Talk:Australian red ensign

The section which reads...

The Shipping Registration Act of 1981 reaffirmed that the Australian Red Ensign was the proper "colours" for Australian registered ships and that private pleasure craft could fly either the Red Ensign or the Australian National Flag.

... is ambiguous.

When it says that pleasure craft could fly either the "Red Ensign", does it mean the Australian or Britisch one? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 130.246.135.176 (talk) 13:46, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

Blue ensign
Wasn't the blue ensign also reserved for use by Australian embassies overseas?

Gloriousrevolution (talk) 08:55, 28 March 2011 (UTC)

Parliament house puzzle
One of Australia's most enduring vexillological debates is over exactly what colour were the Australian flags used at the opening of old parliament house in 1927. The commissioned portrait shows red ensigns and union jacks, although under microscopic examination the flag in the second position in the order of precedence appears to be solid blue, but may also be the Duke of York's personal standard. There is another flag flying from a flagpole outside the building that appears to show a blue streak. There was a black and white photograph taken that day which, when you look at the contrasts involved as in hangs in front of a Union Jack, appears to be a blue ensign. There is also a lithograph by an unknown artist held at the Mitchell Library in Sydney of the same scene which features only blue ensigns. However the plot thickens when one reads the report of the correspondent for the West Australian newspaper who stated that: "The sunlight streamed through the crimson of drooping flags”. Taken altogether at this point the evidence is, I think, very convincing that there had to be both red and blue ensigns flown on the day. Dr Elizabeth Kwan in her seminal work "Flag and Nation" mentions that "the use of British as well as Australian flags was a last minute decision. A Federal Capital Commission sketch showing the position of the flags for the opening ceremony suggested only Australian blue ensigns accompanying the duke's standard. The Royal Visit Cabinet Committee confirmed in March 1927 that the 'Commonwealth flag', not the Union Jack, would fly with the duke's flag on Parliament House in the morning and at the armed forces review in the afternoon." She theorises that the official artist, Septimus Power, may have rendered them all red for dramatic effect. Certainly he did leave behind the words "It was decided .. flags in red". And the fact there was no criticism of his portrait when it was first unveiled is also considered revealing.

When you consider Dr Kwan is a die hard republican, there should be no worries about referring to this 'parliament house puzzle' as the mystery that it is. This article would be a fine place for a section by the same name where we could go into all this in greater detail. The fact is the state of knowledge when it comes to this subject have moved on in recent years and there's no reason why Wikipedia should remain struck in the past.

Aussieflagfan (talk) 00:18, 28 June 2018 (UTC)


 * Firstly, we don't base what we post on the beliefs of anyone, a die hard republican, your enthusiasm for flags and tradition, or my position (if you can work out what that actually is without assigning a positive or negative value to it). Secondly, yours is a paragraph saying we don't know something. Come back and add something definite to the article when we do. HiLo48 (talk) 00:55, 28 June 2018 (UTC)


 * Dr Elizabeth Kwan's "Flag and Nation" is the seminal work on the subject IMHO. I'd be surprised to find out that's not a verifiable reference as wikipedia defines that. The more I think about it I don't consider that I've displayed any bias whatsoever. I've been around long enough to know that on Wikipedia if you really want to conduct yourself like that then, especially in relation to an article on a touchy subject like the Australian national flag and red ensign, nothing you do will stand. Now don't you think I know that?


 * Someone comes along who can explain these now rather more involved matters in layman's terms and you won't give them a fair go. Any why? Because it doesn't fit in with what you are doing politically? Maybe it's simply been proved at this point that some of that stuff Ausflag started out saying in the early 80's is not quite right. People like Kwan want to make names for themselves researching this sort of thing and so new information enters the loop and you've just got to learn to accept that the state of knowledge has changed. I can accept that quite easily.


 * Aussieflagfan (talk) 01:15, 28 June 2018 (UTC)


 * Ignoring the political bullshit there, the state of knowledge has not changed. That's why people call it a puzzle. It's vexilogical trivia until some facts are known. HiLo48 (talk) 03:24, 28 June 2018 (UTC)


 * I'm glad you are finally at that point where you acknowledge that. With respect I haven't learnt one single thing about the subject of flags from all our correspondence. But I take it this has been quite an education for you though.


 * Aussieflagfan (talk) 18:24, 28 June 2018 (UTC)


 * A tip for your future survival here. Note that my comments are about the contents of the article. Yours are about me. That's not wise. See WP:NPA HiLo48 (talk) 02:07, 29 June 2018 (UTC)

History section
How about taking this article to the next level and give our readers some of those great and glorious red ensigns of the Anzac tradition? I say yes because there are just so many prime specimens it warrants the inclusion of a part called "The Australian red ensign at war".

Aussieflagfan (talk) 09:07, 30 June 2018 (UTC)

Cleanup tag
I've had another look at this article and I find it to be well referenced and encyclopedic. The subject has really been pretty well treated. What could we look at cleaning up exactly? Aussieflagfan (talk) 16:20, 5 July 2018 (UTC)


 * I suggest you wait until others have a look. There is no rush. HiLo48 (talk) 22:59, 5 July 2018 (UTC)


 * I'm the meantime I'm beginning to master these inline references so I'll get started on that. Aussieflagfan (talk) 11:22, 6 July 2018 (UTC)


 * Excellent idea. Some of us think you should have tried to learn some of these skills long before you got near 500 edits. HiLo48 (talk) 23:03, 6 July 2018 (UTC)

Move discussion in progress
There is a move discussion in progress on Talk:Australian Aboriginal Flag which affects this page. Please participate on that page and not in this talk page section. Thank you. —RMCD bot 00:17, 14 February 2024 (UTC)

The 2020 use of the Red flag
The use of the red flag in 2020 protests wasn’t in anyway trying to disrespect the flag or the people who fought under it except it was the opposite, it was flown for the Anzacs who fought for the freedom we have just to be suppressed by todays government.

to whoever flew the flag upside down ether didn’t know what it mean or the significance of what it means, but also it could have been meaning a sign of distress.

but in my opinion it should have not been flown upside down and the police are right in saying it’s disrespectful.

but they are focusing the the small picture, in the bigger picture all flew it the right way up. 118.208.244.102 (talk) 04:19, 16 May 2024 (UTC)