STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS

Ms FERNANDO (Holt) (13:49): On 3 September, we celebrated 125 years of the Australian national flag. I had the privilege of joining the Speaker of the House, the Hon. Milton Dick, along with community leaders and school students, to raise the flag over Melbourne's Exhibition Building, where it was first raised in 1901.

Since Federation, millions of people have come to Australia from every corner of the world. They have brought their languages, cultures, faiths and traditions and helped shape the country we are today. We may come from different places, but under this flag we share a common home and a common future.

It represents a nation grounded in the world's oldest continuing cultures and strengthened by generations of people who have made Australia their home. Our flag reminds us that we do not need to share the same background to share a deep sense of belonging. We can honour the stories and traditions of where we come from while adding our own chapter to Australia's story.

Our flag belongs to every Australian, and after 125 years it remains a powerful symbol of the country we have built together and a future we continue to shape.