Australia flag is the national flag of Australia, a large country in the Southern Hemisphere. The flag has a blue field (background). Five small white stars on the flag’s fly (outer) end show the Southern Cross, a constellation visible in the Southern Hemisphere. The constellation represents Australia’s geographic location. The British flag appears in the canton (upper hoist corner) of the Australian flag. It is a reminder of Australia’s historic ties with the United Kingdom. Australia’s flag also has a large white star below the canton. The star, called the Commonwealth Star or Federation Star, represents the unity of Australia’s states and territories.
In 1901, the separate British colonies in Australia combined to form a federal union called the Commonwealth of Australia. That year, Australia’s new federal government held a flag design competition. Contestants submitted more than 30,000 designs. Five nearly identical entries shared the first prize. The new flag, based on the winning ideas, first flew on Sept. 3, 1901, in Melbourne. On the original flag, the Commonwealth Star had six points to stand for Australia’s six states. The government added another point in 1908. The seventh point stands for the Australian territories. Today, September 3 is Australian National Flag Day.
