Aboriginal flag to permanently replace state flag on Sydney Harbour Bridge

In a statement announcing the decision Monday, New South Wales (NSW) Premier Dominic Perrottet said the landmark will provide an “everyday reminder of our nation’s rich history.”

The state allocated funds for the project as part of the Closing the Gap initiative, a nationwide drive to close the health and life expectancy gaps between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and non-Indigenous Australians.

But the scheme’s multi-million-dollar price tag raised eyebrows among many Australians — including Perrottet, who expressed his surprise at the figure.

When asked in June why the flagpole cost so much, the premier told reporters, “I don’t know, but it does apparently.” He then joked: “I’ll go to (hardware store) Bunnings myself and climb up there and put the pole up.”

People wave the Australian Aboriginal flag as protesters take part in an “Invasion Day” demonstration on Australia Day in Sydney on January 26, 2022. Credit: Steven Saphore/AFP/Getty Images

Increasingly prominent

Designed by Indigenous artist Harold Thomas in 1971, the Aboriginal flag is currently flown on the bridge for 19 days every year, including during NAIDOC (National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee) Week, which concluded Sunday.

Officially recognized since 1995, the red, black and yellow flag has become an emblem for Aboriginal Australians and is often seen flying from government buildings. But its use was long compromised by a commercial dispute, after a company that licensed the image from its creator began demanding payments from various organizations using it.

The design’s yellow circle represents the sun, with the black stripe symbolizing Indigenous people and the red portion relating to their blood and the earth.

The NSW Flag is meanwhile based on the British Blue Ensign used by various countries and territories that are — or were once — associated with the United Kingdom. As part of Monday’s announcement, officials said they would instead create a new home for a “prominent” state flag at a new downtown redevelopment project.

Earlier this month, officials in the neighboring state of Victoria announced that the Aboriginal flag would also fly permanently above Melbourne’s West Gate Bridge.

Top image: The Aboriginal flag seen flying alongside the Australian flag on Sydney Harbour Bridge during Australia Day celebrations in January 2022.

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