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Australia’s flags · 1 min read

Australia’s flags

The Australian National Flag is the official flag of our nation. Other flags that are officially recognised and may be flown in the community include the Australian Aboriginal Flag and the Torres Strait Islander Flag.

Each state and territory also has its own flag, which can be viewed on page 11.

The Australian National Flag

The Australian National Flag is blue, white and red.

• The ‘Union Jack’, which is the flag of the United Kingdom is in the top left corner. It represents our history of British settlement and the laws and institutions we inherited as a result.

• The Commonwealth Star is under the Union Jack. This star has seven points, each point representing one of the six states and one point for the territories.

• The Southern Cross, on the right, is a group of stars that can be seen in the southern sky.

The Australian Aboriginal Flag

The Australian Aboriginal Flag is black, red and yellow.

• The top half is black and represents the Aboriginal peoples of Australia.

• The bottom half is red and represents the earth, which has ceremonial significance.

• The yellow circle represents the sun.

The Torres Strait Islander Flag

The Torres Strait Islander Flag is green, blue, black and white.

• The green stripes represent the land.

• The blue panel in the centre represents the sea.

• The black lines represent the Torres Strait Islander people.

• The white dancer’s headdress in the centre is a symbol for all Torres Strait Islanders.

• The points of the white star represent the island groups in the Torres Strait, and the colour white symbolises peace.

Test yourself on this topic

14 questions on this topic, each with the answer explained.

  1. 1. A flag has a black upper half, a red lower half and a yellow circle in the middle. Which flag is it?

    • The Australian Aboriginal Flag
    • The flag of the United Kingdom
    • The Australian National Flag
    • The Torres Strait Islander Flag

    Explanation: Those three colours and that design belong to the Aboriginal Flag, not to any of the other flags.

  2. 2. Besides the Australian National Flag, which TWO flags are officially recognised and may be flown in the community?

    • The Australian Aboriginal Flag
    • The Southern Cross Flag
    • The Torres Strait Islander Flag
    • The flag of the United Kingdom

    Explanation: Australia officially recognises two further flags that people may fly: the Aboriginal Flag and the Torres Strait Islander Flag.

  3. 3. How many points does the Commonwealth Star on the Australian National Flag have?

    • Eight
    • Seven
    • Six
    • Five

    Explanation: The Commonwealth Star, placed under the Union Jack, is a seven-pointed star.

  4. 4. On the Australian Aboriginal Flag, what does the black top half represent?

    • The islands of the Torres Strait
    • The earth and its ceremonies
    • The night sky above the desert
    • The Aboriginal peoples of Australia

    Explanation: The black part of the flag stands for the Aboriginal peoples themselves.

  5. 5. What are the colours of the Australian National Flag?

    • Green, gold and white
    • Blue, green and white
    • Blue, white and red
    • Black, red and yellow

    Explanation: The national flag uses only blue, white and red.

  6. 6. What do the green stripes on the Torres Strait Islander Flag represent?

    • The sea
    • The land
    • The sky
    • Peace

    Explanation: Green on this flag stands for the land.

  7. 7. What do the points of the Commonwealth Star on the Australian National Flag stand for?

    • The six states and the territories
    • The six states and New Zealand
    • The seven years before federation
    • The seven largest cities in Australia

    Explanation: Six of the points stand for the six states, and the remaining point stands for the territories.

  8. 8. What does the Union Jack on the Australian National Flag represent?

    • Our history of British settlement and inherited laws
    • The peoples who lived here before British settlement
    • The six states that joined together at federation
    • Our trading links with other countries in Europe

    Explanation: It is a reminder that Australia was settled by Britain and took its laws and institutions from there.

  9. 9. What does the blue panel in the centre of the Torres Strait Islander Flag represent?

    • The land
    • The sky
    • The sea
    • The people

    Explanation: The blue centre panel stands for the sea around the islands.

  10. 10. What does the red bottom half of the Australian Aboriginal Flag represent?

    • The earth, which has ceremonial significance
    • The sun going down over the country
    • The deserts in the centre of the continent
    • The sea that surrounds the Australian mainland

    Explanation: Red stands for the earth, which is important in ceremony.

  11. 11. What does the white dancer’s headdress in the centre of the Torres Strait Islander Flag stand for?

    • The sea between the islands
    • The island groups of the Torres Strait
    • All Torres Strait Islander people
    • The land held by each family

    Explanation: The headdress is a symbol for every Torres Strait Islander, not for one island or group.

  12. 12. What does the yellow circle on the Australian Aboriginal Flag represent?

    • The moon
    • The desert sand
    • The sun
    • A ceremonial fire

    Explanation: The yellow circle in the middle of the flag is the sun.

  13. 13. What is the Southern Cross shown on the Australian National Flag?

    • A route sailed by the first British ships
    • A medal given to early southern settlers
    • A group of stars seen in the southern sky
    • A group of islands off the southern coast

    Explanation: The Southern Cross is a star pattern visible in the sky over the southern half of the world.

  14. 14. Where does the Union Jack appear on the Australian National Flag?

    • In the top left corner
    • In the bottom left corner
    • In the top right corner
    • In the centre of the flag

    Explanation: The flag of the United Kingdom sits in the upper corner on the left-hand side of the Australian flag.

From Australian Citizenship: Our Common Bond, the official booklet