What does Aboriginal flag represent?

The Aboriginal Flag is divided horizontally into equal halves of black (top) and red (bottom), with a yellow circle in the centre. The black symbolises Aboriginal people. The yellow represents the sun, the constant re-newer of life. Red depicts the earth and peoples’ relationship to the land.

How old is the Aboriginal flag?

The Aboriginal flag was first displayed on 12 July 1971 on National Aborigines Day, at Victoria Square in Adelaide. It was also used at the Tent Embassy in Canberra in 1972. In June 1995, the Australian Government proclaimed the Aboriginal flag as an official ‘Flag of Australia’ under section 5 of the Flags Act 1953.

Who invented the Aboriginal flag?

Harold Thomas
The Aboriginal flag, for the first time, can now be freely used by all Australians. That’s because Harold Thomas, the man who designed the flag, agreed to transfer its copyright to the Commonwealth after a prolonged legal dispute over the flag’s use.

When was the Aboriginal flag first used?

9 July 1971
The flag was first flown on National Aborigines Day in Victoria Square in Adelaide on 9 July 1971. It was also used in Canberra at the Aboriginal Tent Embassy from late 1972.

What do the 3 elements of the Aboriginal flag represent?

The meaning of the three colours in the flag, as stated by Harold Thomas, is: Black – represents the Aboriginal people of Australia. Red – represents the red earth, the red ochre used in ceremonies and Aboriginal people’s spiritual relation to the land. Yellow disk – represents the Sun, the giver of life and protector.

Who painted the Aboriginal flag?

man Harold Thomas
The Aboriginal flag was designed in 1971 by Luritja man Harold Thomas. Harold was a graduate of the South Australian School of Art. He was inspired to design one after attending a protest march in 1970.

How much is the Aboriginal flag worth?

‘It belongs to everyone’: Australian government buys rights to Aboriginal flag for $14 million. Australia’s government has bought the copyright to the Aboriginal flag, making it freely available for public use and ending a longstanding battle over the design.

Why was the Aboriginal flag sold?

The Australian government has bought the Aboriginal flag’s copyright in a bid to “free” the symbol of identity from bitter fights over who can use it. Indigenous artist Harold Thomas created the flag in 1971 as a protest image but it is now the dominant Aboriginal emblem and an official national flag.

Where was the Aboriginal flag first flown?

Adelaide
A potent symbol of Aboriginal Australia recognised the world-over, this flag first ruffled in the wind in Adelaide in 1971.

Who owns the Aboriginal flag and why?

The Aboriginal flag has long been a symbol of resistance and unity for Indigenous people in Australia. Although the copyright settlement is a practical solution to a controversial problem, not everybody is pleased the federal government now owns the exclusive rights to reproduce the Aboriginal flag.