List of Australian flags facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Australia is a country with many different flags! Flags are special symbols that represent a country, a group of people, or even an idea. This article will show you some of the most important flags used in Australia, from the main national flag to flags for different states, territories, and special groups. Each flag tells a story about Australia's history and its diverse communities.

Australia's National Flags

Australia has a main national flag that everyone recognizes. But did you know it has changed a little over time?

When Used	What it Was For	What it Looks Like
1901–1903	The very first national flag	This flag was blue with the Union Flag (the UK flag) in the top left corner. It had a six-pointed Commonwealth Star below the Union Flag. On the right side, it showed the five stars of the Southern Cross. The stars had different numbers of points. This flag was first flown on 3 September 1901, which is now known as Flag Day.
1903–1908	An early national flag	Similar to the first flag, this one also had a blue background with the Union Flag and the Southern Cross. The main difference was that most of the stars now had seven points, except for the smallest star, which had five.
1908–present	The current Australian National Flag	This is the flag we use today! It's a blue flag with the Union Flag in the top left. The Commonwealth Star now has seven points, representing the six states and the territories. The five stars of the Southern Cross are on the right side.
1908–present	Vertical version of the flag	This is the same Australian flag, but designed to hang vertically.

Other Important Flags

Some other flags are officially recognized in Australia and are very important to different groups of people.

Flag	When Used	What it Was For	What it Looks Like
	1971–present	The Australian Aboriginal Flag	This flag has a black top half, a red bottom half, and a yellow circle in the middle. The black represents the Aboriginal people, the yellow circle is the Sun, and the red is the Earth and spiritual connection to the land. It was designed in 1971 by Harold Thomas.
	1992–present	The Torres Strait Islander Flag	This flag has green stripes at the top and bottom, a blue stripe in the middle, and a black line separating them. It features a white five-pointed star and a traditional headdress. The green represents the land, blue is the sea, and black is the Torres Strait Islander people. The star is for the island groups, and the headdress is a symbol of their culture. It was designed in 1992 by Bernard Namok.

Personal Flags of Leaders

Important people in Australia, like the King or Queen and the Governor-General, have their own special flags.

The Sovereign's Flag

The King or Queen of Australia has a personal flag.

Flag	When Used	What it Was For	What it Looks Like
	1962–2022	Queen Elizabeth II's Personal Flag	This flag showed parts of the coat of arms of Australia. It had a gold seven-pointed star with a blue circle in the middle, containing the letter 'E' (for Elizabeth) under a crown, surrounded by golden roses.

Governor-General's Flags

The governor-general of Australia is the King's representative in Australia. They also have their own flags.

Flag	When Used	What it Was For	What it Looks Like
	1936–1953	Older flag for the Governor-General	This flag showed a crowned lion standing on a crown, all on a blue background.
	1953–present	Current flag for the Governor-General	This flag is similar to the older one, with a crowned lion standing on a crown on a blue background. The crown used is St Edward's Crown.

State Governors' Flags

Each Australian state has a governor who represents the King. They have flags too.

When Used	What it Was For	What it Looks Like
1981–present	Flag of the Governor of New South Wales	This flag is the state flag of New South Wales with a crowned badge added to it.
1876–present	Flag of the Governor of Queensland	This flag is the Union Flag (UK flag) with Queensland's state badge on it.
1975–present	Flag of the Governor of South Australia	This flag is the state flag of South Australia with a crowned badge.
1977–present	Flag of the Governor of Tasmania	This flag is the state flag of Tasmania with a crowned badge.
1984–present	Flag of the Governor of Victoria	This flag is the state flag of Victoria, but with a yellow background and a crowned Southern Cross.
1988–present	Flag of the Governor of Western Australia	This flag is the state flag of Western Australia with a crowned badge.

Prime Minister's Flag

The prime minister of Australia also had a special flag for their car.

Flag	When Used	What it Was For	What it Looks Like
	1950s–1966	Old car flag of the Prime Minister	This was the Australian national flag with the coat of arms of Australia placed between the Commonwealth Star and the Southern Cross.

Flags for Ships and Airplanes

Different types of ships and aircraft in Australia use special flags called "ensigns."

Civil Ensigns

These flags are used by non-military ships and aircraft.

Flag	When Used	What it Was For	What it Looks Like
	1909–present	The Australian Red Ensign	This flag is red with the Union Flag in the top left. It has the seven-pointed Commonwealth Star and the five stars of the Southern Cross. This flag is often used by Australian merchant ships.
	1948–present	The Australian Civil Air Ensign	This flag is based on the British Civil Air Ensign. It has a light blue cross on a white background, with the Union Flag in the corner. It also includes the Southern Cross and Commonwealth Star in white.

Australian Defence Force Flags

Australia's military forces, including the Navy and Air Force, have their own flags.

Flag	When Used	What it Was For	What it Looks Like
	2000–present	The Australian Defence Force Ensign	This flag has three colors: dark blue (for the Navy), red (for the Army), and light blue (for the Air Force). It features a special badge that combines symbols from all three services.

Royal Australian Navy Flags

The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) has its own flags for ships and leaders.

Flag	When Used	What it Was For	What it Looks Like
	1967–present	The Australian White Ensign	This is the flag flown by Australian Navy ships. It's a white flag with a blue Commonwealth Star in the bottom left corner and a blue Southern Cross on the right side. The Union Flag is in the top left.

Royal Australian Air Force Flags

The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) also has its own special flags.

Flag	When Used	What it Was For	What it Looks Like
	1982–present	The Royal Australian Air Force Ensign	This flag has a light blue background. It features the national flag's elements (Union Flag, Commonwealth Star, Southern Cross) but with the Southern Cross tilted. It also has the RAAF roundel (a circle with a kangaroo) in the lower right.

Australian Border Force Flags

The Australian Border Force protects Australia's borders and has its own flags.

Flag	When Used	What it Was For	What it Looks Like
	1988–2015	Older Australian Customs Flag	This was the Australian national flag with the word "CUSTOMS" written on it.
	2015–present	The Australian Border Force Flag	This is the current flag. It's the Australian national flag with the words "AUSTRALIAN BORDER FORCE" written on it.

Police Flags

Australia's police forces, both federal and state, have their own flags.

When Used	What it Was For	What it Looks Like
1982–present	Flag of the Australian Federal Police	This flag has black and white vertical stripes with the Australian Federal Police badge in the middle. It also has a black-and-white checkerboard pattern around the edges.
1981–present	Flag of the New South Wales Police Force	This flag has blue and white horizontal stripes with the New South Wales Police Force badge in the center.
??–present	Flag of the Tasmania Police	This is a blue flag with the badge of the Tasmania Police in the center.

Emergency Services Flags

Many emergency services in Australia also have their own flags.

When Used	Organisation	What it Looks Like
1984–present	New South Wales Ambulance	This flag is white with a blue cross and the NSW Ambulance logo in the center.
	New South Wales State Emergency Service	This flag is orange with a blue triangle and the SES logo.
1959–present	Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia	This flag features the Royal Flying Doctor Service logo on a blue background. It's still used for official events.

Sporting Flags

Australia uses special flags to cheer on its sports teams.

Flag	When Used	What it Was For	What it Looks Like
	1983–present	The Boxing Kangaroo flag	This popular flag shows a golden kangaroo wearing red boxing gloves on a green background. It's a symbol of Australian sports teams.

State and Territory Flags

Each of Australia's six states and two main internal territories has its own flag.

State Flags

When Used	What it Was For	What it Looks Like
1876–present	The Flag of New South Wales	This flag is a blue ensign (like the national flag) with a St George's Cross (red cross on white) that has four gold stars and a lion in the fly (the right side).
1876–present	The Flag of Queensland	This flag is a blue ensign with a light blue Maltese cross that has a crown on a white background in the fly.
1904–present	The Flag of South Australia	This flag is a blue ensign with a piping shrike (a bird) on a gold background in the fly.
1876–present	The Flag of Tasmania	This flag is a blue ensign with a red lion on a white background in the fly.
1877–present	The Flag of Victoria	This flag is a blue ensign with the Southern Cross topped by a crown in the fly.
1953–present	The Flag of Western Australia	This flag is a blue ensign with a black swan on a gold background in the fly.

Internal Territory Flags

Australia has two main internal territories, each with its own flag.

Flag	When Used	What it Was For	What it Looks Like
	1993–present	The Flag of the Australian Capital Territory	This flag is one-third blue with the Southern Cross, and the other two-thirds are yellow with the coat of arms of Canberra.
	1978–present	The Flag of the Northern Territory	This flag is one-third black with the Southern Cross, and the other two-thirds are ochre (a reddish-yellow color) with Sturt's Desert Rose, which is the territory's floral emblem.

External Territory Flags

Australia also has several smaller islands and territories outside the mainland, and some have their own flags.

When Used	What it Was For	What it Looks Like
2002–present	The Flag of Christmas Island	This flag has blue and green diagonal sections representing the sea and the island's plants. It has a small map of the island in the middle and a golden bosun bird.
2004–present	The Flag of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands	This flag is green with a palm tree on a gold circle, a gold crescent moon for the Cocos Malay people, and a gold Southern Cross.
1980–present	The Flag of Norfolk Island	This flag is green with a white square in the middle that contains a green Norfolk Island pine tree.

Historical Flags

Many flags have been used throughout Australia's history, showing how the country has changed over time.

When Used	What it Was For	What it Looks Like
1801–1903	The Union Flag	This was the main flag of the United Kingdom, used in Australia before it became its own country.
1831–1903	The Australian Federation Flag	This flag was often seen before Australia became a federation. It was a white ensign with a blue cross and five white stars.
1854	The Eureka Flag	This famous flag was used during the Eureka Stockade, a rebellion by gold miners. It has a blue background with a white cross and five white stars representing the Southern Cross.