Flags of Australian States and Territories

Flags! Flags! Flags! So many flags!

For the past 6 years living in Australia, the only flags that I've come to recognise are the Australian national flag and the Aboriginal flag.

It wasn't until a recent trip to the Shrine of Remembrance that I realised that the Australian states and territories do have their own flags as well.

So let's have a look at the flags for Australian states and territories.

National flag : A Blue Ensign defaced with the Commonwealth Star in the lower hoist quarter and the five stars of the Southern Cross in the fly half.

 Aboriginal flag : A black and red flag with a yellow circle in the middle.

Torres Strait Islander Flag : A five-pointed star and traditional headdress in white, on a blue, green and black background.

 

Flag of New South Wales : A St George's Cross with four gold stars and a lion in the fly of a British blue ensign

Flag of Queensland : A light blue Maltese cross with a crown on a white background in the fly of a British blue ensign

Flag of South Australia : A piping shrike on a gold background in the fly of a British blue ensign

Flag of Tasmania : A red lion on a white background in the fly of a British blue ensign

Flag of Western Australia : A black swan on a gold background in the fly of a British blue ensign

Flag of Victoria : The Southern Cross surmounted by a crown in the fly of a British blue ensign

Flag of Northern Territory : One third black with the Southern Cross, the other two thirds are brown with Sturt's Desert Rose, the floral emblem of the Territory

Flag of Australian Capital Territory : One third blue with the Southern Cross, the other two thirds are yellow with the Coat of Arms of Canberra

Flag of Christmas Island : The blue and green diagonal panels represent the sea and the island's vegetation, a small map of the island is included in the centre. The main emblem is a Golden Bosun Bird. The flag was selected from a competition held in 1986 and was approved in 2002.

Flag of the Cocos (Keeling) Island : The flag is green, with a palm tree on a gold disc in the canton, a gold crescent for the Cocos Malay people in the centre of the flag and a gold southern cross in the fly. The flag was designed in 2003 becoming official in 2004.

Flag of Norfolk Island : A green field with a white square containing a green Norfolk Island Pine.

I'm not a big fan of flags but once in a while, I do get inquisitive and the trip to the Shrine of Remembrance did just that.

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References

List of Australian flags. (2014, October 16). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 05:08, October 17, 2014, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_Australian_flags&oldid=629867221

Flag of the Australian Capital Territory. (2014, March 10). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 05:09, October 17, 2014, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Flag_of_the_Australian_Capital_Territory&oldid=598958972

Flag of New South Wales. (2013, June 6). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 05:10, October 17, 2014, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Flag_of_New_South_Wales&oldid=558583187

Flag of the Northern Territory. (2014, June 11). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 05:10, October 17, 2014, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Flag_of_the_Northern_Territory&oldid=612477432

Flag of Queensland. (2013, December 18). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 05:11, October 17, 2014, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Flag_of_Queensland&oldid=586712021

Flag of South Australia. (2014, July 14). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 05:11, October 17, 2014, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Flag_of_South_Australia&oldid=616857320

Flag of Tasmania. (2014, March 20). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 05:11, October 17, 2014, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Flag_of_Tasmania&oldid=600403501

Flag of Victoria. (2014, September 13). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 05:12, October 17, 2014, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Flag_of_Victoria&oldid=625411664

Flag of Western Australia. (2014, June 2). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 05:12, October 17, 2014, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Flag_of_Western_Australia&oldid=611174311

Flag of Norfolk Island. (2014, January 21). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 05:12, October 17, 2014, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Flag_of_Norfolk_Island&oldid=591716095

Flag of Christmas Island. (2013, December 12). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 05:13, October 17, 2014, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Flag_of_Christmas_Island&oldid=585698034

Flag of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. (2014, March 5). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 05:13, October 17, 2014, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Flag_of_the_Cocos_(Keeling)_Islands&oldid=598320977

Family-Friendly Places : Shrine of Remembrance

The Shrine of Remembrance is located in Kings Domain on St Kilda Rd Melbourne and was built as a memorial to the men and women of Victoria who served in World War I and a memorial to all Australians who have served in war.

It is a good place to go to for a leisurely walk with your family. The surrounding garden is just magnificent. 

The Cenotaph

The Cenotaph and the Eternal Flame

 

The 2 external buttress sculptures on the east and west walls represent the virtues of Patriotism, Sacrifice, Justice and Peace and Goodwill.

This is the eastern wall with the following inscription: 

THIS MONUMENT WAS ERECTED BY A GRATEFUL PEOPLE TO THE HONOURED MEMORY OF THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO SERVED THE EMPIRE IN THE GREAT WAR OF 1914-1918 

The Doric columns

The Ceremonial Avenue, looking towards Melbourne city from the Shrine

The Flags of Remembrance

The Driver Memorial

The Driver Memorial

The Wipers Memorial

The Wipers Memorial

Women's Garden and Memorial Cairn

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EXPERIMENTAL KITCHEN : Bread

Bread is a staple food in most parts of the world and it is very easy to make. I have made my own bread in my kitchen and the part I like the most about baking my own bread is the smell of freshly baked bread.

I am going to share the recipe that I've used over and over to bake my own bread. Author unknown since it has been a couple of years since I stumbled upon this recipe.

Basic Bread

1 cup of warm water
3 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp yeast
3 tbsp oil
1 cup milk
1 tsp salt
7-8 cups of flour


1. Add 1 cup of warm water into a mixing bowl then add 1 tbsp sugar and stir to dissolve.

2. Add the yeast and let sit for 5 minutes.

 The brand that I used

Letting it sit still, you'll see bubbles forming after a while

3. Add the oil, milk, salt and 2 tbsp of sugar. Mix well.

4. Add 3 cups of flour and then mix.

5. Add another 3 - 4 cups of flour and mix until the dough forms a good ball. At this stage, you add the flour bit by bit while mixing to make sure your don't put more flour than necessary. Not enough flour will make the dough too soft but too much will make it too hard.

6. Knead for 5 - 10 minutes. Roll into a ball and place at a warm place for 1 hour while covering with cloth or paper towel.

 The dough ball

The dough ball 1 hour later

7. Punch the dough and then leave for another 30 minutes.

After being punched

8. Divide the dough into 2 equal parts and let rest for 10 minutes. Knead it flat like a rectangular shape, with one side being roughly the shape of the bread pan.

9. Roll it and tuck both ends under to make a shape of a loaf.

10. Coat the bread pan with cornstarch and put the dough in and cover with cloth for another hour or until it has risen just to the top of the pan.

11. Bake for 30 minutes at 200C.

So there you have it. I have also incorporated raisins, chocolate powder and flavourings into my bread and they have all turned out quite good.

Give it a go and I hope you too will enjoy the smell of freshly baked bread. 

Being Grateful

I am grateful that I have a roof over my head.

I am grateful that I have good health.

I am grateful that my family members are healthy.

I am grateful that I live in a peaceful community.

Being grateful is an easy thing to do. As well as being thankful and appreciative.

Too many times have I heard of people complaining of things that happened or did not happen in their lives.

I believe we should live in the moment and take time to appreciate people around us.

Gratitude will put things into perspective. Always complaining about life but not taking pro-active measures to improve is not a positive thing to do.

A gratitude journal or list is a good way to start. It really puts things in perspective as it focuses on your accomplishments in life.

Never think that you have not achieved anything in life to be grateful for.

Waking up in the morning to face a brand new day is in itself an achievement.

I am grateful that I still have this life to live.