Australian White Ensign

The Royal Australian Navy Ensign is the ensign flown by ships of the Royal Australian Navy, correctly known as the "Australian White Ensign" or "AWE". The ensign is based on the Australian national flag, which is flown in HMA Ships and Submarines as a jack, with the field changed to white and the Commonwealth Star and southern cross in blue. It has been used since 1 March 1967.

History

At first, Royal Australian Navy ships flew the British White Ensign from the stern, under the direction of the British Admiralty. Australian government ministers, along with their counterparts from other dominions such as Canada, had proposed in 1909 that a White Ensign defaced with a local symbol would be more appropriate, however the Admiralty insisted that the national flag flown from the jackstaff at the bow was sufficient to display the nationality of the ship.

By 1965, Australian forces were fighting in the Vietnam War, a war which did not involve the British, and a member of parliamentclarifyme questioned the appropriateness of using the ensign of another country. At the same time, it was reported in parliament that the Navy were looking for a distinctly Australian ensign. On considering the matter on 21 January 1966, the Naval Board recommended to the Government "that the Royal Australian Navy should have its own unique white ensign", a "white flag with the Union Flag in the upper canton at the hoist with six blue stars positioned as in the Australian flag". The new ensign was granted Royal Assent on 7 November 1966 and announced by the Prime Minister on 23 December 1966. The introduction of the ensign was brought forward from the originally planned date, 1 May 1967, to 1 March, when HMAS "Boonaroo" became the first ship to be commissioned under the Australian white ensign.

References

*cite web |title=Australian White Ensign |publisher=Sea Power Centre - Australia |url=http://www.navy.gov.au/Australian_White_Ensign |accessmonthday=15 September |accessyear=2008
*cite web |title=Naval Flags (Australia) |work=Flags of the World |url=http://www.fotw.net/flags/au^naval.html#ensign |accessmonthday=4 August |accessyear=2005