New Zealand Flag History
New Zealand's flag reflects the country's British origins and its place in the South Pacific, under the Southern Cross constellation. Red stars depict the native Maori; the color is a mark of rank. The blue background marks the maritime blue ensign and the oceans that surround the island nation. But, like many nations, New Zealand's flag has evolved and a growing call for a new design shows this is not the final version.
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Early History
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In 1830, 10 years before Britain officially colonized New Zealand, the native Maori and the few white settlers realized they needed a flag. Neighboring Australia, already under British rule, demanded that ships built in New Zealand and trading in Australian waters should fly a flag and carry official certificates. The Australian officials seized a trading vessel built in New Zealand's Northland. This act galvanized prominent Maori, who called for a national flag.
Chosen One
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An early Anglican missionary, Rev. Henry Williams, produced three designs for the Flag of the United Tribes of New Zealand, and 25 chiefs, all from the top of the North Island (Far North), voted on them. The design, above, based on the Royal Navy's white ensign, received 12 votes to lead the way. The flag became a symbol of Maori independence and sovereignty. It is a still a focal point for Maori activism, especially in the Far North.
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Union Jack
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British colonization arrived in 1840, when Maori signed the Treaty of Waitangi with Queen Victoria's representatives and, it is claimed, unwittingly surrendered sovereignty. Maori chiefs demanded their flag fly alongside the British Union Jack and they were dismayed to learn the British flag would replace all others. In the early 1840s, Maori chief Hone Heke repeatedly cut down the pole of the British flag in protest at the snub to the United Tribes' flag.
Official in 1902
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The current New Zealand flag became official in 1902, with the passing of the New Zealand Ensign Act, though New Zealand was not a fully self-governing dominion until 1907. After 1902, the New Zealand flag flew in tandem with the British flag until the 1930s. After World War II, as New Zealand moved further away from its British origins and established itself as a South Pacific nation, the New Zealand flag flew proudly alone.
9/11 Survivor
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Workers at Ground Zero in New York found a New Zealand flag, singed and a little tattered. Then-Prime Minister Helen Clark brought it back to New Zealand, and it hangs behind glass in Parliament buildings as a reminder of New Zealand's place in world affairs and of those who died in New York on September 11, 2001.
New Design
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Voices calling for a new flag have gained strength since about 1990. Some say the flag is too much like Australia's, which also has the Southern Cross, though in white stars. Others point to Canada, which deposed a similar design (blue, Union Jack in top left) in the 1960s for the distinctive Maple Leaf. Most proposals incorporate the national emblem, the Silver Fern, or a swirling Maori design, a koru. Here are two.
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References
- Photo Credit New Zealand's flag, courtesy NZ Ministry of Culture and Heritage
