Flag Adopted: 25 March 1993
Flag Proportion: 1:2
Use: State and Civil Flag
The Australian Capital Territory was founded as a Federal Territory on 1 January 1911, and attained self-government on 4 March 1989, however until recently it did not have a flag of its own.
The flag above replaces one of similar design, with a ochre-red background that had been been used as the City flag of Canberra.
The flag for the Australian Capital Territory was adopted by the ACT Legislative Assembly on 25 March 1993. Competitions were held in 1988 and 1992 in which artists and other interested ACT residents provided a large range of designs for a proposed ACT flag.
Some common features from these entries were incorporated into four design options and these were presented by the ACT Legislative Assembly to the ACT community for its consideration in February and March of 1993. The flag above, designed by Ivo Ostyn, was endorsed as the most popular design.
The flag uses Canberra′s city colours of blue and gold. In the centre of the gold fly is a modified form of the arms of the City of Canberra, whilst the Southern Cross appears in the blue bar at the hoist.
References
Australian Flags
Department of Administrative Services, Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra, 1995.
Information from the Australian Capital Territory Chief Minister.