AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL FLAG DAY – MONDAY 3RD SEPTEMBER
The Member for Berowra, Philip Ruddock MP today called on residents to show their national pride on Monday 3rd September 2007 and celebrate Australian National Flag Day by flying the Australian National Flag.
“I encourage local schools, organisations, businesses and community groups and homes in my electorate of Berowra to proudly fly the Australian National Flag and commemorate its 106th birthday,” Mr Ruddock said.
Australian National Flag Day commemorates the first occasion the flag was flown.
On this day 106 years ago, the then Prime Minister Edmund Barton, announced the results of a world wide competition to select our National Flag.
“In our electorate, the flag has become a cherished national symbol, proudly waved at sports events, on significant occasions and at our local councils,” Philip Ruddock said.
“It is a popular focus of pride in times of celebration and a powerful symbol of unity in times of sorrow.”
The Australian National Flag’s design was chosen in an international competition from more than 32,000 entries.
The three elements of the flag’s design represent part of our heritage as a nation: The Union Jack recognises Australia’s historical links with Great Britain, while the seven pointed Commonwealth Star symbolises the unity of Australia’s six states and its territories. The Southern Cross - visible only in the skies of the Southern Hemisphere - is a reminder of Australia’s location in the world.