It would be interesting to learn where Judith Law (Letters, NDL, September 9) found that members of all major political parties declared their support for a republic and a change of flag.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Judith Law is a nice lady but her view is anachronistic.
Australia is certainly not dependant on, nor do we need to be grateful to Great Britain and we certainly don’t need to tell that to the world.
She mentions historical relevance, but we don’t need historical relevance as much as we need present day and future relevance.
1 – Our first settlers were cast offs. Britain didn’t want them.
2 – Approximately 70 per cent of our present population was not born in Great Britain, and most of those who were, came here to escape the sort of life they lived.
So the majority of our Australians owe no thanks to the top quarter of the present flag
3 – For understandably fair enough reason, Britain left Australia to defend itself during World War II. Our then prime minister defied the British demands that our troops be sent to India, and we had to turn to USA for help in our defence.
4 – There will never be true complete reconciliation with the original owners of our island while we fly a flag boasting of our invasion of their land. Why is there a separate Aborigine flag flying on most public buildings?
If that is reasonable, then we should have Greek flags flying in Melbourne, Chinese flags in Darwin, Israel flags flying in St Kilda.
5 – It is necessary for most loyal Australians to check when Australian and New Zealand flags are flying together, to distinguish ours from New Zealand.
6 – We cannot declare the Southern Cross to be “ours”. Three other nations claim it on their flag. It tells the rest of the world that we are in the southern hemisphere. That’s all.
7 – So far as the historical value of the flag is concerned, is it necessary to keep reminding the world of where some of us came from?
Rather, should we be telling the world who we are and that we are a mature independent nation, and – thankfully – a long way from Europe.
8 – Perhaps one of the simplest and recognisable flags in the world is that of Canada , whose flag once bore that of Great Britain.
9 – There are only a few other flags which easily identify their owners but there are already too many flags which are made of two or three coloured stripes.
Who could easily distinguish the flags of Belgium, France, Netherlands and Germany, or Italy and Ireland, or Poland, Indonesia and Monaco?
10 – We don’t need a flag at all, really, to tell us who we are and where a few of us originated. But we do need one to tell the world who, what and where we are. A proud, mature, independent nation, tied to no other.
11 – It’s time we recognised that there is no longer a British Empire. (Australians are directed through alien gates at British airports ).
What is really irrelevant is the foreign flag occupying a quarter of ours?
WJ Bill FORREST
South Tamworth