Flag of Victoria (state)
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| Use | Civil and state flag |
|---|---|
| Proportion | 1:2 |
| Adopted | 1865 |
| Design | State badge of a Southern Cross topped by St Edward's Crown, on a defaced British Blue Ensign |
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The flag of Victoria, symbolising the state of Victoria in Australia, is a British Blue Ensign defaced by the state badge of Victoria in the fly. The badge is the Southern Cross topped by an imperial crown, which is currently the St Edward's Crown. The stars of the Southern Cross are white and range from five to eight points with each star having one point pointing to the top of the flag. The flag dates from 1865,[1] with minor variations, the last of which was in 1953.
Previous flags
The first flag of Victoria was adopted in 1870 and was first flown from HMVS Nelson on 9 February 1870. It too was a defaced British Blue Ensign with the Southern Cross located in the fly. The stars of the Southern Cross are white and have 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 points with only the leftmost and rightmost stars having one point pointing to the top of the flag. The adoption of the flag came about when Victoria became the first Australian colony to acquire a warship, and thus under the British Colonial Naval Defence Act of 1865 Victoria needed a flag to distinguish its ships from other British ships. At the same time, the red ensign was incorrectly authorised for use by civil vessels registered in the colony of Victoria. Despite the invalid authorisation, the flag continued to be used, and was flown alongside the Union flag during federation celebrations in 1901. The red ensign did not track changes to the blue ensign, and so no crown was added, nor did the stars rotate to point upwards facing the flag.
Victoria then adopted the current flag in 1877 with the stars of the southern cross from then on have 5, 6, 7, 7 and 8 points. The depictions of the crown have varied in accordance with heraldic fashion and the wishes of the monarch of the time. During Queen Victoria's reign, the crown had slightly dipped arches. From c. 1901–1952, during the reigns of Kings Edward VII, George V, Edward VIII and George VI the depiction of the crown known as the "Tudor Crown", with domed arches, was used. In 1953 the Tudor Crown was replaced with the St Edward's Crown.
Gallery
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Standard of the Governor of Victoria -
Flag of the Victoria Police -
Standard of the Governor of Victoria 1903-1984. Prior to 1953, a Tudor Crown was used -
Victorian red ensign, 1870
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References
- ^ "Victorian Flag". Department of Premier and Cabinet, Government of Victoria. 28 July 2011. Archived from the original on 17 March 2012.
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