Last modified: 2017-09-13 by ian macdonald
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image by Clay Moss, 6 Dec 2005
Ratio 1:2
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Up to 2015, the flag was the Australian national flag with the word "CUSTOMS" written between the Commonwealth star and the Southern Cross.
The Australian Border Force was created on 1 July 2015, combining the functions of the Department of Immigration and Border Protection and the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service. As a result, the Australian customs flag has been changed to reflect the name Border Force.
This flag is used mostly on Customs aircraft but also on all Customs boats. When the Customs Service works
with the Navy, the Navy hoists this flag and under the legislation, as long as
there in one Customs Officer on board, then the vessel is a Customs vessel.
Arjeh, 19 February 2001
image by Clay Moss, 6 Dec 2005
[The images above] are a faithful reproduction of a customs ensign that the Australian
customs folk sent us last year when my Vexillology class was collecting
flags. I have no clue if there's a definitive set of specs for the lettering on
this flag, so I thought it wise to send that they're actually using.
Clay Moss, 6 December 2005
The Australian Customs flag is illustrated in two publications:
The only specification is in respect of the weight of the font and its colour, viz:
"For the purposes of section 14 of the Act the following flag is prescribed, namely, the Australian National Flag with the addition in the fly of the word 'CUSTOMS' in white in bold character."Source: Regulation 2, Customs Regulations 1926, Statutory Rules 1926 No. 203 as amended, made under the Customs Act 1901 [the primary legislation] Prepared on 25 November 2005, taking into account amendments up to SLI 2005 No. 265 by the Office of Legislative Drafting and Publishing (OLDP), Attorney-General's Department, Canberra
As with the New Zealand Customs flag, which is defined similarly, the word "CUSTOMS" definitely
does not appear in the "fly" according to the usual vexillological
understanding, but in the centre of the lower half of the flag, between
the Commonwealth Star and the Southern Cross. This was the position of the
badge proposed for the flag of Papua (and future Australian territories)
in 1908, which was also described as "on the fly" of the "Commonwealth
Flag (blue ensign)". It seems that "fly" has often been
used in regulations to mean any part of a British ensign outside the UJ.
Jonathan Dixon, 1 October 2008
Australia finally discontinued the 113-year-old Customs Regulations reference to 'in the fly' when the new Customs Regulation 2015 was made on 26 March 2015. Although only in effect for three months before introduction of the Australian Border Force, the prescription stated:
Customs Regulation 2015; No 33; 26 March 2015; effective 1 April 2015. 11. For section 14 of the Act, the flag is the Australian National Flag with the word "CUSTOMS" in bold, white letters between the Commonwealth Star and the lower part of the Southern Cross.Jeff Thomson, 3 July 2017
Customs Regulations 1901; No 53; Thursday 10 October 2015. 1. The Customs flag shall be the Blue Ensign, with the addition in the fly of the letters "H.M.C." in bold character, and the word "Australia".
Customs Regulations 1904; No 37; 16 June 1904. 1. The Customs flag shall be the flag of the Commonwealth of Australia (blue ensign), with the addition in the fly of the letters "H.M.C." in white in bold character.
Customs Regulations 1909; No 126; 26 October 1909. Flag prescription changed to Regulation 2. Continued unchanged in new Regulations of 1913, 1922 and 1926.
And two later amendments of the Customs Regulations 1926;
No 15; 15 February 1955.
2. The Customs flag shall be the Australian National Flag, with the addition in the fly of the letters "H.M.C." in white in bold character.
No 297; 11 December 1987; effective 1 January 1988. (Customs Regulations 1926 repealed 1 April 2015).
2. For the purposes of section 14 of the Act the following flag is prescribed, namely, the Australian National Flag with the addition in the fly of the word "CUSTOMS" in white in bold character.
Jeff Thomson, 3 July 2017
There is no evidence that there has ever been an official Australian Customs flag diagram produced. Variation in appearance between individual flags is common, including in the Customs flags painted onto Customs aircraft since these entered service in 1978. Below are the appearances of the flags as have been found, and alternative flags either known or believed to have existed. The full stops shown in the prescriptions are unlikely to have been included on the actual flags.
1901 flag; - the British Blue Ensign with 'HMC Australia' in the fly, most likely in white with the HMC in bold block letters. There were probably Commonwealth Blue Ensign versions too, with the six-point Commonwealth Star. But the positions of the defacement and even the number of star-points and positions of the Southern Cross stars in such flags is a matter for speculation.
1904 flag; - the Commonwealth Blue Ensign with the six-point Commonwealth Star and HMC in bold white block letters in the flag lower centre.
1908 flag; - the Commonwealth Blue Ensign (later the Australian National Flag) with the seven-point Commonwealth Star and HMC in bold white block letters in the flag lower centre. One pre-war flag in a private collection has the Southern Cross stars positioned as for the Commonwealth Lighthouse Service blue flags, with all five spread out more than standard. The HMC is positioned in the true fly centre.
Jeff Thomson, 3 July 2017