Flag Adopted: 18 February 1876
Flag Proportion: 1:2
Use: State Flag and Ensign
The flag of New South Wales is a British Blue Ensign defaced with the state badge. The badge depicts the cross of St George in red on a white disc. At the extremity of each arm of the cross is an eight pointed gold star, and in the centre of the cross is a golden lion passant guardant.
The flag was adopted in response to British Admiralty criticisms that the previous flag was too similar to that of Victoria.
The state badge of New South Wales was designed by James Barnet, the Colonial Architect, and Captain Francis Hixson, retired of the Royal Navy who was president of the Marine Board. No meaning of the design was given when it was submitted to London for approval, although it may have been a simplified version of what was then the semi-official arms of NSW.
References
Australian Flags
Department of Administrative Services, Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra, 1995.
Crux Australis
Anthony Burton (Editor), Flag Society of Australia, Melbourne, Australia.
"Australian State Flags (1865-1904): A British Admiralty Legacy", Ralph Kelly, Volume VIII No 4 October 1992.
Flag of Stars
Frank Cayley, Rigby Ltd, Adelaide, 1966.
Flags and Arms Across the World
Dr Whitney Smith, McGraw-Hill, New York, 1980.
Flags of Australia (chart)
John C Vaughan, Standard Publishing House, Sydney, 1983.