Allan Pidgeon, ‘Part of National Folklore’ The Story of the Australian Flag

Were you aware that Australia was the first country in the world to hold an open competition to design its national flag? Or that the seventh point was added to the flag’s Federation Star when Australia acquired the territory of Papua, an integral part of modern-day PNG? Ahead of Australian National Flag Day on 3 September – an annual commemoration marking the anniversary of the date in 1901 on which the Australian flag was first flown – you can hear the untold story of our key national symbol.

Want to know more about Australian National Flag Day? Check out the Commonwealth Government’s official webpage

Want to learn more? Read our On This Day Post on the 1953 Flags Act

Want further resources? Visit the Australian National Flag Association

Bonus fact:

The Australian flag closely resembles the flag of the Anti-Transporation League – an organisation formed to fight for the abolition of convict transportation to Australia in the late 1840s and early 1850s. This campaign marked the first time that the colonies of Australasia united to achieve a common goal and it thus directly presaged federation. However, there was one key difference – New Zealand was a part of the Anti-Transportation League, but Western Australia was not.

Allan Pidgeon chairs the Australian Flag Association which is a voluntary community organisation formed to increase appreciation of the history and significance of a chief national symbol - the Australian flag. Members of the Association promote the celebration of the flag's anniversary every year on September 3, which was officially proclaimed as “Australian National Flag Day” to commemorate the day in 1901 on which the Australian National Flag was first flown. As President of the Australian Flag Association, Allan has addressed schools, community groups and service clubs as well as attended speaking engagements about the flag at many citizenship ceremonies.