Southern Cross reversed on flag!

astro744 · #1 31-01-2010, 07:19 PM

Anyone else notice the Southern Cross reversed on the Australian flag at the Fromelles ceremony? (The one on the flag pole).

Ten News had a closeup that showed a stitch down the centre of the flag and to me it looks like the right (Southern Cross) side was reversed when stitching the two halves of the flag together.

Whatever the reason someone, anyone, SHOULD have picked that up before it was flown. Did we provide the flag or the French? Anyone know?

Inmykombi (Geoff) · #2 31-01-2010, 07:34 PM

I have tried searching for the news but cant find it.
Can you post a web-site so I can have a squiz.

geoffro

PCH (Paul) · #3 31-01-2010, 07:40 PM

There's an interesting short article about it here, but no sign of the offending flag

http://www.watoday.com.au/world/poig...0131-n600.html

astro744 · #4 31-01-2010, 07:55 PM

Right at the begining of the clip you can just see it. The fifth star in the Cross is on the left (should be right).

The best footage was on Ten News (close-up shot). I'm searching the web for more videos and I'll post a link if I find any.

http://uk.reuters.com/news/video?vid...ideoChannel=75

Press pause immediately after the Reuters music and logo end.

I'm trying to find where Ten News get their news bideo from as they had the best footage.

leinad (Dan) · #5 31-01-2010, 08:41 PM

Fullscreen zoom here, certainly looks odd.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haj6ei8mD60

Screwdriverone (Chris) · #6 31-01-2010, 09:09 PM

Quelqu'un aurait dû leur botter le cul pour cette

Cheers

Chris

CarlJoseph (Carl) · #7 01-02-2010, 01:39 PM

That's totally strange. Here's a snapshot of from the YouTube vid.

Lumen Miner (Mitchell) · #8 01-02-2010, 02:57 PM

Ummmm, it's not just the southern cross guys, the whole flag is totally off.

We have 5 states? Thats a pentagon.

multiweb (Marc) · #9 01-02-2010, 02:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Screwdriverone

Quelqu'un aurait dû leur botter le cul pour cette

Cheers

Chris

I reckon the first part of the video must have been mirrored. They often do that in still shots too when working out composition and other stuff.

CarlJoseph (Carl) · #10 01-02-2010, 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by multiweb

I reckon the first part of the video must have been mirrored. They often do that in still shots too when working out composition and other stuff.

Can't be. Even if they mirrored it, the original would still be incorrect. The 5th star should be on the outside edge of the flag - furtherest from the union jack. Mirrors shouldn't change that position.

Screwdriverone (Chris) · #11 01-02-2010, 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by multiweb

I reckon the first part of the video must have been mirrored. They often do that in still shots too when working out composition and other stuff.

I knew you would have been the first to comment on my quote Marc!

Cheers

Chris

multiweb (Marc) · #12 01-02-2010, 05:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Screwdriverone

I knew you would have been the first to comment on my quote Marc!

Cheers

Chris

Couldn't help it. That's the kind of comment my mum would tell my brother or myself if we got on her wrong side. Nearly correct spelling too.

bartman (Bart) · #13 01-02-2010, 05:37 PM

"Quelqu'un aurait dû leur botter le cul pour cette"

TRUE!

michaellxv (Michael) · #14 01-02-2010, 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lumen Miner

Ummmm, it's not just the southern cross guys, the whole flag is totally off.

We have 5 states? Thats a pentagon.

That's disgracefull. I'm surprised there hasn't been more fuss made in the media.

bartman (Bart) · #15 01-02-2010, 05:49 PM

Does anyone know where we could send this post too? Ie some media outlet that would take on this discovery.

CarlJoseph (Carl) · #16 01-02-2010, 07:13 PM

The Commonwealth/Federation Star is indeed correct on the flag, so the Southern Cross orientation seems to be the only wrong thing about this.

Here is a better shot of the flag where you can see all 7 points of the Comm/Fed star.

I also have a few media savvy friends so will see what coverage I can muster through them.

astro744 · #17 01-02-2010, 07:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lumen Miner

Ummmm, it's not just the southern cross guys, the whole flag is totally off.

We have 5 states? Thats a pentagon.

No it's not a Pentagon as it definitely has 7 points so that part is correct. The image of the flag I have has a distinct seam down the middle and my guess is the right hand side was sewn together reversed.

As I said last night, Ten News had a close-up in their 5pm news yesterday but they did not comment on the flag.

So far I have notified:

Today (Nine) - automated response saying thanks but we cant read every e-mail.
ABC2 Breakfast - no reply to e-mail.
Local Radio - too late to bring up in morning show.
Australian War Memorial - said to contact Veteran Affairs.
Veteran Affairs - said to contact Department of Defence.
Department of Defence - said I was incorrect but I was entitled to my opinion. They gave me a special Fromelles 1800 number.
Left a voice message with this number but no reply.
Sent e-mail to local newspaper but no reply.

Also rang Ten News in Sydney and they said they would look into it, but nothing on today's 5pm News.

My main concern is that we are flying and incorrect flag. How embarrassing!!!

Soldiers are being buried under the wrong flag.
Who supplied this flag, Australia or France? If Australia, how many others are there like it? Where are they made?

I cannot post the image I captured due to copyright (Ten footage) but there is enough evidence online to show the incorrect flag.

I was most surprised with the DoD response basically saying I was wrong and they couldn't have possibly got it wrong. It too puzzles me that no one at the ceremony saw the error. Perhaps being an astronomer would help but still it is our flag and when so many people are debating on whether to get rid of the Union Jack, we cannot even get the Southern Cross part right!

I'm not going to let this go until someone recognizes the error. I started doubting myself but each time I examined the image I knew I was correct. There is no way a normal flag could display the Southern Cross this way without the Union Jack also being reversed.

CarlJoseph (Carl) · #18 01-02-2010, 07:54 PM

Well done Astro. Let me know where I can apply some pressure. I've posted it on my blog, facebook, twitter, etc.

I might give some of those places a call tomorrow as well. If they get enough comments then perhaps they'll pay attention.

astro744 · #19 01-02-2010, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Afro Boy

Well done Astro. Let me know where I can apply some pressure. I've posted it on my blog, facebook, twitter, etc.

I might give some of those places a call tomorrow as well. If they get enough comments then perhaps they'll pay attention.

Thanks. I finally got in touch with the editor of the local paper and they are likely to run with the story overnight if they find enough evidence.

I kind of got the feeling all day that no one really cared that the flag was portrayed incorrectly. Makes me wonder why we want to change it!

I guess the RSL would be interested too but I'll see what happens overnight.

CarlJoseph (Carl) · #20 01-02-2010, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by astro744

I finally got in touch with the editor of the local paper and they are likely to run with the story overnight if they find enough evidence.

Great work. Here's hoping they run with it. Which local paper?