Five White Stars, on a Green and Gold Cross, on a Blue Field

southern cross flag - 5 white stars on a green and gold cross on a blue background

That is a simple description of this flag. Concise. Easy to explain. Easy to draw.

The new Southern Cross Flag is bold, beautiful and easily recognised. It looks like a flag, not like a logo.

But this flag is not not revolutionary flag. Far from it. The Flag has evolved from our history. The new Southern Cross Flag is a combination of the old and the recent.

While it has been influenced by the past, it also has one small feature to include those over-looked in the past. It will finally bring all Australians -- indigenous and immigrant together.

It removes our obeisance to the British colonial rule. It does not show subservience by displaying another country's flag, the Union Jack, in the prominent position of the canton.

It is not a British Blue Ensign "defaced" by the Southern Cross in the inferior position on the Fly.

It does not look like yet another British Blue ensign derivative or the "British flag at night".

And it will never be confused with our neighbour's flag from across the ditch.

But First a Quick Quiz About the Australian Flag

To see the answers tap the bar or Cross

Name the 4 Countries that Have Their Flag on the Australian Flag?

The four countries are:

  1. England: Cross of St George
  2. Scotland: Cross of St Andrew
  3. Northern Ireland: Cross of St Patrick
  4. United Kingdom: the Union Jack

No, the country of Wales is not included. The usual Welsh flag is a red dragon on a white and green field. Saint David, the Patron Saint of Wales has a flag that is a yellow cross on a black fly.

What 2 Symbols were needed to Win the 1900 Australian Flag Competition?

An earlier competition by the Melbourne Evening Herald had made it mandatory to include the Union Jack and the Southern Cross. This led to some confusion as to what was required for the new competition. The new competition dropped those "absolute limitations" but qualified the situation by including the following statement that said without those symbols the chance of success was "small." Here is the specific quote:

"The competition which evolved this Flag was purely local, and the competition was fettered by the conditions that the Federal Flag must include both the Union Jack and the Southern Cross. A flag, perhaps, which omitted these symbols might have small chances of success; yet it seems unwise to fetter the competition with any such absolute limitations."

Is it any wonder that the winning flag, that was submitted by 5 winners looked very similar to this Victorian Flag?

Flag of Victoria (1880-1887)

How Many Points were on the Stars of the First Australian Flag?

The Commonwealth Star had 6 points. The 7th point being added in 1908, when Australia took control of the Territory of Papua.

The Southern Cross constellation had five stars: one each of nine, eight, seven, six and five points. Did you see the hint with the Flag of Victoria in the previous question?

Name the Flag Below

The objective of this site and this Southern Cross Flag is to give Australians a unique Australian flag so that Australia doesn't look like a colonial outpost of another country

Symbolism of the Southern Cross Flag

The Southern Cross flag acknowledges the current blue Australian  flag.

It features the Australia's Heraldic colours of Blue and Gold.

It features Australia's national and sporting colours of Green and Gold. Together they represent our nation as an island continent, bound by the Blue of the sea.

It features the 5 stars of the constellation of Crux- the Southern Cross.

The Southern Cross flag acknowledges the founding states and territories.  And the Southern Cross flag acknowledges the first peoples of Australia, with the eight pointed star.

It is instantly recognizable to all Australians as an "Australian Flag."

So what do you think?

At the very least this can be *an* alternative Australian Flag, in the way we have used the boxing kangaroo -- even if it doesn't become a replacement for the current flag.

On the other hand, why can't it become *the* Australian flag, instead of our current variant of the British blue ensign?

It acknowledges a much more of our past than the current Blue Ensign or Red Ensign. There's no doubt the older generation boomers are going to be annoyed. Some may even remember in 1954 when the civilian and military Red Ensign "disappeared" almost overnight and was replaced by the "Government Only" Blue Ensign.

Why?  Sir Robert Menzies disappeared it because it had too much communist red in it and it was done just in time for the 1954 Royal Tour when the Queen gave her formal royal assent to the Flags Act of 1953.

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Can you Help?

If you like the flag and see it as being a flag for all Australian, please share this site on your social media.

Or purchase a flag, path, t shirt or mug from the shop.

I look forward to the day when the Southern Cross flag is being flown at The Ashes cricket test, or The Bledisloe Cup rugby and we no longer have a-look-a-like flag to the Brits or the Kiwis.

Instead we will have a uniquely Australian Green and Gold Southern Cross Flag.

Can We Help You?

You can promote the flag and make some money while you're doing it. If you already have a business, simply register, download the files, get some product made and sell it.

Or If you have an entrepreneurial streak, start a business on Gumtree, Etsy, or Amazon. It's so easy to get product made online and then and resell it for profit.

There are no license or royalty fees. What you make you keep.

Send us your info, with a few photos and a link to your business. We'll add your business to the Southern Cross Flag shop and refer people to your site.

Southern Cross Flag Projects

There are several different ways for people of all ages to make their own Southern Cross Flag.

  • The easiest is to download, print it on A4 paper and then colour it in with pencils, crayons or paints.
  • There is detailed information on how to draw both the Southern Cross Flag and the Star.
  • And the Southern Cross Flag can also be drawn with a pre-drawn A4 grid - just connect the dots.
  • It can be printed out on coloured paper, or printed on white paper and coloured in, then cut out, and and put together.

Easy peasy and a lot of fun! Don't forget to hang it on the fridge once done and send us a photo so we can add it to the Photo Gallery!