The Australian National Flag turned 124 this year, and Parliament marked the milestone with a spirited celebration in the Great Hall on Sept. 1.
Schoolchildren sang the national anthem alongside MPs in a ceremony led by House of Representatives Speaker Milton Dick.
“The national flag is our most recognised national symbol. It flies above our nation’s parliament, 365 days a year, seven days a week. It’s a symbol of our unity, our identity, and pride,” Dick told the students.
National Flag Day, officially declared in 1996, commemorates the first time the flag was flown in 1901 at Melbourne’s Royal Exhibition Building. The date also coincides with National Wattle Day, celebrating Australia’s resilience and unity.
A Competition That Made History
Dick reminded the audience that the flag we know today came from one of the world’s first open design competitions.
“The Federation, the new Commonwealth government, held a competition that received 30,000 entries,” he said.
Designs ranged from a Union Jack with the Southern Cross to kangaroos with multiple tails.
“The winners received a prize money of around 200 pounds, and the winners were students who won the competition,” he said.
He explained the symbolism: the Union Jack marking ties to Britain, the Commonwealth Star initially with six points—later updated to seven to represent the territories—and the Southern Cross, pointing to Australia’s place in the hemisphere.
Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister Patrick Gorman added his own reflection, highlighting the care that goes into preserving and raising the flag on Parliament’s roof, and the unique detail that sets apart the Flags Act of 1953.
“It’s the only piece of legislation that actually has a drawing. It has a drawing that represents how the flag must be prepared,” he said.
Gorman also linked the flag’s story to Australia’s broader journey. He recalled how the constitution was first carried to London 125 years ago, before a flag had even been chosen.
“Of course, it was a very Australian solution to make it an open competition where anyone could send their designs,” he said.
