Flag of Norfolk Island
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The flag of Norfolk Island is a triband consisting of green, white, and green bands charged with a green Norfolk Island pine in the centre. Adopted in 1979 when the islands gained limited self-government, it has been the flag of the Territory of Norfolk Island since 6 June of that year. The pine is native to the territory and is its official tree.
History
Norfolk Island was first sighted by James Cook in 1774 during his second voyage to the southern Pacific Ocean. Settlers moved to the island in March 1788, when it was claimed by the colony of New South Wales. Cook surmised that the Norfolk Island pine (Araucaria heterophylla) could be utilised for the masts of ships, but his prediction ultimately did not come to fruition.<ref name=EBhist>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref><ref name=ParksAustralia>Template:Cite web</ref>
The island was initially employed as a penal colony until 1814, and again from 1825 to 1855.<ref name=EBhist/><ref name=ParksAustralia/> It was then used in 1856 to relocate people from the Pitcairn Islands,<ref name=EBhist/><ref name=ParksAustralia/> which had become overpopulated,Template:Sfn and Norfolk Island was consequently designated "a distinct and separate settlement" from mainland Australia on 24 June of the same year.<ref name=EBhist/> It later lost its self-governing status in 1897,Template:Sfn when the British placed the territory under the administration of the Governor of New South Wales. The island joined the now-independent Commonwealth of Australia as a territory under the Norfolk Island Act 1913. However, its exact constitutional relationship with the rest of the commonwealth was not enunciated at the time.<ref name=EBhist/>
A royal commission was established in 1975 to resolve Norfolk Island's constitutional status.<ref name=EBhist/> Four years later, the territory was granted its own legislative assembly,<ref name=EBhist/> but remained unrepresented in the Federal Parliament.Template:Sfn The bill that became the Norfolk Island Flag and Public Seal Act 1979 was introduced to the Australian Parliament that same year and received royal assent on 17 January 1980.<ref name=NIFPSA>Template:Cite act</ref>
Design
Description
The flag of Norfolk Island is described in detail in Norfolk Island Flag and Public Seal Act 1979, federal legislation that has been in force from 17 January 1980. It specifies the flag is to have an aspect ratio of 1:2. The act specifies Pantone Matching System 356 for the green of the flag, without giving any further detail on the white.<ref name=NIFPSA/>
| Colour | Pantone | converted to RGB | Hex form |
|---|---|---|---|
| Template:Legend | 356<ref name=NIFPSA/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | 0-120-51<ref name=green>Template:Cite web</ref> | #007833<ref name=green/> |
| Template:Legend | Template:Center | ||
Symbolism
The colours and symbols of the flag carry cultural, political, and regional meanings. The green symbolises Norfolk Island's plentiful vegetation and fertile land.Template:Sfn<ref name=CIA>Template:Cite web</ref> The Norfolk Island pine is native to the islands,<ref name=CIA/> and is the official tree of the territory.Template:Sfn
Similarities
Norfolk Island's flag is analogous to the flag of Nigeria, which utilises a triband of green and white in a similar fashion.<ref name=CIA/> Norfolk Island's flag is also similar to the Pine Tree Flag, used during the American Revolution.
References
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