AntiTransportation League (Australasia)

Last modified: 2003-04-19 by jonathan dixon
Keywords: australia | australasia | antitransportation league | stars:southern cross |
Links: FOTW homepage | search | disclaimer and copyright | write us | mirrors

• Description of the flag
• Tasmanian local version

See also:

• Australia
• Historical Australian Flags

From Flags of Australia [vau83]:

The League was formed in 1851 to campaign against the continuance of convict transportation to Australia and New Zealand. The flag of the League featured a gold Southern Cross on a Blue Ensign. A white border usually featured the League's name, year of institution and identified the colony in which it was flown. The five stars of the Southern Cross were said to represent the colonial settlements in Tasmania, Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia and New Zealand. The League's flag strongly resembles the Australian National Flag and its influence can be seen in the design of the flag of Victoria.

Carol Foley in The Australian Flag deals with the Australasian Anti-Transportation League, and its flag, on pages 38-39. The name refers to their purpose of ending transportation of criminals to their parts. The leagues was formed in 1851 by federating several local societies in all antipodean colonies excpet Western Australia, which still depended on transported convicts for labor. In 1853 transportation to the other colonies was ended, and the league disbanded. Foley's illustration shows the white border clean, but her text says that local societies usually lettered it with the league's name, the local society's name, and the date of the league's formation. The league was dissolved in 1853
John Ayer, 1,2 November 2000

In October, I came across an image at the Australian archives of the flag of the Australasian League, dated 1851. It shows the Southern Cros on a British blue ensign. It is shown on a discolored fabric. Whether the flag was mounted on this for exhibit purposes or as a border to the flag, I don't know. Above the flag it reads "Australasian League", to the right on the fly side "Tasmania". The lower portion, however, is illegible to me.
Phil Nelson, 28 Jan 2000

If the image is of the same as previously published in Frank Cayley's "Flag of Stars", then the white border on three sides of the flag is part of the original design. The text reads "AUSTRALASIAN LEAGUE." on top edge, "TASMANIA" on fly edge and "INSTITUTED 1851." on the bottom edge (but lettering is mirror reversed). Here is my drawing of the AntiTransportation League Flag.
Ralph Kelly, 29 Jan 2000