General Information » Facts & Figures » National Flag

The Australian flag has three elements on a blue background; the Union Jack, the Commonwealth Star and the Southern Cross. The Union Jack is a reminder of British settlement; the seven points of the Commonwealth Star represent the seven states and territories; the Southern Cross, which can only be seen in southern skies, is a reminder of Australia’s geography. The flag was first flown in September 1901 at Exhibition Building in Melbourne, which was the seat of government at the time.

On the New South Wales flag, the badge of state has a silver background with a red cross bearing a gold lion in the centre and an eight pointed gold star on each arm.