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- I record
history. I do not write fairy stories where Prince Charming always ends
up with the Beautiful Princess living happily ever after. If the things recorded here upset you, I
am sorry, but it is WHAT HAPPENED.
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This is an indication of
how the rest of the world viewed Australia's flag, blue or red.
This 1916 French postcard purports to show the flags of all the
Allies in 1916. One has to assume that the Union Jack represents
all the Empire nations as the flags of Australia, New Zealand,
Canada, India, Cape Colony (Sth Africa) are all missing. (USA was
still neutral) |
| "The
flags of the Allies". Front to back:- France, Belgium,
Britain, Russia, Serbia and Japan |
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There is no
organisation more Australian than the RSL. From 1916 to 1940 it was
called the Returned Sailors and Soldiers Imperial League of Australia
(RSSILA). This illustration clearly shows the position that they saw as
correct for the Union Jack, which after all was seen as representing the
entire Empire
Note should be made of the word
Imperial, ie part of Empire, in the name of the organisation. This is
another indication of how people viewed the world and Australia's part
in it. |
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Manufactured 'History' |
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- This famous painting is used
to "prove" that Australians used the Blue Ensign. Two
things;
- 1) no serious historian claims
that they didn't use the Blue Ensign, it's just that some people
claim
that they didn't use the Red Ensign as well and
- 2) the Officer concerned admitted
that this painting was a complete fabrication. The flag he
placed on the pill box was actually cut off a jam tin label. It
was advertising. So was the painting.
- In another indication that
the painting was a figment of the imagination of an artist a
long way away from the front line ask yourself, 'would the
second soldier in the picture really be running into battle with
his rifle slung over his back?' and 'would any sensible Officer
make such a target of himself in the middle of a large battle?'.
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Let's admit that it is
a stirring heroic painting, . . . . and a piece of propaganda.
- It is acknowledged that when two
flags are displayed the more important or 'senior' flag takes the
position of left hand side facing.
- So it is that were the Australian
and New Zealand flags flown together in Australia the Australian Flag
would be the senior. Were they flown in NZ the reverse would apply.
Should they both be flown in Patagonia they would BOTH be junior to
the Patagonian National Flag.
- In Australia today no national flag
can correctly be flown in a superior position to the Australian
National Flag.
- Also the word Ensign denotes an
inferior or junior flag, one that is less important than the senior flag it
comes from. That is why the current Australian Red Ensign is junior
to the Australian NATIONAL Flag now but was at the same level with
the Australian Blue Ensign in 1914/18 and they were both junior to
the flag of the UK, which was recognised as the flag of the Empire,
the Union Flag sometimes called Union Jack.
- For the same reason the Australian
Blue and Red Ensigns were junior to the Union Jack even after the
Empire ceased to exist until the
Australian Blue Ensign officially became the Australian
NATIONAL Flag.
- The reproduced photos show
that although Australia and Australians felt a very strong local
affinity and a strong desire to be seen as Australian they also saw
the Mother Country and the Union Jack as being the senior partner in
any arrangement and called themselves British Subjects.
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