Eureka flag - Australian Flag?

[rustigsmed (Russell)]

ummm no, replacing the union jack with another flag would look terrible. if you do it, you do it like the South africans did it - design something new from scratch (and looks good!). the Aboriginal flag for the australian nation doesn't work as it is for the the Aboriginal people as an ethnic and cultural group only. my fear is that when it changes it looks cheap and terrible, kudos for the kiwis voting down sh!t options IMO. Id also prefer the money spent on something like this go into health care or helping remote communities. what a waste of money.

[strongmanmike (Michael)]

Originally Posted by Kunama

many fought and died under this flag so that we would have the freedoms we enjoy. Perhaps we should show some respect to the flag and those men and women who fought under it, especially as ANZAC day is just around the corner.

As usual, your views may vary.

A flag is not for those that fought and died "under it" ..??? that's plain crazy, rather it is to stand for a nation and what it wishes to see itself as and what it wishes to represent. It stands that 50,000 years ago Indonesians walked onto what is now Australia and became Indigenous Australians...

[Kunama]

Given that a large part of Australia is now owned by Chinese interests, I guess the time will come when a red flag with five stars will represent the majority of Australians.....

Should we change the flag each time the nation's demographic alters? Should we include a little bit of patchwork for each minority group, or should we accept that the nations history includes that which the Union Jack represents as well that which the Southern Cross signifies, being all Australians whether they be of aboriginal heritage or perhaps the children of Italian migrants who choose to call Australia home.

What have we done to earn the right to change the flag that others fought for?

[strongmanmike (Michael)]

Originally Posted by Kunama

Given that a large part of Australia is now owned by Chinese interests, I guess the time will come when a red flag with five stars will represent the majority of Australians.....

Should we change the flag each time the nation's demographic alters? Should we include a little bit of patchwork for each minority group, or should we accept that the nations history includes that which the Union Jack represents as well that which the Southern Cross signifies, being all Australians whether they be of aboriginal heritage or perhaps the children of Italian migrants who choose to call Australia home.

What have we done to earn the right to change the flag that others fought for?

Sorry Matt but I just don't agree that the flag has anything at all to do with who fought any war while it was our flag design..? It should stand for what we are not what we were

Mike

[PCH (Paul)]

We can see the tone of this thread shifting.

We would do well to remember that our opinions are just that - opinions, not facts and other people are entitled to theirs whatever they may be.

For my two bobs worth, does it matter that the aboriginals were here first? Do you hear the poms bleating about the various invasions that formed their heritage? I don't think so. Germanics, Vikings, French - they all came and stayed, and created a present population that rejoices in it's mixed beginnings. And there's not a hint of any of those groups in the UK flag!

Just my 2c. No offence intended.

[blink138 (Pat)]

Originally Posted by PCH

We can see the tone of this thread shifting.

We would do well to remember that our opinions are just that - opinions, not facts and other people are entitled to theirs whatever they may be.

For my two bobs worth, does it matter that the aboriginals were here first? Do you hear the poms bleating about the various invasions that formed their heritage? I don't think so. Germanics, Vikings, French - they all came and stayed, and created a present population that rejoices in it's mixed beginnings. And there's not a hint of any of those groups in the UK flag!

Just my 2c. No offence intended.

bravo paul!
and btw jft96&ynwa, (i am sure you understand)
pat

[Larryp (Laurie)]

Originally Posted by PCH

We can see the tone of this thread shifting.

We would do well to remember that our opinions are just that - opinions, not facts and other people are entitled to theirs whatever they may be.

For my two bobs worth, does it matter that the aboriginals were here first? Do you hear the poms bleating about the various invasions that formed their heritage? I don't think so. Germanics, Vikings, French - they all came and stayed, and created a present population that rejoices in it's mixed beginnings. And there's not a hint of any of those groups in the UK flag!

Just my 2c. No offence intended.

Well said, Paul

[AndrewJ]

At the opposite end is the CFMEU. Fined a million dollars for their thuggery.

At least the unions were charged with an "honest days" thuggery.
Aren't "professional associations" that actively protect their members from prosecution or revue, and run "closed shops"
also "unions" in the context of this argument???
I know which group gets away with more theft, bribery etc.
Its just harder to prosecute the white collar side of things.

Andrew
I want a commission into the lot of them.

Re the flag, its what we grew up under
I didn't change/discard my parents just because i grew up
so why change the flag. If we change it now for some
selfish reason, when do we change it next????

[Nikolas (Nik)]

Originally Posted by PCH

We can see the tone of this thread shifting.

We would do well to remember that our opinions are just that - opinions, not facts and other people are entitled to theirs whatever they may be.

For my two bobs worth, does it matter that the aboriginals were here first? Do you hear the poms bleating about the various invasions that formed their heritage? I don't think so. Germanics, Vikings, French - they all came and stayed, and created a present population that rejoices in it's mixed beginnings. And there's not a hint of any of those groups in the UK flag!

Just my 2c. No offence intended.

Well said Paul

[csb (Craig)]

Originally Posted by PCH

. . . created a present population that rejoices in it's mixed beginnings.

That is the difference between the two situations. The aborigines do not rejoice in what we have. They were denied involvement in the new country and were pushed aside.

We can all see the problems that Aboriginals have. Poverty, health, serious domestic issues, little education, relience on gov. benefits plus their attitude to white Australia, causing other Australians to not want to live next door to Aborigines - they are not accepted in their own country.

So I wouldn't think they enjoy the symbolisms of the current flag.

[Merlin66 (Ken)]

Aboriginal populations all round the world have similar issues....
Many want to maintain their "traditional" beliefs and culture but also want to be included in the current economic and social/ medical benefits available to the developed nations.....
Not an easy problem and certainly not an easy solution.

[csb (Craig)]

I posted that to demonstrate why I think the Aboriginal flag with sone adaption would be suitable for Australia.

[PCH (Paul)]

Originally Posted by csb

That is the difference between the two situations. The aborigines do not rejoice in what we have. They were denied involvement in the new country and were pushed aside.

We can all see the problems that Aboriginals have. Poverty, health, serious domestic issues, little education, relience on gov. benefits plus their attitude to white Australia, causing other Australians to not want to live next door to Aborigines - they are not accepted in their own country.

So I wouldn't think they enjoy the symbolisms of the current flag.

I get what you're saying, but I'm pretty sure that when the Romans and Normans and Vikings and so claimed Britain, they also pushed aside the local population in ways far more horrid than did the colonial settlers with the aboriginals here. But I do take the points you raise about living next door etc.

On a different note, I think instead of 'sorry', we should have a national 'thank you' movement where we give thanks that it was the Brits that rocked up here. Ok it may not have been perfect, may not still be perfect, but the Anglophile countries are among the best and most civilised places to live today. And if it had been the Japs or Chinese that had turned up instead, the locals would possibly have been treated way more harshly - maybe even have been on the menu!

Just a thought.

[strongmanmike (Michael)]

Originally Posted by csb

So we agree, Mike, I said some unions.

I am a member of the ANMF - a union that sincerely is for workers' rights and also holds up the rights of the general public.

At the opposite end is the CFMEU. Fined a million dollars for their thuggery.

Yeah sorry Craig, you indeed did say some granted it's just that it is always these few that get focused on and all the good ones that make such a difference for so many, even those that aren't members of any union! annoys me a tad

Mike

[csb (Craig)]

Oh yes, I'm certainly glad it was the British who started settlement here. If it was another nation I may have been born in Ireland/England or Germany, as per my ancestry. I prefer Australia.

[torana68 (Roger)]

could have been Dutch as they were here before Cpt. COOK

[xelasnave]

Maybe a black flag with nice round stars?
Alex

[Regulus (Trevor)]

It's unfortunate that the Eureka flag has the associations that it does. It would be a nice design, IS a nice design, for an Australian flag, but it's use in a 'revolution' will thwart any plans to see it raised above Parliament House. Any committee formed to decide and select a set of contenders will not include this in the set.
Unfortunate really.

[Matt Wastell (Matt)]

Let's just remove the Union Jack & replace it with 51 white stars on a blue background

[wushufinger (Chris)]

Originally Posted by Nikolas

Just replace the union jack with the Aboriginal flag in the corner
End of story

This.