What does the Red Cross on the Australian flag mean?
‘ In times of war, a red cross on a white background means ‘don’t shoot’. It shows that impartial assistance is available for anyone who needs it, with no discrimination to what side they belong to.
Did the Australian flag used to be red?
With the Act, the blue version became the Australian national flag, and the red version used only for maritime use. Before 1953, it was technically illegal for non-Commonwealth agencies and individuals to even fly the blue ensign on land!
What is the history of the Red Cross symbol?
The red cross emblem came into existence more than 150 years ago when the Geneva Conventions adopted it to protect medical personnel assisting the wounded on the battlefield. Soon after, the emblem was also adopted to identify the humanitarian services of Red Cross societies around the world.
What was the original Australian flag?
In 1903, King Edward VII approved two designs for the flag of Australia: the Commonwealth blue ensign, and the Commonwealth red ensign, for the merchant Navy. On both ensigns, the stars of the Southern Cross were simplified to four seven-pointed stars and one five pointed star.
What was the Australian flag before 1954?
What is now the Australian national flag was created soon after Federation in a competition in which nearly 33,000 people took part. However, for the next 50 years Australia’s official flag was the British flag, the Union Jack. This changed in 1954 when the Flags Act came into effect.
Why was the Australian flag changed from red to blue?
When the Commonwealth Government announced a competition to design a flag for Australia in 1901, entrants were asked to send a design for two flags – one for official and naval purposes and the other for merchant ships. This resulted in a Blue Ensign and a Red Ensign.
When was the Australian flag changed from red to blue?
1953
1953 – Flag Act: The Blue Ensign is confirmed by legislation as the chief national symbol by law, custom and tradition and its official title becomes the “Australian National Flag”.
Did Anzacs fight under a red flag?
During the war, Australians fought under the British Union Flag and both the Australian Blue and Red Ensigns. The Blue Ensign was intended for official and Royal Australian Navy purposes, while the Red Ensign was the official flag for Australian registered merchant ships.
Where did the Red Cross flag come from?
The design of the Red Cross originate from the First Geneva Convention in 1864. The symbol represents an inverted Swiss flag as a tribute to Henry Dunant, the Swiss founder of the International Committee of the Red Cross. First historic depiction of the Swiss flag at the Battle of Laupen, June 21, 1339.
Why is the symbol of the Red Cross a Red Cross?
Origin of the emblems The Red Cross emblem is an inversion of the Swiss flag (the flag is a white cross on a red background). This recognises the historic connection between Switzerland and the original Geneva Convention of 1864.