Thread: Now that's a flag!

Interesting. The Antipodes Islands are pert of New Zealand which is inhabited. The South East corner of my front yard is never trodden on but is still part of my property. I think I'll make a flag for it.

Also interestingly; The fly of the flag, which represents the Antipodes, is inverted. Does this mean that all Antipodean flags should be inverted?

Originally Posted by cuppabillytea

Interesting. The Antipodes Islands are pert of New Zealand which is inhabited. The South East corner of my front yard is never trodden on but is still part of my property. I think I'll make a flag for it.

What a good idea. You got a flag pole? If not, erect one.
My BIL has a flagpole. Makes me jealous. I have a family standard design I would like to fly when I am in residence. I should have a small one made up for the car for when I am driving into battle to work.

Originally Posted by cuppabillytea

Also interestingly; The fly of the flag, which represents the Antipodes, is inverted. Does this mean that all Antipodean flags should be inverted?

I don't see it that way. What makes you interpret it that way?

Originally Posted by Mick_Marsh

I don't see it that way. What makes you interpret it that way?

In 1606, King James 1 of England & Scotland proclaimed " That from henceforth all our subjects of this isle and Kingdome of Great Britaine, and the members thereof, shall beare in their maintoppe the Red Crosse, commonly called S.Georges Crosse, and the White Crosse, commonly called S. Andrews Crosse, joyned together, according to a forme made by our Heralds...." [Spelling deliberate. ] And so the first Union Jack was born. When the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland came into existence on 1 Jan., 1801, a red saltire called the cross of St. Patrick, was chosen to represent Ireland. The new union flag replaced that of 1606.

Looking at the upper hoist union flag, in your post, you see the red saltire of Ireland as the diagonal red stripes from corner to corner. Now look at the union flag in the lower fly in said post. It is a mirror image, and indeed upside down. Or appears that way.

Originally Posted by bob10

In 1606, King James 1 of England & Scotland proclaimed " That from henceforth all our subjects of this isle and Kingdome of Great Britaine, and the members thereof, shall beare in their maintoppe the Red Crosse, commonly called S.Georges Crosse, and the White Crosse, commonly called S. Andrews Crosse, joyned together, according to a forme made by our Heralds...." [Spelling deliberate. ] And so the first Union Jack was born. When the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland came into existence on 1 Jan., 1801, a red saltire called the cross of St. Patrick, was chosen to represent Ireland. The new union flag replaced that of 1606.

Looking at the upper hoist union flag, in your post, you see the red saltire of Ireland as the diagonal red stripes from corner to corner. Now look at the union flag in the lower fly in said post. It is a mirror image, and indeed upside down. Or appears that way.

Did you read he design notes on that flag? I see no indication that it is inverted or upside down.
The canton is in the same orientation as the Australian flag.

Originally Posted by Mick_Marsh

Did you read he design notes on that flag? I see no indication that it is inverted or upside down.
The canton is in the same orientation as the Australian flag.

True Mick but I said it was the fly that was inverted. Have a look at that.

The Canton represents the UK The Motherland and the fly represents the Antipodes. The union Jack in the fly is inverted.

Originally Posted by Mick_Marsh

Did you read he design notes on that flag? I see no indication that it is inverted or upside down.
The canton is in the same orientation as the Australian flag.

The statement was, "the [ lower] fly of the flag, representing the antipodes, is inverted." And in fact, it is. By design, no doubt. The question was," should all antipodean flags be inverted. " The answer is no.

Some interesting history, which explains in part the progression to our national flag, follows.

The new Union flag of 1801 replaced that of 1606 in the cantons of the merchant design, and the red, white and blue ensigns used by the three squadrons of the navy. On 9 july, 1864, an Admiralty order abolished the division of the Navy into squadrons and assigned the white ensign exclusively to the Royal Navy Service, while the red ensign became " the national colours for all British ships". It was decided the blue ensign would " be carried by all vessels employed in the service of any public office".

The use of the blue ensign was extended by the Colonial Defence Act of 1865, which allowed " all vessels belonging to, or permanently in , the service of the Colonies, to use this ensign" with the seal or badge of the Colony in the fly thereof". This act made possible the enormous future growth in the number of flags with the Union Jack in the Canton. More than 100 Colonial ensigns have been in use during the last century, some [ Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Tuvalu,] became, after some alteration, the national flags of independent countries.

Formally the civil ensign of a British colony was always, and still is, an undefaced red ensign. Only a few Dominions and one colony obtained the right to use the British red ensign defaced with a badge. Canada 1892, New Zealand 1899, Australia 1903, South Africa 1910, Bermuda 1915, Isle of Man 1971, Geurnsey 1985, Cayman islands 1988, Gibralter 1996.

The charges on the last two flags are of ancient origin, the golden cross on the civil ensign of Guernsey was the main charge of William the conquerors gonfanon, accorded to him by the Pope before his victory at the battle of Hastings. The ensign of Gibralter displays the arms granted by the King & Queen of Spain 10 july, 1502

The Antipodes Islands are nearly so at the complete opposite of the United Kingdom from down under New Zealand to up over England.

Basically its two British Ensigns - one in the upper hoist and the other in the lower fly. The upper right half is black which represents night, while the lower left half is blue which represent day.
The star on blue represents the sun our closest star, while the star on black represents Alpha Centaur the closest star to the sun.

Note: the mutton birds have no representation in the flag.

Originally Posted by Mick_Marsh

The Antipodes Islands are nearly so at the complete opposite of the United Kingdom from down under New Zealand to up over England.

Basically its two British Ensigns - one in the upper hoist and the other in the lower fly. The upper right half is black which represents night, while the lower left half is blue which represent day.

Note: the mutton birds have no representation in the flag.

The lower Jack is upside down. [ A British ensign is a blue or red flag with the Union Jack displayed in the charge, at the canton, upper hoist]