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List of New Zealand flags facts for kids

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Tino rangatiratanga flag on Harbour Bridge
The national flag of New Zealand and Tino Rangatiratanga flag flying on Auckland Harbour Bridge, on Waitangi Day, 2012

This is a list of flags of New Zealand. It includes flags that either have been in use or are currently used by institutions, local authorities, or the government of New Zealand. Some flags have historical or cultural (e.g. Māori culture) significance.

National flags

Flag Date Use Description
Flag of the United Tribes of New Zealand.svg 1834–1840 Flag of the United Tribes of New Zealand Based on the White Ensign. Two crosses of St George and four eight-point stars in the canton on a blue background. (See also variant design under "Māori flags" below)
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg 1840–1867 British Union Flag Adopted following the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840.
Flag of New Zealand Government Ships 1867.svg 1867–1869 The first flag of New Zealand based on the Blue Ensign Blue Ensign with the red letters "NZ" outlined in white
Flag of New Zealand.svg 1902–present Flag of New Zealand A defaced Blue Ensign with four red stars with white borders to the right, representing the constellation of Crux, the Southern Cross.

Royal and viceregal

Flag Date Use Description
Royal Standard of New Zealand (1962–2022).svg 1962–2022 Personal Flag of Queen Elizabeth II in New Zealand A banner of the coat of arms of New Zealand, defaced with a blue disc bearing the crowned letter 'E' in gold
Flag of the Governor of New Zealand (1868–1874).svg 1869–1874 Flag of the governor of New Zealand A Union Flag defaced with four five-pointed stars. This design was due to a misinterpretation of design instructions.
Flag of the Governor of New Zealand (1874-1908).svg 1874–1908 Flag of the governor of New Zealand A Union Flag defaced with a white circle, with four red stars and the initial 'NZ' at the centre, surrounded by a green wreath.
Flag of the Governor of New Zealand (1908-1936).svg 1908–1936 Flag of the governor of New Zealand A Union Flag defaced with a white circle, with four red stars and the initial 'NZ' at the centre, surrounded by a wreath of ferns.
Flag of the Governor-General of New Zealand (1936-1953).svg 1936–1953 Flag of the governor-general of New Zealand A lion standing atop a crown, over a scroll inscribed "Dominion of New Zealand"
Flag of the Governor-General of New Zealand (1953-2008).svg 1953–2008 Flag of the governor-general of New Zealand A lion standing atop a crown, over a scroll inscribed "New Zealand"
Flag of the Governor-General of New Zealand.svg 2008–present Flag of the governor-general of New Zealand The shield of the New Zealand Coat of Arms surmounted by the Royal Crown.
Flag of the Queen's Representative.svg 1979–present Flag of the King's Representative in the Cook Islands Flag of the Cook Islands with a crown in the centre of the ring of stars

Ensigns

Flag Date Use Description
Civil Ensign of New Zealand.svg 1901–present New Zealand Red Ensign A red ensign with four white stars representing the Southern Cross
Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg 1941–1968 Royal New Zealand Navy Ensign British White Ensign, previously used by the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy (1921–1941)

It was replaced by the New Zealand White Ensign.

Naval Ensign of New Zealand.svg 1968–present Royal New Zealand Navy Ensign A white ensign with four red stars representing the Southern Cross
Air Force Ensign of New Zealand.svg 1939–present Ensign of the Royal New Zealand Air Force A light blue field with the roundel of the Royal Air Force defaced with the letters, "NZ".
Civil Air Ensign of New Zealand.svg 16 November 1938 – present New Zealand Civil Air Ensign A blue cross with a wide border on a light blue field. The Union Flag is in the canton, with the Southern Cross in the fly.
Flag of New Zealand Police.svg New Zealand Police Ensign A blue flag with the New Zealand Flag in the canton, with the NZP emblem in the fly.
Flag of the New Zealand Fire Service.jpg New Zealand Fire Service (Fire and Emergency Service) Ensign A blue flag with the New Zealand Flag in the canton, with the Fire Service emblem in the fly.
Flag of New Zealand Customs Service.png 1966–present New Zealand Customs Service Flag A New Zealand Blue Ensign, with the letters "HMC" (for "Her Majesty's Customs" in the lower hoist was in use from 1966 to 1996. From 1996 the flag have the inspection "NZ CUSTOMS SERVICE" in the lower hoist.
Flag of the New Zealand Ministry of Transport 1968-1998.svg 1968–1998 New Zealand Ministry of Transport Ensign A sky blue flag with the New Zealand Ensign in the canton, with the NZMOT coat of arms within a blue disc in the fly.
New Zealand Yacht Ensign.svg Ensign of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron A white cross on a blue field, with the New Zealand Flag in the canton.

Associated states and territories

Flag Date Use Description
Flag of the Cook Islands.svg 1979–present Flag of the Cook Islands A Blue Ensign defaced with 15 stars in a ring
Flag of Niue.svg 1975–present Flag of Niue A yellow ensign, the Union Flag has a blue disc with a yellow star in the middle and four yellow stars forming a diamond around it
Flag of Tokelau.svg 2008–present Flag of Tokelau A blue flag with a stylized Polynesian canoe (vaka) in gold and a representation of the Southern Cross in the fly
Flag of Chatham Islands.svg 1993–present Unofficial flag of the Chatham Islands A blue flag with a depiction of the island superimposed on a rising sun.
Flag of the Ross Dependency (unofficial).svg 1995–present Proposed flag of the Ross Dependency Flag of New Zealand with an azure blue, white outline of stars, and white stripe at bottom.

Regions and cities

Flag Date Use Description
Flag of Auckland.svg 1980–2010 Flag of the City of Auckland A banner of arms of Auckland City's coat of arms.

Blue canton with cornucopia in top-hoist. Red canton with pick and shovel in top-fly. White lower half with ship and blue horizontal.

Chch FLAG.jpg 1976–present Flag of the City of Christchurch A banner of arms of Christchurch's coat of arms.

Chevron Gules a Mitre between a Fleece and a Garbe of the first in base two Bars wavy Azure on a Chief of the last four Lymphads sails furled, also of the first And for the Crest on a Wreath Or and Azure a Kiwi proper

Dunedin City flag.png 1979–present Flag of the City of Dunedin A banner of arms of Dunedin's coat of arms.

Argent a fess dancetty vert on which a sheep's head caboshed between two wheat sheafs all proper. In chief a three-towered castle sable, mortared of the first and flagged gules on a rock proper. In base a lymphad sable sailed and flagged azure.

Flag of Mārahau.svg 2012–present Flag of the Town of Mārahau Blue background with a green triangle and a yellow crescent moon and two yellow stars.
Flag of Napier.png 2020–present Flag of the City of Napier A banner of arms of Napier's coat of arms.

Three red roses from the coat of arms of Lord Napier and Ettrick (a direct descendant of Sir Charles Napier after whom Napier was named). Blue wave bands symbolise status as a coastal city and the Golden Fleece is the heraldic symbol of the wool industry, which Napier was one of the largest wool centres in New Zealand.

Nelson flag.svg 1987–present Flag of the City of Nelson A banner of arms of Nelson's coat of arms.

Blue top third with bishop's mitre. Blue and white waves beneath with black cross flory.

Flag of Otago.svg 2004–present Flag of Otago Blue and gold, horizontally divided by a zigzag line ("dancetty", in vexillological terms), with counterchanged eight-pointed stars. Used by the Otago Regional Council, and widely by the general public in the Otago region.
Flag of Palmerston North, New Zealand.png c. 1990–present Flag of the City of Palmerston North Plain white background with central coat of arms. 'City of Palmerston North, New Zealand' in black text above and below the coat of arms.
Porirua flag.svg 1998–present Flag of the City of Porirua The flag uses green, blue, and white elements to symbolise Whitireia and the harbour. It also incorporates Porirua's coat of arms, though there is also a version without the coat of arms for less formal occasions.
Flag of Wellington City, New Zealand.svg 1962–present Flag of the City of Wellington Black symmetric cross on a yellow background with a central circular design of a ship with a dolphin on its sail.

Māori flags

Flag Date Use Description
UnitedTribesUnofficial.svg 1834–present Original design of the flag of the United Tribes of New Zealand, widely used by Māori groups Similar to the amended design used as the de facto national flag 1835–1840, but with eight-pointed stars and black fimbriation in the canton
Tino Rangatiratanga Maori sovereignty movement flag.svg 1990–present Flag of Tino rangatiratanga – Official National Māori Flag, approved by the NZ Cabinet in 2010 A white curling stripe on a red and black field
Flag of Dame te Atairangikaahu.svg Standard of Dame Te Atairangikaahu, modern Kīngitanga flag Adopted during the reign of Dame Te Atairangikaahu (reign from 1966 to 2006). It is still popularly used today.
Kotahitanga flag.svg Kotahitanga flag – unofficial Māori flag, widely used by Māori groups Three horizontal stripes of red, white and black, defaced with a circular emblem featuring a mere crossed with a scroll representing the Treaty of Waitangi within a border of koru containing the word "Kotahitanga" (unity)
NZ-Takitimu-Flag.svg Example of a Māori Flag Some Māori tribes use the Red Ensign defaced with their tribal name
Gate Pā Māori Flag.svg 1864 Flag used in the Battle of Gate Pā A white Greek cross on its left upper canton, a four pointed white star (ascending Star of Bethlehem) on its right lower canton, and downward white crescent (new moon) in the centre on a field of red.
Bastion Point Flag.svg 1977 Flag used at the Bastion Point demonstration against the New Zealand Crown's occupation of the land Two horizontal stripes of red and black defaced with a mangopare (hammerhead shark) design, representing tenacity.

Sporting flags

Flag Date Use Description
Flag of Australasian team for Olympic games.svg 1908–1912 Flag of the Australasian team at the 1908 and 1912 Olympic Games A Blue Ensign defaced by a white circle containing the British Crown plus a shield containing the Southern Cross
1994–present Flag of the New Zealand Olympic Committee A white flag with a depiction of the silver fern superimposed on the five ringed emblem of the International Olympic Committee
Flag of New Zealand Olympic Committee (1979-1994).svg 1979–1994 Flag of the New Zealand Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association A black flag with a depiction (in white) of a silver fern on the Olympic rings.
Silver fern flag.svg 1987 Flag of the All Blacks, New Zealand's national rugby team. A black flag with a white silver fern.
Burgee of rnzys.svg Burgee of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron A blue triangular flag with a white cross, with the Southern Cross in the canton and a crown in the centre.

Other New Zealand flags

Flag Date Use Description
Flag of the New Zealand Navy Board.svg Flag of the New Zealand Navy Board A fouled anchor with a red-blue background
Queen's Colour for Royal New Zealand Navy.svg 1970–2022 Queen's Colour of the Royal New Zealand Navy
1900–1987 New Zealand Post flag Blue field with the New Zealand Post Office emblem.
Flag of the Grand Orange Lodge of New Zealand.svg Flag of the Grand Orange Lodge of New Zealand An orange ensign with the Saint George's Cross in the canton, and in the fly an open book surmounted by a Saint Edward's Crown and surrounded by the four stars of the New Zealand Southern Cross.
Colours of the Taranaki Rifle Volunteers.jpg Flag of the Taranaki Rifle Volunteers

Proposed alternative flags

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