Original Item: Only One Available. This large flag is the ‘Excelsior’ heavy cotton flag and is complete with metal hooks. There is a minor amount of staining on the large white 7 point star stain, though more importantly, the overall condition is very good, there are no tears or holes and the colors are still very vivid.

The flag of Australia is a defaced Blue Ensign; a blue field with the Union Flag in the canton, and a large white seven-pointed star known as the Commonwealth Star in the lower hoist quarter. The fly contains a representation of the Southern Cross constellation, made up of five white stars – one small five-pointed star and four, larger, seven-pointed stars.

The flag still has the manufacturers label present on the hoist side header:

EVAN EVANS PTY. LTD.
610 ELIZABETH ST.
MELBOURNE
THE OFFICIAL
FLAGMAKERS
FOR XVITH OLYMPIAD
WITH BRITISH EMPIRE
& C’WEALTH GAMES

This tag would denote that the flag was made around 1956, when the XVIth Olympiad was held in Melbourne. There is also a tag for bunting. The flag measures in at 70in long and 31in high, and is in very good condition, having been well taken care of. Ready for display or to fly!

History of Australia’s Flag
The flag of Australia is based on the British Blue Ensign—a blue field with the Union Jack in the upper hoist quarter—augmented with a large white seven-pointed star (the Commonwealth Star) and a representation of the Southern Cross constellation, made up of five white stars (one small five-pointed star and four, larger, seven-pointed stars). There are other official flags representing Australia, its people and core functions of government.

The flag's original design (with a six-pointed Commonwealth Star) was chosen in 1901 from entries in a competition held following the Federation, and was first flown in Melbourne on 3 September 1901, the date proclaimed as Australian National Flag Day. A slightly different design was approved by King Edward VII in 1903. The current seven-pointed Commonwealth Star version was introduced by a proclamation dated 8 December 1908. The dimensions were formally gazetted in 1934, and in 1954 the flag became recognised by, and legally defined in, the Flags Act 1953, as the Australian National Flag.