Quote:
Originally Posted by Little Jo
:Ok it has the Union Jack in the corner which is British but we have the stars of the southern cross below it which is Australian.
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Is it?? I'm surprised Lynn didn't pipe up here and mention the New Zealand flag and also claim ownership of the Southern Cross.
I remember being at a Wallabies Vs Springboks Rugby match a few years back and seeing the surprised/confused looks of each teams supporters who were decked out in green and gold and the Southern Cross, or gold and green and the Southern Cross.
The depiction, as a celestial formation, is used on around a dozen National, State or Regional official emblems from various countries around the Southern Hemisphere. This is what Wikipedia has to say:
"Beginning in the colonial age, the constellation Crux became used as a national symbol by several southern nations. The brightest stars of Crux appear on the flags of Australia, Brazil, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Samoa. They also appear on the flags of the Australian state of Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory, the Northern Territory, as well as the flag of Magallanes Region of Chile, the flag of Londrina (Brazil) and several Argentine provincial flags and emblems (for example,, Tierra del Fuego and Santa Cruz). The Argentine Air Force acrobatic display team is called Cruz del Sur, the Spanish for "Southern Cross". The Southern Cross was written into the lyrics of "Advance Australia Fair" in 1901: "Beneath our radiant Southern Cross", and also included in the lyrics of the Brazilian National Anthem (1909): "A imagem do Cruzeiro resplandece" ("the image of the Cross shines"). The five stars are also in the logo of the Brazilian football team Cruzeiro Esporte Clube and the Brazilian coat of arms, and even featured as the name of the currency (the cruzeiro from 1942 to 1986 and again from 1990 to 1994. The constellation is displayed in all coins of the current series of the Brazilian real."
So our claim to it as solely Australian is utterly ridiculous. I wonder if any nations in the Northern Hemisphere would claim sovereignty as an emblem over say the Pole Star? The closest we would come to our own unique design using the Southern Cross is the
Eureka Flag, which also represents the sentiments expressed here by many.
But what does really bug me is that you can't find Australian MADE flags anymore, they're all cheap imports from Asia that invariably have errors of some sort. It doesn't matter if you buy a current Official flag, a Boxing Kangaroo or even an Aboriginal Rising Sun, they all seem to be from overseas. Even going to your local Federal Member and asking for an Official Flag (which they are obliged to provide, did you know?), will result in you getting a cheap screen-printed nylon piece of rubbish that even has a tag saying "Made In C****"!