The Aboriginal Flag
HistoryThe Aboriginal Flag was designed by Harold Thomas, a Luritja man from Central Australia. It was created as a symbol of unity and national identity for Aboriginal people during the land rights movement of the early 1970s. Gary Foley took the flag to the East Coast where it was promoted and eventually recognized as the official flag of the Australian Aboriginal people.
- • The flag was first flown at Victoria Square in Adelaide on National Aborigines Day, 12 July 1971.
- • The flag was chosen as the official flag for the Aboriginal Tent Embassy and was flown there in 1972.
- • In 1995, the Australian Government proclaimed the flag as an official ‘Flag of Australia’ under section 5 of the Flags Act 1953.
- • In 1997, Harold Thomas was recognised as the author of the artistic work under the Copyright Act 1968.
The symbolic meaning of the flag colours (as stated by Mr. Harold Thomas) are:
- • Black: Represents the Aboriginal people of Australia.
- • Red: Represents the earth, the red ochre and spiritual relation to the land.
- • Yellow: Represents the Sun, the giver of life and protector.
Harold Thomas was born in Alice Springs; his mother a Luritja woman and his father a Wombai man. He was sent to St. Francis’ Anglican boys home in Adelaide and in 1965 won a scholarship to the South Australian School of Art, being the first Aboriginal to graduate from an Australian Art School. He also has an Honorary Degree in Social Anthropology from Adelaide University. In 1970 he started working as a survey artist at the South Australian Museum, where he designed the flag. Since then, Harold has continued to work as an artist, with his works on display in several Australian galleries.
Copyright
In 1997, the Federal Court of Australia officially recognised Harold Thomas as the author of the flag. This protects the flag under the Copyright Act 1968 and so it may be only reproduced with this legislation or with the permission of Mr. Thomas.
