The current state flags are forgettable and barely pierce the public conscience. Brendan Jones has been designing stunning state flags composed with state imagery and colours. When I saw his NSW flag, I emailed Brendan asking if it was possible to buy the flag so I could fly it off the front of my house. It appears I wasn't alone in that request as Brendan now has his flags for sale. Which is great. The flag I ordered is making its way to my door as I post this.

From Brendan's site;

Due to high levels of demand, I have set up an arrangement with a flag manufacturer to have the proposed Australian or State flags on my website professionally made using the latest digital fabric printing technology.

These flags are premium quality, made in Australia with trilobal fabric (knitted Polyester 110 gsm), double-hemmed edges, and supplied with Inglefield clips, ready for flying on a flagpole.

You may select any of the proposed flag designs on my site.

Naturally, such quality comes at a price. Yes, they cost more than cheap mass-production flags imported from China. But they are only made to order, and hence are not only rare but made to last.

They aren't cheap but change has to start somewhere and flying alternate flags around the place in ever increasing numbers is a productive way to put pressure on inertia laden institutions to bring themselves up to date - and this includes the state governments.

I argued in an article on Australian Vexillology that the history of Australian flags can be broken into three periods; the colonial, the federation period with its ensign based flags and the modern period. The modern period started with the widespread use of the Aboriginal Flag which was devoid of European imagery and was based solely on Australian imagery and colours.

The modern period includes Boxing Matilda and the amazing 'Australian Pale' design which came to prominence with Robert Ingpen's 1978 Northern Territory flag. The Australian Pale is a uniquely Australian heraldic design. Brendan's state flags continue that style.

This is Brendan Jones' NSW flag;

Below is the same flag but with one major difference, it is the one I ordered! This photo is courtesy of Brendan who sent it in an email to me.

The sky blue is even more vivid in the cloth. Good stuff. All Brendan's flags on his site can be purchased, so if you like them; buy them, and then fly them.

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More Reading on Flags

• Flags
• Brendan Jones
• NSW Flag
• Australian Pale
• Robert Ingpen
• Australian Vexillology
• Australian Vexillology
• A Bill For The Eureka Flag
• Brendan Jones' Flags Available For Purchase
• Identity and Flag Pluralism
• Australian Pale
• Flag History
• History of Australian Flags