The BIG IDEA

INSPIRED BY CATHY FREEMAN & THE AUSSIE ANZAC SPIRIT
THE ANZAC & DREAMTIME SPIRITS ARE ONE
AUSTRALIA - THE FLAG
A TWO FLAG NATION BECOMES ONE
An Australia to Inspire the World

A National Symbol of Wisdom, Partnership & Hope

MATESHIP & KANYINI - CONNECTEDNESS - WITH EACH OTHER & OUR HOMELAND

The dawn of a new day in an ancient land.

The new Australian flag now respects all Australians including Indigenous Australians, Migrants, the ANZAC Spirit - and The Environment We Share.

Sunburnt Flag Design Inspiration - defining - PLACE - NOT RACE. - I LOVE A SUNBURNT COUNTRY... OF NATURE'S GIFTS, OF BEAUTY RICH & RARE...
BEYOND THE REFERENDUM... BEYOND SORRY... THE TRUE SYMBOL OF RESPECT - FOR ALL AUSTRALIANS
- A SYMBOL OF HOPE & PARTNERSHIP.
On May 27th 1967 Australia voted overwhelmingly to include indigenous Australians in the Census and thus more equal citizenship with a 90.77% Yes vote.
On May 26th 2000 Australia voted with their feet when 450,000 Australians marched on Bridge Walks around Australia on National Sorry Day.
A McNair survey in 1997 showed that 46% of Australians wanted to change the flag, 46% wanted to keep the existing flag and 8% were undecided. However 66% of Australians wanted to see a significant Aboriginal component in the Australian Flag . The most recent surveys show that now nearly 80% of Australians would like to include indigenous Australia in our primary national symbol - the Australian Flag.
LOVE & RESPECT WAS THUS THE INSPIRATION FOR THE SUNBURNT FLAG
  
75 Anniversary of Sydney Harbour Bridge   Photo courtesy - A Carroll - Newcastle
I would like to thank the following people who helped inspire the Sunburnt Flag Design and their example encouraged me to put it forward as a symbol of Love and Respect for Australia:-
Cathy Freeman for carrying the Australian and Aboriginal Flags together at the Commonwealth Games of 1994 and again at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Cathy gave us a hint of the authentic Australia. She inspired the joining of the two flags. Why does our Australian flag not include Indigenous Australia?
Uncle Bobby Randall for his Wisdom and Dignity - A traditional owner of Uluru - and his message of Kanyini - Connectedness of us All.
Ausflag * - their Professional Design Competition in 1997 inspired me to refine the design with repositioning of the Southern Cross from the Fly end to Canton (Place of Honour) at the Hoist end of the Sunburnt Flag, conceived the previous year from the elements of Nature in Australian and Aboriginal Flags plus the Rising Sun over the Blood of the Anzacs. I was not eligible to enter as I was not a member of one of the recognised professional designer's bodies. Sunburnt Flag No.2 which was sent to HM The Queen in November 1998 is in the Ausflag collection. I would like to see it presented to Cathy Freeman as a thank you for the inspiration.
* 2010 Note - I was disappointed with the lack of respect and abuse in the 60 Minutes Public Debate which I attended. The offensive way the debate was set up and conducted produced - "Fighting over the Flag" for the 95th Anniversary of ANZAC Day. We are all proud to be Australian. This is a unique and ancient land. The only island continent that is one country in the world.
They have been asking the wrong question. Not - "Should we ditch the Union Jack?"
The important question is: - "Should we include Indigenous Australians and ANZACs in the Flag?"
Ask the wrong question - you get the wrong answer.
On ANZAC Day they failed to address the significance of the Rising Sun Badge of our Diggers, plus inclusion of Indigenous Australia and how they might be part of a future flag just as they fought alongside their mates when they did not even have the right to vote. I also note the Ausflag insistance on copyright ownership of all designs they promote - excludes many of the very best independent designs. Contrary to the ANZAC spirt of Mateship and the Dreamtime Spirit of Kanyini - Connectedness. The Aboriginal Flag is subject to very strict copyright and even may not be used commercially by the people it represents, unless they to have a licence and pay for the right to use it. It was the nature of that debate and the copyright issues that inspired me to dedicate the Sunburnt Flag to all Australians on Anzac Day, at the Uniting Church at Neutral Bay where there is a memorial plaque to my pilot Uncle Philip Dey killed over PNG.
See Ausflag website - www.ausflag.com.au for comprehensive history their search for an Australian Flag for all Australians. Sadly their website does not acknowledge the names of the 100 top entries - these people are just numbers. Only their prize winners are acknowledged. They also refuse to include links to independent designs who decline to donate their copyright to Ausflag. Thus many of the best designs are never seen on Ausflag. Like the current flag they exclude rather than include us all.
The Australian Flag Society have a more balanced website which is inclusive of both Ausflag and independent designs - www.flagsaustralia.com.au
James Parbery, Fred Rieben, John Williamson and Yahoo Serious are amongst the variety of interesting design proposals also found on the net independent of those found on the Ausflag site.
Ali Golding - Redfern Aboriginal Elder , my ‘ adopted ' Aboriginal mum whose support and encouragement for me personally, plus the Sunburnt Flag's suitability as the symbol of our unique Australian National Identity is greatly appreciated. The first person to sign the Sunburnt Flag on Anzac Day 2010.
In her 70th year Ali was named NAIDOC Female Elder of the Year.
George Poulos - Australian Iconographer / Vexillographer (flag designer), for his enthusiastic encouragement for me to put the Sunburnt Flag out for all Australians wanting a truly Aussie Flag to fly.
Deborah Wall OAM - Humanitarian & Cultural Researcher - for her support from the very start.
Professor John Ramsland OAM - Historian / Author for his shared vision and support to recognise our complete heritage and vision for the future.

Product Suppliers

Suppliers of Sunburnt Flag Products exclusively to the Sunburnt Flag Project:-
Harry West Flags (Sydney) - sewn flags (they made the original samples of the Sunburnt Flag in 1997 & 1998)
Evan Evans Flags (Melbourne) - 14 year old Igor Evans was one of the 5 join design winners of the 1901 Blue & Red Australian Ensigns.
Simba Towels (Melbourne)
Badger Makes Badges (Hobart)
Prestige Labels (Sydney)
17 years after Cathy Freeman flew the question in our face,
28 years after Ausflag started the search,
40 years after the Aboriginal Flag,
44 years after Aboriginal more equal citizenship post Referendum,
58 years after the Union Jack was no longer our national flag,
96 years after ANZAC Day,
110 years after Federation -
Australia is ready to redefine itself in one symbol.
A TWO FLAG NATION BECOMES ONE
I LOVE A SUNBURNT COUNTRY - AUSTRALIA

NOW THERE IS AN
UNIQUE AUSTRALIAN SYMBOL
TO HONOUR US ALL
FOUR ELEMENTS OF NATURE OFFER MANY IMPORTANT SYMBOLS OF WHO WE ARE AND WERE WE LIVE:-
The Southern Cross in the place of honour shining over the Sunburnt Country

SUNBURNT FLAG DEFINING
'I LOVE & RESPECT A
SUNBURNT COUNTRY'
AUSTRALIA *


Our Shared Heritage & Our Shared Future
One Flag For All Of Us, All Of The Time:-
AUSTRALIA - Our Place Of Partnership - With Nature & Each Other.
Our Kanyini.

* Copyright is vested in the Australian People ANZAC DAY 25th April 2010.
© Introduction of GSC - Good Sport Contribution of 10%

How about an Australia leading the world??

Inclusive Symbols:

Sunburnt Flag Design Uncovered By:-

In 1996 inspired by Cathy Freeman and Ausflag - Stephen Berry asked the Aboriginal and Australian flags how they would like to be in equal partnership with each other (both with 2/3 of the Sunburnt Flag height). Folding each in half - folding the race part away and keeping the place part found - Four Elements of Nature in partnership. These then uncovered many other Australian symbols including the Rising Sun - equally important throughout Australian history as the Southern Cross and the symbol of the ANZACs.
Copyright vested in the People of Australia - ANZAC Day 25th April 2010. Introduction of 10% GSC - Good Sport Contribution.

DESIGN:- Ask The Existing Australian Flags

How can our national identity honour all of us, in all cases?

4 Elements of Nature from 4 important Australian symbols come together in partnership to show our Love and Respect to Australia. Our Kanyini.

AUSTRALIAN FLAG DERIVATIVES:

In considering state and military versions of the Sunburnt Flag these came similarly naturally.
If Australia wanted the option of the Sunburnt Flag inclusive of a sixth Federation Star as a nation flag, this could be achieved in a similar form to the state logo version with all the states in the one additional Federation Star in the fly end of the flag.
Notes : -
There were 13 nationalities on the First Fleet to Australia - even European settlement was based on a mix of cultures from the outset of European settlement.
What of Captain Cook's brief on claiming Australia for England on Possession Island on the tip of Australia?
The British government had not financed his expedition. It was the Royal Society and their specific instructions were that Aboriginal people were the owners and the land may not be claimed without their permission and cooperation.
Cook found that they were a happier people than the Europeans.
Joseph Banks cited that they had no concept of ‘ownership' of land and therefore their permission was not necessary..... The rest is history....
It is now time for Australia to become more than a British Colony, to honour the indigenous and migrant Australians as well as those all who have served Australian with love, respect and devotion.
It is about Love and Respect for Australia - not just ‘Mother England'.
Time for Australia to mature as a unique nation - the only island continent in the world....
Of Nature's Gifts of Beauty Rich and Rare ----- time to Advance Australia Fair...

The Sunburnt Flag became a Registered Design ® & Registered Trade Mark TM on 4 August 2000 ; © Copyright 1996:- Stephen Berry *;
Registered Domain Names - sunburntflag.com.au & sunburntflag.com
"Sunburnt Flag" & "Spirit of Wadu" are ® Registered Business Names.

* Copyright DEDICATED at no cost to the Australian People as of ANZAC Day 2010.
© Requested GSC of 10% given by you to an Aussie charity or to
the Sunburnt Flag Thank You Fund - to inspire others.
GSC - Good Sport Contribution
VISION:- Love & Respect For Australia
OUR SHARED HERITAGE AND OUR SHARED FUTURE.
Our Place of Partnership - with Each Other and with The Planet:-
 
Naval Ensign of Sunburnt Flag
The white Australian Naval Ensign - became sourced the same as the existing flag. The colours of the sky and stars were reversed, to a blue Southern Cross in a white sky and the red earth becomes the blue sea.
 
Naval Ensign of Sunburnt Flag - Reverse Colours
In correct Vexillogical form the red rising sun is most appropriate on a white sky. (Two 'metals' - white & gold should not adjoin without separation by a 'colour'). Or Red Earth with a Blue Aussie Rising Sun.
It also reminds us that the ANZAC Rising Sun was victorious at the time of threat from the Japanese Rising Sun (a full red disc on white flag) including extraordinary Aussie service in the Kokoda campaign in PNG.
 
Red Ensign - Merchant & Civil Vessels
The Australian Red Ensign - for non naval vessels (merchant & civilian) reversed the colour of the earth and sky to give the rising (or setting) sun over a blue ocean that surrounds the only island continent on our blue planet, with the red pre-dawn or sunset sky.
 
RAAF Flag - with Kangaroo in disc
The Australian Air Force sky became sky blue with the kangaroo (included in 1982) in the RAAF roundel (disc) at the fly end [opposite to the hoist end, flag pole end] of the flag.
 
State Flag logos with 'Full Moon'
The Australian State flags could have their state symbols (existing or new) either within the earth or sky. If in the sky on the fly end of the flag it would be like a full moon in the sky as the state logo. Victoria could simply add the Crown above the Southern Cross. All states would then still feature the Southern Cross and the Rising Sun on their flags to replace the ‘defaced' British Blue Ensign that exists at present. Likewise the Territories of the NT & ACT can use their symbols as they already do with the Southern Cross which is featured on the hoist end of their existing flags.
 
Sporting Colours Logo of Sunburnt Flag
The Green & Gold Rising Sun Australian Sporting Colours Flag - includes the rising sun on cricket caps on the 'baggy green.'
Sunburnt Flag with Federation Star option