Last modified: 2015-06-27 by ian macdonald
Keywords: norfolk island | australia | pine tree | tree: norfolk pine | tree: araucaria excelsa | tree: araucaria heterophylla |
Links: FOTW homepage |
search |
disclaimer and copyright |
write us |
mirrors
![[Norfolk Island]](../images/n/nf.gif)
1:2;
image by Ralph Kelly, 27 May 2015
Flag adopted 17 January 1980
See also:
From Foley: "...the winning design was approved by the Norfolk Island Council on 6 June 1979. The designer of the flag was not announced. The "Norfolk Island Flag and Public Seal Act" 1979 (NI) legislatively created the Norfolk Island Flag and set out rules in relation to its use. The Flag became official as at the date of the commencement of the Act on 17 January 1980."
David Cohen, 6 March 1998
From Political History of the Pitcairn People in Norfolk Island from 1856 to 1996:
1980 - The Governor-General of Australia assented to Norfolk Island's having its own flag. Queen Elizabeth II signed the warrant for Norfolk Island's armorial bearings, which show the Norfolk Island escutcheon supported by a British lion and an Australian kangaroo. Neither beast is native to Norfolk Island.Does anybody know about this? The flag, on the other hand, seems well-accepted. But reading the whole of this historical (and political) statement, one may well wonder if this remarkably non-Aussie flag will survive until Australia itself changes its own flag (it this ever happens)...
The green is dark green, the center stripe is wider than the outer ones. Stripes' ratio is 7:9:7.
Ralf Stelter, 25 July 1999
In the Flags of Aspirant Peoples chart [eba94] appears "169. Norfolk Island - External territory, Australia." Identical to the flag in FOTW.
Ivan Sache, 17 September 1999
The Norfolk Island flag was adopted with a law issued on January 1st 1980, effective 17th January 1980.
Pier Paolo Lugli, 21 September 1999
António Martins asked, "what is the overall ratio of the flag?". Foley 1996 [fol96] doesn't give a ratio, but the image in the book is 1:2, the same as our [Australian] national flag.
David Cohen, 22 September 1999
I have an official model of the Norfolk Island flag on file, and this
suggests that the green is Pantone 356C.
Christopher Southworth
Yesterday, 26 May 2015, Royal Assent was given to Commonwealth legislation
that ended self-government for Norfolk Island and incorporated the territory
into Australia in the same way as Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Island.
All of the special provisions that gave Norfolk Island a separate status have
been replaced by arrangements that will make the islanders subject to Australian
tax and laws and entitled to all the Australian welfare benefits including
health care and pensions. Put simply, the island had become bankrupt and was not
financially viable as an autonomous territory. It is not entirely clear, but it
seems that the Norfolk Island Flag and Public Seal Act 1979 has not been revoked
- so the flag should continue to be used to represent the territory,
notwithstanding the abolition of the Legislative Assembly and local government.
Ralph Kelly, 27 May 2015
The pine is scientifically named Araucaria excelsa.
Pier Paolo Lugli, 21 September 1999
The English name is Norfolk Pine, or maybe Norfolk Island Pine.
António Martins, 29 September 1999
António Martins asked about the number of branches. I have a 2x4 feet Norfolk Island flag (bought on NF but no doubt manufactured in Australia) and the branch detail is very poor. The image in Foley 1996 [fol96] is the most detailed one I have. My opinion: there are 40 branches on each side, thus totalling 80 (although they are of course not symmetrical).
David Cohen, 22 September 1999
From Webster's New International Dictionary (India Paper Edition), Washington, 1924:
Norfolk Island pine — a handsome pinaceous tree of Australia and Norfolk Island (Araucaria excelsa), with whorls of horizontal branches densely set with deep green awl-shaped leaves. It is often cultivated in pots, seldom exceeding a few feet in height, though in its native home it grows 200 feet high.
Jarig Bakker, 30 September 1999
The University of Vermont refers to the Norfolk Island Pine as Araucaria heterophylla. This name is also used at Green & Evergrowing LLC and at Norfolk Island's own website. A wholesale growers site uses Araucaria heterophylla as its primary reference with A. excelsa in parenthesis.
Michael P. Smuda, 1 October 1999
The tree is Araucaria heterophylla now. It was formerly A. excelsa but was renamed by dendrologists quite a number of years ago.
Rex Glencross-Grant, 8 August 2002
A. heterophylla is endemic only to Norfolk Island, not Australia. Whilst it grows well in Australia (and quite a number of areas) its original home is Norfolk Island.
Rex Glencross-Grant, 20 January 2003