Australia’s Flag is Turning 124: The Forgotten Story Behind the National Symbol

Allen Pidgeon, chair of the Australian National Flag Association, says young citizens appreciate the flag’s enduring significance.

The flag raising ceremony at Lake Burley Griffin in Canberra, Australia, on Jan. 26, 2020. Rohan Thomson/Getty Images

As iconic as koalas and kangaroos, the Australian flag waves above us each day—yet behind its stars and stripes lies a story few Australians know.

For those who want to learn more and feel like expressing their inner patriotism, then one Australian group is working hard to remind citizens to commemorate the 124th birthday of this symbol on Australian National Flag Day on Sept. 3—the day the flag was first flown in 1901.