it became the official flag for the governor's role.

New Zealand as a Dominion and Realm

In 1907, New Zealand officially changed from a self-governing colony to a dominion. This meant it was more independent. To show this change, the New Zealand Government suggested changing the laurel wreath around the flag's symbol to fern leaves. The fern leaf was already a national symbol of New Zealand. This change was approved in 1908.

A new flag design was approved in 1931. This was because the governor-general was now seen as the direct representative of the King or Queen of New Zealand, not just a representative of the British government. The New Zealand symbol was replaced with the Royal Crest (a crowned lion). The words "Dominion of New Zealand" were added below. This new flag wasn't used until 1937.

Around 1953, small changes were made. The words on the flag's scroll simply became "New Zealand," as the country was no longer called a "dominion."

The Current Flag Design

The current flag was first flown on 5 June 2008. Pictured with the flag are the three military personnel who raised the new flag and lowered the old.

On June 2, 2008, a new flag design was chosen. This happened around the time of the Queen's birthday. The new flag is blue and features the shield from the New Zealand coat of arms. A Royal Crown sits on top of the shield. The old design was thought to look too "colonial" and didn't have enough New Zealand features.

The new flag was first flown at ceremonies in Government House, Auckland on June 5, 2008, and at Government House, Wellington on June 17, 2008.

How the Flag is Used

The governor-general's flag is very important in New Zealand. It's like a special flag for the King or Queen in the United Kingdom. It flies at places where the governor-general lives or works, such as the governor-general's home. It also flies at Parliament House when the governor-general attends meetings. You will also see it on official cars that carry the governor-general.

This flag is more important than the national flag of New Zealand. Only the Queen's Personal New Zealand Flag (the King's or Queen's own flag for New Zealand) is more important.

Legal Protection

The flag is protected by a law called the Flags, Emblems, and Names Protection Act 1981. This law makes it illegal for anyone to use the flag without permission from the King or Queen or the governor-general. This stops people from pretending they have official approval when they don't.

Historical Versions

Flag	Date	Description
	1869–1874	The Union Jack with four white stars in a cross shape.
	1874–1908	The Union Jack with a white circle. Inside are four red stars and the letters 'NZ'. A green wreath surrounds the circle.
	1908–1936	The Union Jack with a white circle. Inside are four red stars and the letters 'NZ'. A wreath of fern leaves surrounds the circle.
	1936–1953	The crest from the royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom, showing a crowned lion on a crown. Below it, a scroll says 'Dominion of New Zealand'.
	1953–2008	The crest from the royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom, showing a crowned lion on a crown. Below it, a scroll says 'New Zealand'.
	2008–present	The shield from New Zealand’s coat of arms, with St. Edward's crown.

See also

• List of New Zealand flags
• Queen's Personal New Zealand Flag