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On July 12, 1971…
The Australian Aboriginal flag was flown for the
first time – in Adelaide's Victoria Square – to
commemorate National Aborigines Day. Despite
this milestone, the flag wasn't officially recognised
as a flag of Australia until July 14, 1995, under
Labor politician and then Governor-General
Bill Hayden.
The Australian Aboriginal flag was designed by
Harold Thomas. An Aboriginal artist and activist,
Thomas incorporated symbolic colours into the flag's
design: the black represents the Aboriginal people; the
yellow circle signifies the sun, the giver of life; and the
red reflects the earth, red ochre and the Aboriginal
people's spiritual connection to the land.
Since its inaugural public appearance, the Australian
Aboriginal flag has been incorporated into several events
of Indigenous activism and reconciliation. It was flown
at the Aboriginal Tent Embassy in Canberra in 1972;
at Olympic venues during the Sydney 2000 Olympic
Games; and, for the first time, alongside the Australian
flag atop Sydney Harbour Bridge to commemorate
Australia Day 2013. Fittingly, since 2002, the Australian
Aboriginal flag has taken up permanent residence in
Victoria Square, where it first came to prominence.
