Civil Air Ensign (Australia)

Last modified: 2005-06-17 by jonathan dixon
Keywords: australia | civil air ensign | stars: southern cross |
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• Australian Civil Air Ensign 1948
• Australian Civil Air Ensign 1935-48

See also

• Australia
• Historical Australian flags

Australian civil air ensign

by Calvin Paige Herring and António Martins

This flag was based upon the British civil air ensign, and was adopted in 1935. Note that:

1. The Southern Cross turns some 45 degrees anti-clockwise, and
2. The stars were originally yellow, but were changed to white in 1948.

Unlike its British and New Zealand counterparts, this flag was kept 'alive' for many years, as the Civil Aviation Authority used this flag as its logo, until the CAA was disbanded a few years ago.
Miles Li, 2 Feb 1999

On the Sydney Morning Herald website today [15 Feb], there is an article on talks to give Singapore Airlines access to the Sydney-Los Angeles route. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2005/02/15/1108230002421.html The accompanying photo shows the Australian and Singapore transport ministers, in front of what looks like the Australian blue ensign, red ensign and civil air ensign. It appears that the civil air ensign is still in use, at least by the transport minister.
Jonathan Dixon, 15 Feb 2005

In the flag exhibition at the York International Congress of Vexillology there was an Australian Civil Air Ensign on display (Collection of Bruce Berry). The Southern Cross seemed to be tilted a bit more than 45%, so that the seven-pointed stars point upwards again, thus tilted by 51.4°.
Marcus Schmöger, 11 Nov 2001

by Marcus Schmöger, 11 Nov 2001

by António Martins