Use Civil and state flag Adopted 1993 | Proportion 1:2 | |
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Design A vertical 1:2 bicolour of blue (charged with the Southern Cross) and gold (charged with a modified Coat of arms of Canberra) | ||
The current flag of the Australian Capital Territory was officially adopted by the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly in 1993.
The flag differs from the Australian state flags as it is not a modified (technically defaced) British Blue Ensign. It is similar in design to the flag of the Northern Territory. The flag uses the Canberra city colours of blue and gold (which also happen to be the heraldic colours of Australia). The Southern Cross appears as five white stars on a blue panel at the hoist, whilst in the centre of the gold field in the fly is the modified coat of arms of Canberra city. The flag was designed by Ivo Ostyn.
Even though the Australian Capital Territory has existed since 1909 and was given self-government in 1989, it had never had a flag of its own. Consequently, the government decided that the Territory should adopt a flag. In 1988 and 1992 competitions for a proposed new flag were held, in which artists and residents of the ACT could put forth their designs for the new flag. Subsequently the current flag won the competition. The ACT Legislative Assembly then officially adopted this flag in 1993.
Modified ACT Flag Proposal
Since the ACT flag was first raised in 1993, proposals to modify the design occasionally occur.
Two notable proposals were created by the ACT Flag's designer, Ivo Ostyn. These proposals (one of which is pictured) both replace the Canberra Coat of Arms, which Ostyn argues to be too complex for an effective flag design.
Furthermore, Ostyn has stated that the stylised coat of arms was effectively required by the ACT Chief Minister during its design, and led to a "sub-standard flag".