On 14 July 1995, Governor-General Bill Hayden issued a proclamation under section five of the Flags Act 1953 declaring the flag to be "recognised as the flag of the Torres Strait Islander people of Australia and a flag of significance to the Australian nation generally".[1]
An "administrative oversight" caused the 1995 proclamation not to be lodged to continue in force indefinitely; hence, it automatically expired on 1 January 2008. It was therefore almost identically replaced, on 25 January 2008, with retroactive effect as from 1 January.[2]
In the 2008 proclamation, the flag "is recognised as the flag of the Torres Strait Islander people of Australia and a flag of significance to the Australian nation generally" and appointed "to be the flag of the Torres Strait Islander people of Australia and to be known as the Torres Strait Islander Flag". The design is reproduced in Schedule 1 and described in Schedule 2.
Although Namok has since died, the Torres Strait Islander flag is still subject to copyright under the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). The copyright was administered by the Island Coordinating Council until 2008, when that body was superseded by the Torres Strait Island Regional Council, which is willing to permit reproductions of the flag that are accurate and acknowledge Namok as the designer.[3]
Colours
The official colours of the flag of the Torres Strait Islanders are as follows:
Memorial plaque explaining the meaning of the Torres Strait Islander flag, displayed on Thursday Island.
The green panels at the top and the bottom of the flag symbolise the land, while the blue panel in the centre represents the waters of the Torres Strait. The thin black stripes between the green and blue panels signify the Torres Strait Islanders themselves. The white five-pointed star at the centre of the flag represents the five major island groups—the Western, Eastern, Central, Port Kennedy and (N.P.A.) Mainland—and the white dhari (also spelt dari, a ceremonial dancer's headdress[6]), around it also symbolises the Torres Strait Islands people. White symbolises peace, while the star is a symbol for navigation.[5]
The flag of Murray Island, located in the eastern section of the Torres Strait, consists of three vertical stripes: red ochre, white, and black representing the Torres Strait Creole. In the canton, there is a depiction of a beach hibiscus symbolizing peace and authority, placed on a white disc surrounded by eight six-pointed mullet stars representing the 8 Meriam tribes. The flag was designed by local artist Andrew Passi senior.[11]
The flag of Saibai Island, situated four kilometres from the nation of Papua New Guinea. It consists of a green triangle symbolizing the land and a dark blue field representing the sea. Within the green triangle there is a yellow leaf, symbolizing peace. Additionally, an eight-pointed star represents Australia. The flag was chosen by members of the Northern Peninsula Area Regional Council.[12]
^"Flags Act 1953 Proclamation". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette (S258). 14 July 1995. Archived from the original on 19 January 2024. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
^ abcAustralia. (2002). Style manual for authors, editors and printers. Snooks & Co. (6th ed.). Canberra: John Wiley & Sons Australia. p. 300. ISBN9780701636487. OCLC49316140.
^ abCabinet, Prime Minister and (27 June 2016). "Australian flags". www.pmc.gov.au. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
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