Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), Wednesday 4 September 1901, page 9


THE AUSTRALIAN FLAG.

SUCCESSFUL COMPETITORS.

FIVE SHARE THE PRIZE.

In years to come the flag which floated yesterday in the Exhibition building over Her Excellency the Countess of Hopetoun, who stood for Great Britain, and the Prime Minister (Mr Barton), who stood for Aus-tralia, will, in all human probability, be-come the emblem upon which the millions of the free people of the Commonwealth will gaze with a thrill of national pride. Mr Barton explained to the crowded gathering which was present that the Com-monwealth Government had invited de-signs for an Australian flag, in order that tbey might be able to comply with the ex-pressed wish of the British Secretary of State that they should recommend a flag for the endorsement of the Imperial Go-vernment. As a result of that competition the judges who were appointed to consider the designs had unanimously agreed to re-commend for the prize a design which had been sent in by five different competitors, two of whom re-sided in Victoria, while of the remaining three one came from New South Wales, one from Western Australia, and one from New Zealand. Three of the six federated states, therefore, are represented among the five winners, who submitted a flag showing the Union Jack in the left hand top corner, a six pointed star beneath it and the South-ern Cross in the fly. Should it ever happen that the people of New Zealand change their mind and decide to enter the union, a very slight alteration will enable the flag still to stand. It will only be necessary to place a seven pointed star instead of a six-pointed one beneath the Union Jack. If the centrifugal force of democracy, on the other hand, shoulel cause any of the original states to be divided into two or more, the Australian flag in its broad essentials, will remain the same. All that need be done will be to add a new point to the star for every new state that may enter the union of the Commonwealth. Such modifications will but follow in analogy the history of the flag of England itself, and also the flag of that other great branch of the English speaking race, the United States of

America.

I he presence of the union flag in the comer of the Australian flag takes us back at a bound to the days of the PI intagenets, and is a v isible sj mool of kinship with the J nghnd that was welded togelhei under the Cross of St George I ho red St Georges Cross tint filled the comer of the muent standard still ioniums, but super aelded to it is the diagonal white cross of St Andrew and also the dngoinl led eioss of St Patrick The former was introduced in 100(1, thiee jems after tho union of the ciowns of Lngland and Scotland, md the lattei lfter the union of 1801, in orelcr tint Ireland also might he repiescnted the ¡h¿ ii Inch Ins now been recommended by the judges foi acceptance bj the Common wealth Government, mel tniisinisäion to the Imperial authorities for the "Royal as-sent," is to all intents and purposes the present flag of the state of Victoria, with the addition of the large six-pointed star typifying the union of the states. That it will be an effective and distinctive national emblem all who saw it yesterday must re-cognise. In most of the countries of the world the present design of the national flag has been, as in the case of the flag of England, a matter of evolution, com-promise, and arrangement. The stars and stripes of the United States of America, though thev are said to have been sug-

gested bv tho armorial coat of the Wash-

ington family, hardly bear sufficient re seinblmce to the Washington 'thiee bus gules, m chief three mullets of the second," to suppoit such a denvntion, anil «iftet the Declaiation of Independence the flig was matcrnllj altered It was cmcted by Con gross that there should be 13 stripes, altcr natch red and white, and that m the cor nei there should be a blue field with 13 white stirs, the number both ot stupes ind of stais conesponding to the number of the slates Subsequent legislation de ciced that n new star should be added for even st.ite talen into the union Hie ad mission ot four states m 1880 and of two moro (Illabo and iVjonung) in 1890, brought up the number of stars to 44 Should the pnzo design ax Inch ins elis phjed vesteidiv bo finnllv adopted as the Vu->tt iii m flag, there would lim dix bo much difiicultv a» his been ilieulv indi

cated, in bringing it into eonfornutj with anv vaintion in tho politic ii geogi iphj of the Austrih i of to elnv

Mi Bal ton read the repot t of the judges who examined the 30 000 designs sub nutted Hie report ins a» follows -

Private Minute-Sir -\ttracteil bj the lojaltj nu] Ecntimrnt of the Australian people ns re

presented 11 the 10 000 désirais ot a nntionnl (Hi! ftl ß (.rent imjontj ot wludi contained HIL t nicn lacl nnel Southern Croea) it was felt Hut ti o onlj audition-«! emblem required woes one re prci nting the federation of the six states

This was su| plied bj various forms glich as by coloured bars shiel Is «le. ices ßtars figures letters, annuals, «te introduced in various colours forms and positions on the several «te sign

Having carefullj examined everj exhibit and walli duo rcttard to the Instorj lierai lrj blazoiirj

dNtmetheness utilit. and cost of making up in buntine: it was nui iront that i Commone.eaUii llii, to le represent line should contain

The Union lack m a blue or red Mound

' V six pointed star representing ti c six fedLritcil states of Vustralli immediatelj under the Union Jack and i ointlng direct to ti e centre of St ( eorpe s Cross and of a size to occupj the major j onion of one quarter of the flair

The Southern Croîs ni tho flj as being m dtcativc of the sentiment of the Australian na

tion

S ich i corni ¡nation si oui 1 bo nsih dis tinîruishetl as a MLI 1 of distress is original in character an 1 shoal 1 be atrreeablo to ile 1 oine authorities ns th j luio already palen their sanction to the Soutl ern Cross I einer shown in some of the stile ÍIJL, sieh is Ne» / al ind Vic lona Kc and ex« ei tion «olid not be taken to the ono star under the J ick Vfinj designs someulat similar were r iected ns not benia; in accord with lieraldn 1 orders round the Un on lacl contrary to ti e li raldrj and blazonrj of I!«L,S crosses c loured blois stars too small to 1 e seen it a dist nee and otherwise faultj in design

in conclusion we maj state that our task i is I o easy one but our desire wis to give to th« peo( le of our ne« lorn mlion t swnbol ti it would le endemic ii I lis-tmir in its effect snil

willi tint end in vu , we i ope we baie bcLii

sueieosful

We have the honour to be sir jour obedient servants on I eli iii of the judge.

i w i v vsrs

i \ vinciiiXL

To the night lion 1 Barton M 11 It, Primo

Minister

Mt Harton then opened the envelopes Lont lining the p-scu lonj ins and ie.il n unes ind iddresscs of the live successful compe titors llie o weie

Simplicity ' Ivor Tv ms, Elizabeth sticet, Hay Marl et Melbourne

AhiLsueins \iinic Donington, Wink held Bi/noi lcrriLc Peith, W V

FIpis, ' L J Hawkins, Leichardt, Sj dnej

'Six pointed Star E J Nuttall, Wil

hains load I'riliMii

/oe, William stevens Upper Vincent street, \uckl ind, \ /

Jiesigns bid been icccivoel fiom all over

the world

Jn the competition foi the best design for the Coiiiiuonweilth seul, the judges re-commended tint the prize be divided bo

tween

s II D II " whose obveise was ^elected ind Witchell) Club ' whose leveise w is chosen

Hie foi mer ivis found to bo Mi D II Snutei Rotuli, bulncv «and the 1 lttei Mr lllamirc Young of Oueen's buildings Call

ton

Hie obveise represente 1 a fern ile figure on iioiHcluiil and the bittet apprommtc irmonil qu ii tilings Die dcst"n of Mi Soutci wis veiv snnilu to Mi V I D C isj) ington's pri/o dc-ign for the Common wealth Celebi liions' Committee invitation cird

Her rxcellenev the Countess of Hope toun foriiiullv declucl the exhibition open and eoniri itnlated the successful competí lois Hie lirge as=cmblige present then pioceeded to inspect the exhibits in de

tul _