Time for a new Aussie flag?

[Uncle Festivus]

I think it's about time we removed the Union Jack from the Aussie flag, & replaced it with something more relevant, what do you think?

Time for a new flag?


The Union Jack (also known as the Union Flag) in the upper hoist quadrant or first quarter of the Australian flag denotes Australia's historical links with Britain. The Union Jack itself is a composite flag symbolizing the union of the historical components of the United Kingdom. It is composed of intersecting and overlayed red and white vertical and diagonal crosses on blue and white backgrounds:

 

[wayneL]

 

[Uncle Festivus]

Hey, don't we just get added as an extra star - the 51st state?

 

[noirua]

Why not replace the union jack with the "stars and Stripes" as America is the only country capable of coming to the aid of Australasia. Site a very big US Base up near Darwin.

 

[wayneL]

Why not replace the union jack with the "stars and Stripes" as America is the only country capable of coming to the aid of Australasia. Site a very big US Base up near Darwin.

Hey, no prize for second go!! :

 

[mime]

lol it would be political suercide if any polly wanted to change the flag

 

[It's Snake Pliskin]

I am proud of our link to Britain.

It could the rising sun flag still if we didn't prevail back in 45. And trust me, if that were the case you would be very shocked at the difference of life. For the worse that is.

 

[Duckman#72]

I am proud of our link to Britain.

It could the rising sun flag still if we didn't prevail back in 45. And trust me, if that were the case you would be very shocked at the difference of life. For the worse that is.

So am I.

Whether we like it or not......it is in our makeup. It is who we are. Some people refute that with a passion. But the fact is historically we have very strong links with Britain.

Which leads me to my next point. What will change achieve? You can take the Union Jack out of the flag but you can never break the link. We are the country we are today because of that history. For good or for bad.

I don't know about other people but when I see the Australian Flag flying.........I see an Australian Flag. Not a Union Jack tossed together with a Southern Cross.

I've always been slightly perplexed at those people that seem to take it as a personal affront to see the Union Jack up there. Are you really that ashamed of the country's first 200 years? If so, then I think you need more help than just a flag makeover. People say "''it will help us move on. Show ourselves as an independent country." Will it really?

You can go out and buy a new suit, but it ain't going to look any better on you than the old one unless you lose some baggage.

Cheers

Duckman

 

[Knobby22]

Well I see a flag that shows to the world that we are still a dominion of GBR.

Does Mexico have a Spanish flag in the corner?
Does Indonesia have a Dutch flag in the corner?

It is embarassing to me and I am a 6th generation Australian on all sides.

Hate to think what new immigrants think? What sort of half arsed country are we?

There is a good chance that the Union may break up with Scotland going on its own. How silly will we look then?

And don't give me the bull that the diggers fought under it. They fought under the British flag.

 

[BIG BWACULL]

Maybe we could make a fresh start and stand on our own feet (maybe as time went on we could add to this flag with all the cultures that made and make up what/who we are to be AUSTRALIAN
(no we will not surrender who we are lol)

 

[theasxgorilla]

I don't know about other people but when I see the Australian Flag flying.........I see an Australian Flag. Not a Union Jack tossed together with a Southern Cross.

I think I'd be more bothered if I was a Kiwi...seeing an Aussie flag with the stars painted red

 

[Buster]

Hey Knobby,

Well I see a flag that shows to the world that we are still a dominion of GBR.

Does Mexico have a Spanish flag in the corner?
Does Indonesia have a Dutch flag in the corner?.

Yeah, lets be like Mexico and Indonesia... You know I couldn't for the life of me find the little wink or rolls eyes emoticons anywhere in your post, surely you forgot to click them in your haste to post..

It is embarrassing to me and I am a 6th generation Australian on all sides.

Ha, this ol' chestnut is normally reserved for the politicians to roll out when they want to distract everybody from something dodgy they are implementing.. What on earth have you got to be embarrassed about Knobby?? OK OK, seemingly you have a lot to be embarrassed about, particularly if the upper left hand corner of our flag does it for you, however, what in relation to our flag causes you embarrassment??

Hate to think what new immigrants think? What sort of half arsed country are we?

I'm tipping they don't think we have a half arsed country at all, else why immigrate.. have you ever even been overseas Knobby??

There is a good chance that the Union may break up with Scotland going on its own. How silly will we look then?.

Uhhhmmm.. Silly?? It's part of our history mate.. deal with it..

And don't give me the bull that the diggers fought under it. They fought under the British flag.

Oh, so I'm dismissed from this line of argument simply because you say it's bull?? I'm sure there would be many at the RSL that would enjoy discussing this with you.. BTW what Flag have you fought under, I'd assume you might have an entirely different opinion if you'd fought under the Aussie Flag..

I'm sure there are many many more pressing issues to deal with than changing the flag.. it'd be interesting actually to find out just how much it would cost as an exercise.. I seem to remember when they changed 'Women of the Royal Australian Navy' (WRAN) some 15 to 20 years ago it cost somewhere in the order of 60 Million to change uniform emblems, references in publications etc etc.. and thats an extremely small change in comparison..

Regards,

Buster.

 

[doctorj]

Maybe we could make a fresh start and stand on our own feet (maybe as time went on we could add to this flag with all the cultures that made and make up what/who we are to be AUSTRALIAN
(no we will not surrender who we are lol)

I think the French already use that as their unofficial flag...

 

[Knobby22]

Hey Knobby,

Uhhhmmm.. Silly?? It's part of our history mate.. deal with it..

Buster.

Buster

The history argument is the silliest.
If Australia is around for another 300 years, do we still have a British flag in our corner? What about 1000 years? When do we get big enough to get our own flag? If GBR does break up do we keep it as a remembrance?

And believe it or not, there are many RSL members who would like a new flag.
They fought for Australia and simply put Australia is not properly represented in the present flag.

How do you think the present troops feel when they have to explain to their USA allies that they are not part of Britain and the fact their flag is in the corner is just a fact of history. Imagine how they feel when they have to parade next to British troops. The British must think their flag is cute. I reckon Wayne must think it is funny but he is too many manners to say so.

I'm a patriot. I feel no special loyalty to Britain. I am glad they gave us our political and legal system and don't even mind having the Queen as our figurehead leader but it is time to have an inclusive flag that repersents Australia.

Do you have British parents or something?
Didn't you find it strange that when the flag raisings occurred in the Commonwealth Games, every other country has got rid of the British flag in the corner except protectorates and New Zealand? It is embarassing to me, sorry.

 

[Broadside]

No point changing the flag until we become a republic in another ten years or so.

 

[Uncle Festivus]

The fact is, we have very little to do with the union anymore, apart from beating them at sport etc.
Every so often one of those current affairs programs goes out on the street for an 'in depth report' on issues such as this, where they ask the average citizen if we should change our flag. Apon being presented with a flag of New Zealand, a few respondants say they don't mind 'our' flag as it is, even though they are looking at a new Zealand flag.

If you like the Union Jack in the corner of 'our' flag then you are a monarchist, and we all know what that entails eg the side show called the royal family staring Prince Charles & Camilla. Why would you want to be associated with that mob of inbreds?

 

[numbercruncher]

The fact is, we have very little to do with the union anymore, apart from beating them at sport etc.
Every so often one of those current affairs programs goes out on the street for an 'in depth report' on issues such as this, where they ask the average citizen if we should change our flag. Apon being presented with a flag of New Zealand, a few respondants say they don't mind 'our' flag as it is, even though they are looking at a new Zealand flag.

If you like the Union Jack in the corner of 'our' flag then you are a monarchist, and we all know what that entails eg the side show called the royal family staring Prince Charles & Camilla. Why would you want to be associated with that mob of inbreds?

The fact is the majority of Australians can trace there ancestoral origins to Scots , Irish , English and thats exactly what the Union jack represents is that Union.

Your claim that if people like the union jack on our flag makes them a Monarchist is complete rubbish, its the Equivalent of people arguing that if you dont like the Flag how it is then you must be anti people of Irish, Scottish or English descent or even anti Australian .....

People should just accept it for what it is representing a Union of all peoples not just those of the British isles.

If you dont like the Flag of Australia, just fly your states flag.

Could of easily been a different History, could of been flying a French or Dutch or any old flag had not the Brits rocked up first.

Its one of those things that can be summed up as, leave well enough alone.

I could support (tasteful) altering the flag but i dont see any need to remove the jack.

 

[Uncle Festivus]

The fact is the majority of Australians can trace there ancestoral origins to Scots , Irish , English and thats exactly what the Union jack represents is that Union.

Your claim that if people like the union jack on our flag makes them a Monarchist is complete rubbish, its the Equivalent of people arguing that if you dont like the Flag how it is then you must be anti people of Irish, Scottish or English descent or even anti Australian .....

Hardly. I am Australian. I have Irish & English heretage. I don't like the UJ on the flag but that doesn't mean I'm anti British - how did you extrapolate that?

People should just accept it for what it is representing a Union of all peoples not just those of the British isles.

Wrong.

The Union Flag (also known as the Union Jack) is the national flag of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Historically, the flag has been used throughout the former British Empire. It still retains an official or semi-official status in many Commonwealth Realms.

So we are still officially part of the British empire and a realm of the British empire.

That's what it means, so if you agree with that you are a monarchist - simple really.

It is becoming irrelevant in our so called multicultural country.

 

[numbercruncher]

Hardly. I am Australian. I have Irish & English heretage. I don't like the UJ on the flag but that doesn't mean I'm anti British - how did you extrapolate that?



Wrong.

The Union Flag (also known as the Union Jack) is the national flag of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Historically, the flag has been used throughout the former British Empire. It still retains an official or semi-official status in many Commonwealth Realms.

So we are still officially part of the British empire and a realm of the British empire.

That's what it means, so if you agree with that you are a monarchist - simple really.

It is becoming irrelevant in our so called multicultural country.

Nice twist Uncle, I didnt say that your Anti British i demonstrated your argument is flawed because YOU said that people who support the Australian flag must be Monarchists, which is a load of baloney.

I know what the origins of the jack are, i was trying to say in this modern day why cant people view it as union of all people regardless of there ethnic origin.

What are you proposing whacking a miniture of every flag in the world on ours to show we have a good mix or something .... I personally couldnt care less if the flag was modernised or something to but complete removal of the jack is unacceptable, its a fine mix of the cross of Scotland, England and Ireland. And i like millions of Aussies happen to be proud of my ancestoral origins.

Anyway not even worth discussing all the anti Australian flag crowd wont get there way short of winning a civil war or public referendum, either way your vastly outnumbered. *flex*

 

[Uncle Festivus]

Nice twist Uncle, I didnt say that your Anti British i demonstrated your argument is flawed because YOU said that people who support the Australian flag must be Monarchists, which is a load of baloney.

I know what the origins of the jack are, i was trying to say in this modern day why cant people view it as union of all people regardless of there ethnic origin.

What are you proposing whacking a miniture of every flag in the world on ours to show we have a good mix or something .... I personally couldnt care less if the flag was modernised or something to but complete removal of the jack is unacceptable, its a fine mix of the cross of Scotland, England and Ireland. And i like millions of Aussies happen to be proud of my ancestoral origins.

Anyway not even worth discussing all the anti Australian flag crowd wont get there way short of winning a civil war or public referendum, either way your vastly outnumbered. *flex*

Sounds like you are British? You've missed the point again. I said that people who wanted the UJ on our flag were/are monarchists - there is a big dfference. Miniature flags .... huh??

Why is the removeal of the UJ unacceptable?

What it proclaims loud & clear to the rest of the world is that we are still a dependency of Britain, even though we are an independant entity.

True Australians are the majority I'm afraid. We Australians just don't like a flag of another country on our flag. Simple. There is no valid argument for the UJ on our Australian flag. It is very un-Australian.

Still waiting for a valid reason to have the flag of another country on our flag.

Yes, a public referedum, that would be interesting - true Australians can have their say. Though the monarchists would probably derail it like the Republic issue ie John Menzies Howard.