Golden Ochre, Blue Down Under
Golden ochre, blue down under Antony Burton Abstract In a land of ancestral ochres, of endless horizons beyond the blue, the persistence of blue and gold in Australian flags and symbols since European settlement is explored and explained. Con- clusions are drawn as to their enduring significance, and implications sketched that could influ- ence flag innovations in the future. The essential criteria are respect for a sense of national be- longing and a place in the sun, in a design striking enough to claim distinctiveness in a field al- ready favoured internationally. Archive and other sources offer clues. Lesser known aspects of Australian vexillo-hagiography are brought to light, suggesting that the livery of green and yel- low, suited perhaps to flags of equatorial zones, should be returned to Brazil. Preamble Though a land of golden ochres, Australia’s flag is mostly blue. The Flags Act 1953 defines it in part as “a blue flag”.1 Why blue? For many, Australia still lies mentally as well as literally at the other end of the world. It is out there beyond the blue. It is still hazardous to get there, especially by boat, as even Norwegian captains have found.2 Australia is an island — a very large one. It is set not simply in sea but by whole oceans on three sides. A complex nation of blending cultures, Australia has developed its notion of nation from a British colonial toehold on the Pacific. Among several discernible flag families, and as shown by the 15 in Figure 1, blue seems to be the colour of the Pacific.
[Show full text]