List of New Zealand flags

This is a list of flags used in New Zealand.

National flag

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1834–1840	Flag of the United Tribes of New Zealand	Based on the White Ensign. Two crosses of St George and four five-point stars in the canton on a blue background[1]. (See also variant design under "Maori flags" below)
	1840–1902	British Union Jack	Adopted following the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840.
	1867–1869	The first flag of New Zealand based on the blue ensign	Blue ensign with the red letters "NZ" outlined in white
	1902 (Official, in use from 1869) –	Flag of New Zealand	A defaced blue ensign with four red stars with white borders to the right, representing the constellation of Crux, the Southern Cross.

Royal and Viceregal

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1962 – present	Personal Flag of Queen Elizabeth II in New Zealand	A banner of the Coat of Arms of New Zealand, defaced with a blue disc bearing the crowned letter 'E' in gold
	1869–1874	Governor of New Zealand	A Union Flag defaced with four five-pointed stars. This design was due to a misinterpretation of design instructions.
	1874–1936	Flag of the Governor of New Zealand
	1936–1953	Flag of the Governor-General of New Zealand	A lion standing atop a crown, over a scroll inscribed "Dominion of New Zealand"
	1953–2008	Flag of the Governor-General of New Zealand	A lion standing atop a crown, over a scroll inscribed "New Zealand"
	2008 – present	Flag of the Governor-General of New Zealand	The shield of the New Zealand Coat of Arms surmounted by the Royal Crown.
	?	Flag of the Queen's Representative in the Cook Islands	Flag of the Cook Islands with a crown in the centre of the ring of stars

Ensigns

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1901 –	New Zealand Red Ensign	A red ensign with four white stars representing Crux, the Southern Cross
	1968 –	Ensign of the Royal New Zealand Navy	A white ensign with four red stars
		Ensign of the Royal New Zealand Air Force	A light blue ensign with the roundel of the Royal Air Force defaced with the letters, "NZ".
	1983 –	New Zealand Civil Air Ensign	A blue cross with a wide border on a light blue field. The Union Flag is in the canton, with the Southern Cross in the fly.
		New Zealand Police Ensign	A blue flag with the New Zealand Flag in the canton, with the NZP seal in the fly.
		New Zealand Fire Service Ensign	A blue flag with the New Zealand Flag in the canton, with the Fire Service seal in the fly.
	1966–1996	New Zealand Customs Flag	A New Zealand Blue Ensign, with the letters "HMC" (for "Her Majesty's Customs" in the lower hoist. This flag was superseded by a new Customs flag in 1996.
	1968–1998	New Zealand Ministry of Transport Ensign	A sky blue flag with the New Zealand White Ensign in the canton, with the NZMOT seal within a white disc in the fly.

Associated states

Flag	Date	Use	Description
		Flag of the Cook Islands	A blue ensign with 15 stars in a ring
	1975 –	Flag of Niue	A yellow ensign, the Union Flag has a star in the middle and four stars forming a diamond around it

Maori flags

Flag	Date	Use	Description
		Original design of the United Tribes of New Zealand flag, widely used by Maori groups	Similar to the amended design used as the de facto national flag 1835–1840, but with eight-pointed stars and black fimbriation in the canton
	1990 –	Flag of Tino rangatiratanga – Official National Maori Flag, approved by the NZ Cabinet in 2010	A white curling stripe on a red and black field
		Example of a Maori Flag	Some Maori tribes use the Red Ensign defaced with their tribal name

Sporting flags

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1908–1912	Flag of the Australasian team at the 1908 and 1912 Olympiads	A Blue Ensign defaced by a white circle containing the British Crown plus a shield containing the Southern Cross
	1994 –	Flag of the New Zealand Olympic Committee	A white flag with a depiction of the silver fern superimposed on the five ringed emblem of the International Olympic Committee
	1987 (?)	Flag of the All Blacks, New Zealand's national rugby team.	A black flag with a white silver fern.

Other New Zealand flags

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1993 –	Unofficial flag of the Chatham Islands	A blue flag with a depiction of the island superimposed on a rising sun.
	1987 –	Flag of the City of Nelson	Blue top third with bishop's mitre. Blue and white waves beneath with black cross flory.
		Flag of the New Zealand Navy Board[2]	A fouled anchor with a red-blue background
	1987 –	New Zealand Post flag	An orange-red flag with the NZ Post logo in white. Vertical White and Blue strip in the fly.
	2004 –	Flag of Otago	Blue and gold, horizontally divided by a zigzag line ("dancetty", in vexillological terms), with counterchanged eight-pointed stars. Used by the Otago Regional Council, and widely by the general public in the Otago region
	2007 –	The New Munster Cross (also known as the Zealandia Ensign), Unofficial flag of the South Island	A Nordic Cross with white background representing the Southern Alps, with a green cross representing the lush bush and farmland of the South Island and blue representing the ocean. Adopted and promoted by political groups advocating greater self-determination for the South Island.
	2008 –	Flag of Tokelau	A blue flag with a stylized Polynesian canoe (vaka) in gold and a representation of the Southern Cross in the fly

Proposed alternative flags

Further information: Flag debate and Flag concepts for the South Island

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1983	Koru Flag (by Hundertwasser)	A White flag with a green spiral (Koru).
	1990 –	Flag of Tino rangatiratanga – Official Maori Flag	A white curling stripe on a red and black field
	1998	James Dignan's flag	Combines the red-white-blue and stars of the current flag (though with a brighter blue), as well as the bold diagonals of the Union Flag with the black-white-red of the flag of Tino rangatiratanga, and adds the silver fern. Promoted widely after a New Zealand Herald article in 2002[3].
	2000	Aaron Nicholson’s flag	a modification of the current flag with The initials NZ to stylise the Union Jack and a Long White Cloud (2009) has made it to some a Flag of compromise. This combination retains traditional links with the United Kingdom and also New Zealand's Polynesian heritage. The NZ “Jack” Design is also reminiscent of the old 1974 Christchurch Commonwealth Games insignia. This design was displayed in newspapers around the country in 2005, and on an earlier TV Debate with the late Angela De Audney.[4].
	2004	Cameron Sanders' flag	A stylised Silver fern flag, used by the NZ Flag.com Trust.
	2005	Kyle Lockwood's Flag	A red, white and blue flag representing "the people of New Zealand". The blue colour represents the ocean, the red represents the Maori and the blood of soldiers, and white is a reference to the "Land of the Long White Cloud".
	2007	Blue Union Jack flag	Most flags proposed eliminate the Union Flag entirely which some members of the public oppose. As a result a few amateur designs have been proposed which acknowledge New Zealand's British heritage such as this one.[5]
	2008	John Traft's Flag	A red, white and blue flag in line with the current flag but without the Union Jack.
	2009	Proposed Flag By Adam Kibbey	This flag includes both the Union Jack, symbolising British links, as well as the colours of New Zealand; Black and White, with the Red from the Cross of the English flag being extended to show the Maori colour of red. The southern cross is also prominent.

References

1. ^ The drawing of the United Tribes Ensign sent by Governor Bourke to King William IV, retrieved 2009-07-15. This design was amended when the flag was officially gazetted, with the eight-pointed stars replaced with five-pointed stars, and the black fimbriation replaced with white.
2. ^ New Zealand Naval Flags
3. ^ Dignan, James (9 May 2002). "Let's fly a new flag with pride". The New Zealand Herald. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=1844158. Retrieved 15 October 2011. 
4. ^ The Dominion, 5 February 2005]
5. ^ A New New Zealand Flag?: Cool Blue

External links

Media related to Flags of New Zealand at Wikimedia Commons