National Flag Day, 3rd September

National Flag Day commemorates the first time that the Australian national flag was flown, on the 3rd of September 1903. It is a day for Australians to proudly display the flag, in honour of the nation over which it flies and in remembrance of those who fought and died in its defence.

The Australian flag was the first national flag in the world to be chosen by holding a public competition; the competition’s judges chose the flag’s design from 32,823 entries. The flag was first flown at a public gathering and ceremony that took place at the Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne on the 3rd of September 1901.

In 1984 a prominent expert on Australian flags, John Christian Vaughan, along with the Australian National Flag Association, promoted the idea of having the 3rd of September celebrated as “Australian National Flag Day”. Just over twenty years later, in 1996, the 3rd of September was officially proclaimed by the government as Australian National Flag Day.

Whilst there are also other flags that embody a celebration of Australianness, such as the Boxing Kangaroo flag, the Eureka flag, and the 1890s Federation flag, it is the blue commonwealth ensign, the Australian national flag, that is recognized as the pre-eminent symbol of Australia. It has been with our men and women in time of war, with our athletes at the Olympics and other competitive events, and flown by Australians all over the world.

The Southern Cross on the flag displays our place in the southern hemisphere, the federal star is symbolic of the unification of our states and territories, and the Union Jack denotes the heritage of the founders and pioneers of early Australia.

So, on the 3rd of September, show your pride in being an Aussie by flying the Australian Flag from a flagpole, attaching it to the aerial of your car, or wearing it as a badge.

Whether you fly it from a flagpole, attach it to the aerial of your car, wear it on a t-shirt, or display it on a badge, on the 3rd of September show your pride in being an Aussie by flying the Australian Flag.

References:
Australian National Flag Association, www.flagaustnat.asn.au
Australian National Flag Association, www.australianflag.org.au
Australian Flag Society, www.flagsociety.org.au
“Australian National Flag”, It’s an honour [Australian government site]
“Flag Day (Australia)”, Wikipedia

Note: Technically speaking, the Union Jack is called the Union Flag, and only referred to as a Union Jack when it is flown from the jack mast of a ship; however, the most common usage nowadays is to call it a Union Jack no matter where it is flown.