Australia's Flags: The National, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flags
What the Australian National Flag, Aboriginal Flag and Torres Strait Islander Flag look like, what their colours and symbols mean, and key test facts.
Australia has three official flags: the Australian National Flag, the Australian Aboriginal Flag, and the Torres Strait Islander Flag. Each one tells part of the national story, and questions about their design and meaning often appear in the citizenship test.
The Australian National Flag
The Australian National Flag was first flown in 1901, the year of Federation. It has a dark blue background with three main elements:
- The Union Jack in the upper left corner — representing Australia's history of British settlement and the institutions inherited from Britain
- The Commonwealth Star below the Union Jack — a large white star with seven points. Six points represent the six states, and the seventh represents the territories
- The Southern Cross on the right side — a constellation of five white stars that can be seen in the night sky of the Southern Hemisphere
The flag is flown on government buildings and at national events, and Australians fly it proudly on days such as Australia Day and Anzac Day. Australian National Flag Day is marked on 3 September.
The Australian Aboriginal Flag
The Aboriginal Flag was designed by Harold Thomas, a Luritja man, and first flown in 1971. It is divided horizontally into two halves with a circle in the centre:
- Black (top half) — represents the Aboriginal people of Australia
- Red (bottom half) — represents the red earth and the spiritual relationship to the land
- Yellow circle (centre) — represents the sun, the giver of life
The Torres Strait Islander Flag
The Torres Strait Islander Flag was designed by Bernard Namok and adopted in 1992. Its design includes:
- Green stripes at the top and bottom — representing the land
- A blue panel in the centre — representing the sea
- Thin black lines — representing the Torres Strait Islander people
- A white dhari (headdress) in the centre — a symbol of Torres Strait Islander identity
- A white five-pointed star beneath the dhari — representing the island groups of the Torres Strait; white is a symbol of peace
Official Status
In 1995, the Aboriginal Flag and the Torres Strait Islander Flag were proclaimed as official Flags of Australia under the Flags Act 1953. Today you will often see all three flags flown together at government buildings, schools and events, recognising Australia's First Peoples alongside the national flag.
Other National Symbols
The flags are part of a wider set of national symbols, including the Commonwealth Coat of Arms, the national colours of green and gold, the national floral emblem the golden wattle, the national gemstone the opal, and the national anthem Advance Australia Fair.
Common Test Questions
- What do the seven points of the Commonwealth Star represent? (The six states and the territories)
- What does the yellow circle on the Aboriginal Flag represent? (The sun)
- What does the green on the Torres Strait Islander Flag represent? (The land)
- How many official flags does Australia have? (Three)
A Memory Tip
For the Aboriginal Flag, think "top to bottom, people to land, sun in the middle". For the Torres Strait Islander Flag, think "green land, blue sea, black people, white peace".
Practise Symbols Questions
Flags and national symbols are high-value topics because the facts are fixed and easy to learn. CitiZen AU helps you practise them with bilingual English and Vietnamese explanations, then test yourself under exam conditions with a full mock test.