Australia's Flag: Past and Present

The iconic 1:2 ratio flag of AUSTRALIA, the only country that is a continent, was first adopted on September 3rd, 1901. This was about eight months after Australia's federation and independence from the United Kingdom on New Year's Day 1901. Every year, Australia's National Flag Day is celebrated on September 3rd. Starting more than two centuries ago, Australia's former flag was Great Britain's Union Jack flag in the time periods 1801-23 and 1854-1901; this is because Australia was a colony of Great Britain beginning in the late 1700s. According to Vexilla Mundi, the flags in-between the two time periods consisted of the Union Jack in the top left corner, red narrow vertical and horizontal stripes crossing each other in 1823-31 followed by dark blue stripes in 1831-54, and four eight-pointed stars in 1823-31 followed by five stars in 1831-54. Two flags in the 1901-8 time period featured a six-pointed Star of David below the Union Jack. The current dark blue flag's seven-pointed Commonwealth Star symbolizes Australia's 1901 federation. The Union Jack is still in the top-left corner, and there are five white stars of the Southern Cross constellation (Crux) to the right of it. The Crux post on my Little Astronomy Blog reveals a portion of the significance Crux has in the Southern Hemisphere sky; it is a small constellation outshining many constellations with its five brightest stars.
Australia flag image credit: Flagpedia.net