Any person may fly the Australian National Flag. However, the flag should be treated with the respect and dignity it deserves as the nation's most important national symbol. Flag protocol is based on longstanding international and national practice.
Who is entitled to fly the Red Ensign? Any vessel registered in the UK, a Crown Dependency (CD) or an Overseas Territory (OT), is defined as a British ship and is allowed to fly the British Merchant Shipping flag the 'Red Ensign.
The Australian Red Ensign is an official flag of Australia and is proclaimed under the Flags Act 1953. The Australian Red Ensign is generally only flown at sea by Australian registered merchant ships or on land by organisations and individuals for ceremonial purposes such as Merchant Navy Day.
The red stripe on the flag represents the Australian Army, the dark blue stripe represents the Royal Australian Navy and the light blue stripe represents the Royal Australian Air Force. The Commonwealth Star and the boomerang on the Australian Defence Force ensign represent Australia.
The Australian National Flag should always be flown on the far left of a person facing the building. With the exception of a flagpole fitted with a gaff, a house flag or club pennant should never be flown above a national flag.
The Australian National Flag can be used for commercial purposes, including advertising, without formal permission, except when importing products, applying for trademarks and registering designs.
Flag flying guidelines
raised no earlier than first light and lowered no later than dusk. raised briskly and lowered with dignity. flown aloft and free, as close to the top of the flag mast as possible and with the rope tightly secured; and. illuminated if flown at night.
It is recommended that the ensign is worn at all times in daylight, especially when near to or in sight of land or another vessel. A UK registered vessel should wear the national maritime flag, the Red Ensign, unless entitled to wear a special Ensign.
Permission is not required to fly the Australian Aboriginal flag, however, the Australian Aboriginal flag is protected by copyright and may only be reproduced in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968 or with the permission of Mr Harold Thomas.
Red Ensign Flag Etiquette
On boats, the Red Ensign flag should be hoisted in the most senior position for a flag, which is as close to the stern as possible. You should also never allow your Red Ensign to dangle into the water or to become tattered.
The Blue Ensign was intended for official and Royal Australian Navy purposes, while the Red Ensign was the official flag for Australian registered merchant ships. Historically, the Red Ensign was also used by civilians on land and was taken onto battlefields by soldiers.
Permission is not required to fly either the Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander flags. Different rules however apply to reproduce each flag. In 1997, the Federal Court of Australia found that Harold Thomas was the owner of the copyright in the design of the Aboriginal flag.
Any vessel on these registers is a 'British ship', and is entitled to fly the British Merchant Shipping flag the 'Red Ensign' (or a version of it defaced with the appropriate national colour).
Requests for approval to purchase and use the Australian White Ensign (AWE) can be submitted directly to the Royal Australian Navy via email to [email protected]. Approvals will only be given to those with a Navy nexus, for example, RSLs, memorials, museums, etc.
This changed in 1864, when an order in council provided that the Red Ensign was allocated to merchantmen, the Blue Ensign was to be the flag of ships in public service or commanded by an officer in the Royal Naval Reserve, and the White Ensign was allocated to the Navy.
The Australian National Flag is the correct flag to be flown on land by individuals, public, private and commercial organisations. It may also be flown on government ships, fishing vessels, pleasure craft and small craft by virtue of section 30 of the Shipping Registration Act 1981.
The Australian flag must be hoisted first and lowered last. When flying the Australian flag with State flags and/or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags, in a line of flagpoles, the order of the flags should follow the rules of precedence (see below). Flags should not be flown at night unless properly lit.
The Australian Aboriginal Flag and Torres Strait Islander Flag were proclaimed flags of Australia under section 5 of the Flags Act 1953 on 14 July 1995.
The Flags Amendment Act 1998 places the authority to change the design of the Australian National Flag firmly in the hands of the Australian people who own and are represented by it. Our flag was democratically chosen through a public competition in 1901 and only the Australian people have the right to change it.
The Australian National Flag may be used to cover the coffin of any deceased Australian citizen at their funeral. The canton should be draped over the 'left shoulder' of the coffin, representing the heart. The flag should be removed before the coffin is lowered into the grave or, at a crematorium, after the service.
The flag had survived 147 years due to the care of the King family and the Art Gallery of Ballarat. It was time to formalise the ownership. In 2013 the Art Gallery of Ballarat agreed to loan the Eureka Flag to the Museum of Australian Democracy at Eureka (M.A.D.E.).
The current design for the flag serves as a reminder for Aboriginal Australians regarding a period in Australian history where "the rights of Indigenous people were overlooked", and as such "symbolises dispossession and oppression" and "doesn't reflect the reality of Australian life."
Today, Red Ensigns charged with the local emblem are available to be used by ships registered on several of the component registers of the Red Ensign Group: Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Jersey, and Isle of Man.
Ships flew the colour of ensign corresponding to the squadron to which they were attached, which was in turn determined by the seniority of the admiral under whose command the ship sailed (a rear admiral of the red was senior to a rear admiral of the white).
These additional Ensigns are special or privileged Ensigns and may only be worn with permission, which is granted ultimately by the Her Majesty the Queen. Blue ensigns may be flown by members of certain clubs with Royal Warrants and merchant ships with officers that are RN Retired or Royal Research ships.