Lord_Farquar

That's nice.

iamthecreaturefromuranus

I like my new flag better.

bcworld

I like the current flag. It's handy because if you need a Union Jack and can't find one all you have to do is cut away the offending sections and - bobs yer uncle!

Vash the Stampede

No, really? You astonish me.

No we couldn't. The Aboriginal flag is completely separate from the Australian flag. There is no need to incorporate it and I think you'll find that the Aborigines themselves would be utterly opposed to that suggestion.

I like the flag in my signature. That would work for me.

JAJ

As would the Torres Strait Islanders, who have their own (distinct) flag.

big_matt

I don't really see how it shows its location on the planet, apart from the fact that it is somewhere below the equator (along with 50% of the planet).

And yes its ties with britain were a significant part of forming a modern Australia, but does not really reflect very recent history or its significant and important history before anyone from the britain came along.

What I do find interesting in this debate is that I personally know more british people who like the UJ on the flag than australians.

koalakim

The thing I find amusing about all this is....

if the Brits hadn't discovered Oz and claimed it then not long afterwards the French, Dutch or Spanish would have. There is no way the Aboriginals would have developed Australia into what it is now and if they had of done there would be no white Aussies! I do think the Aussies forget where their roots lie and how they all came to be.

Yes, sometimes I do think they do look down on the Brits but it's more the establishment then any I've met and then if someone complains about the British heritage I just say - that's okay but would you prefer to have been French?

Maybe it is time for Oz to separate but then we'd have to have a head of State and that's someone else to pay for in our taxes!

So this chap who doesn't like the Brit flag - I wonder who is in his family tree?

ABCDiamond

If it was to do that, how often would they need to change the flag ?

Based on that, should the UK flag be changed, it has also been the same for many years, and represents the UK history from much further back.

bcworld

I honestly don't think most British people see it as any of their business whether Australia becomes a republic or not. Most Aussies I know however don't see the need for any change in the flag.

big_matt

The point I'm making is that the UJ on the flag reflects a certain point in Australia's very long history.

Canada, India etc do no longer feel the need to display that point of their history on their flags. Doesn't mean they change their flags all the time at all.

I'm not bothered if the flag changes or not, and as a PR its probably none of my business.

I'm just saying that a star constellation that is seen by 50% of the planet and a british flag to me does not say 'australia' when you look at it.

However, I have fully accepted on this thread that I understand certain people loving it and not wanting it changed.

I have nothing against the british flag, and no real interest in the australian flag. I just don't see the Australian flag as very, well, Australian.

mindblower

Republic- probably

Reduce immigration- probably

change flag- probably

ABCDiamond

It does seem to be more the newer people arriving who want to change it, from what I have personally seen.

From other conversations, I get the feeling that if a persons alternative choice wasn't available, they would probably revert back to choosing the current flag.

Hence, with only 27% wanting to remove the Union Flag, it would take something really major to cause a change to this flag.

iamthecreaturefromuranus

I used to be decisive... but now I'm not so sure.

jimbo_d

Most other ex-colonies are very different to Oz and NZ, Canada was the prize for winning at Waterloo and was full of French and native Indians, India, South Africa, SE Asia and pretty much everywhere else had their own indiginous populations as did Australia, but theirs was very small and became even smaller after the British arrived. Oz and NZ's population up until 30 years or so ago was largely ex British Isles, with Irish, Greek and Italian communities thrown in, hence why most Aussies and Kiwis have the stance they do about the flag, with the New Zealanders having just copied Australia's flag and coloured the stars in.

woodiesinaus

I can understand Aussies if they wish to remove the Union Flag, but what looks like a ordinary flag on paper does look beautiful against a bright blue Australian sky
The Southern Cross would make sense in a republic but Christian overtones would make it a non-starter. The Aboriginal Flag is racist.