National Flag Day at the Royal Exhibition Building

Our national symbols, whether it is the wattle, the opal or the National Flag, are more just emblems. They capture the Australian story, where we have come from, and the future we are building together. On 1 January 1901, the Commonwealth of Australia was born.

In May that year, members of Australia’s first Parliament assembled right here in the Exhibition Building where we stand today. There were 12,000 invited guests. Over 100,000 people celebrated on the streets of Melbourne.

And later that month, the Duchess of York used a golden key to touch a button that flashed a telegraph message to stations across the country. The message was three words. Hoist the flag An estimated 650,000 schoolchildren nationwide watched the flag being raised in celebration of our new Parliament.

Except the flag they saw raised was not our own. We had our own Parliament, but we did not have our own flag. Did we leave it to our new Parliament to sort it out?

Of course not. We made it a competition, open to everyone. Nearly 1 in every 100 Australians put forward an idea.

All up, 32,000 flag options were on the table. News reporting about the submitted ideas was… mixed. One article described the designs as a combination of “artistic, inartistic and, in many instances, weird.” Included in the weird category was a design with native animals playing cricket.

And while I am sure many Australians would happily salute a wombat playing a cover drive... ... the judges opted for the design we celebrate today. Five designers were declared joint winners: Annie Dorrington, an artist from Perth… … Ivor Evans, a 14-year-old from Melbourne… … Leslie Hawkins, an apprentice optician from Sydney… … Egbert Nuttall, a Melbourne architect… … and William Stevens, of the Union Steamship Company of New Zealand… 125 years ago today, at 2.30pm, their winning design was raised atop the flagstaff of the Exhibition Building.

At 60 square metres, it was about the size of an average one-bedroom Melbourne apartment today. Even the Melbourne weather co-operated, with the flag’s unfurling boosted by a heavy south-westerly breeze. Although we now had a national flag, it was not until 1954 that the came into effect and was formally recognised it in law.

A slight delay ... but what could be more Australian than getting on with the job first and then sorting out the paperwork later? Of course, our national story did not begin in 1954, or 1901, or 1788. The flag features the iconic constellation of the Southern Cross, under which Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have lived for more than 65,000 years.

The fact that Australia's story stretches back more than 65,000 years is, rightly, something all Australians can be proud of. That is why under the official we also honour the flags that represent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The Aboriginal flag, designed by Harold Thomas, had its copyright transferred to the Commonwealth in 2022, ensuring it remains freely accessible to all Australians as a symbol of unity and respect.

The Torres Strait Islander flag, designed by Bernard Namok, was adopted in 1992. It stands proudly for the strength, seafaring heritage and unity of Torres Strait Islander peoples. And these flags stand proudly behind me today as we reflect on the events of 1901 and the nation we have continued to build together.

These flags represent Australia, for all Australians, that draws strength from its history, confidence from its diversity, and optimism for its future. Subscribe and stay up to date Connect with us PM&C acknowledges the traditional owners and custodians of country throughout Australia and acknowledges their continuing connection to land, water and community. We pay our respects to the people, the cultures and the elders past, present and emerging.