The black symbolises the Aboriginal people, the red represents the earth and the colour of ochre used in Aboriginal ceremonies, and the circle of yellow represents the sun, the constant renewer of life. The flag is flown or displayed permanently at Aboriginal centres throughout Australia.
Aboriginal Art Colours and Symbols
White is the spirit colour; Black is the colour of night and represents Aboriginal people; Red is the colour of the land or of blood; Yellow is the colour of the sun and sacred.
While the most recognised ochre colours are red, yellow, white and black, other colours such as orange, purple, pink and turquoise are also found and used.
Ochre Is Used As Foundation of Cultural Expression
Ochre is one of the principal foundations of Australian Indigenous art. Ochres are primarily natural pigments and minerals found in the soil, or even in charcoal. These natural pigments (colours) were originally used to depict Dreamtime stories and maps.
The green stripes represent the land, the black stripes represent the people, and the blue the sea. Adopted in 1992, the flag design was the winning entry in a competition run by the Island Coordinating Council, a Queensland statutory body representing the community councils in the Torres Strait.
The green panels at the top and bottom of the flag represent the land and the central blue panel represents the sea. The black lines dividing the panels represent the Torres Strait Islander people. The centre of the flag shows a white dhari (dancer's headdress) which represents Torres Strait Islander culture.
The points of the star represent the island groups in the Torres Strait and white symbolises peace. Colour references for the Torres Strait Islander Flag are: Blue PANTONE® 280. Green PANTONE® 342.
Symbols are central to Aboriginal art
Blue tones (to represent the ocean) and warm tones of brown and orange (to represent the earth) are most commonly used. The symbols can also be used for teaching purposes, catering to both children and adults.
Yamatji Marlpa Aboriginal Corporation, media release: 25 February 2011) The traditional story also accounts for the different coloured ochres found in the area. They are all related to the different parts of Marlu's body: the red ochre is his blood, the yellow ochre is his liver and green ochre is his gall.
Any Blue colour is chibul-chibul,” . In a series of detailed ethnographic accounts of the North Queensland Aboriginal culture by Walter E.
The orange shirt now symbolizes how the residential school system took away the indigenous identities of its students. However, the association of the colour with the First Nations goes back to antiquity, the colour represents sunshine, truth-telling, health, regeneration, strength and power.
Traditionally, the highly creative application of body paint has been used as a way for Aboriginal people to show important aspects of their lives, such as social status, familial group, tribe, ancestry, spirituality and geography.
Aboriginal people collected pigments for painting. The artists made red, purple and yellow pigments from ochre clays (which are rich in iron), and white pigment from kaolin clay. They worked in the rock shelter, grinding up the ochre (usually with a stone on a grindstone slab) and adding water.
The spindle motif in his 'Man's Love Story' artworks has become synonymous as an Aboriginal symbol for love.
At this time, the Aboriginal artists were negotiating what aspects of stories were secret or sacred, and what aspect were in the public domain. The dot painting technique gave some protection, allowing some elements of stories that should not be seen by the uninitiated to remain concealed.
Ochre is a family of earth pigments, which includes yellow ochre, red ochre, purple ochre, sienna, and umber. The major ingredient of all the ochres is iron(III) oxide-hydroxide, known as limonite, which gives them a yellow colour.
The black symbolises Aboriginal people. The yellow represents the sun, the constant re-newer of life. Red depicts the earth and peoples' relationship to the land. It also represents ochre, which is used by Aboriginal people in ceremonies. Image: Harold Joseph Thomas.
White is often used during times of 'sorry business' and loss; yellow is most often associated with women's ceremonies; red ochre has many associations but is frequently used where conflict is happening, as well as celebration and ceremony; black pigment is most often derived from coal, and is mainly used for men's ...
Ochre is thought generally to be red, but in fact is a naturally-occurring yellow mineral pigment, consisting of clay, siliceous materials and the hydrated form of iron oxide known as limonite.
They are the warm colours of iron oxides that are prominent in all regions of the Australia continent. The colours vary from the deepest chocolate browns, through orange tones, tobacco reds and blood reds, through to lighter tones of yellows and creams, where there's more white clay involved.
The Raven. The Indigenous animal symbol of the raven plays a very important role in Indigenous culture. The raven is mischievous and curious, and symbolizes creation, knowledge, and transformation.
The black symbolises the Aboriginal people, the red represents the earth and the colour of ochre used in Aboriginal ceremonies, and the circle of yellow represents the sun, the constant renewer of life.
Symbolic meaning
Red – the red can have two meanings: representing the red earth, the red ochre used in ceremonies and Aboriginal peoples' spiritual relation to the land; and representing the blood of the Aboriginal people.
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.