2002 has been a turbulent year for Australia. The drought, the Bali terrorist attack, the ever-present threat of war and the recent bushfires have all impacted heavily on the lives of ordinary Australians. During this year of uncertainty however our national unity has been exemplified by increasing displays of our chief national symbol - the Australian flag.

Now, with the year drawing to a close, we should take the time to reflect on how blessed we are to live in this great nation. We should also not forget the true significance and meaning of the Christmas season.

I'd like to wish all members and their families a joyous Christmas and every happiness in 2003.

Allan Pidgeon
President



ANFA Flag Day celebrations for 2002 took place on September 3 in Brisbane, Toowoomba and Mackay. The Brisbane event consisted of a flag rasing ceremony held in King George Square with the Governor, His Excellency Major General Peter Arnison AC CVO and the Chief Justice of Queensland, The Hon. Paul de Jersey AC as guests of honour. The Hon. Mal Brough MP, Minister for Employment Services, also attended to represent the Prime Minister. The Chief Justice delivered an interesting and informative speech, followed by the presentation of Flag Day awards by the Governor. This year, two well-know businesses were presented with ANFA awards to recognise their promotion of the Australian National Flag; Woolworths and Salters of Moorooka.

Citation for Salters of Moorooka:
"Alex Salter has turned the business premises of Salters of Moorooka into a showpiece for the display of our national flag. Following current extensions, his automotive showrooms will be surrounded by 34 flagpoles flying the Australia and Queensland flags, with the centrepiece a huge 6m x 3m national flag. Salters of Moorooka sets an example that all proud Australians should follow."

Citation for Woolworths Limited:
"We congratulate Woolworths for its leading role in promoting appreciation of the history and significance of tour flag, as demonstrated by the company's long-standing sponsorship of the 'Woolworths Australian Poster Series'. However, this award recognises the special in-store campaign around 3 September last year (The Centenary of the Flag) with the theme: 'Woolworths Ltd' – We're Flying the Flag on Australian National Flag Day."

The ANFA would especially like to recognise the contribution made to the Flag Day 2002 celebrations by the St Peters Lutheran College Band and members of the No 9 Regiment, Australian Army.

Toowoomba
The Toowoomba Branch of the ANFA presented the annual Branch Award for support of our National flag to Gyral Implements Pty Ltd. This company has consistently flown our National flag for the past 27 years at its farm machinery manufacturing premises in Toowoomba. The presentation occurred at 10.15am, 3rd September, at 285 McDougall Street, Toowoomba.

Mackay
A ceremony was be held, 3rd September at 11am outside the Administrative Municipal Building. Mackay Mayor Julie Boyd & Sir Albert Abbott CBE were the guests of honour.



Transcript of the Chief Justice of Queensland
The Hon Paul de Jersey AC
National Flag Day Address
Queensland
3 September 2002

As a symbol of Australian national identity, our flag stirs the soul, flying aloft and free with precedence over all others. Recall especially Anzac Day, and those who under this banner have valiantly fought for our freedom.

The flag was first raised on 3rd September 1901 and so, on 3rd September, we annually celebrate Australian National Flag Day. The flag may be comparatively young – by contrast, the Stars and Stripes dating from 1777 and the Union Jack from 1606 – but it focuses national pride as if with the clarity of centuries. Others, like the Eureka flag and the Australian Federation League flag, remain of historical interest; but none but the current flag has endured as our national ensign, and attempts to change its design, even in recent years with burgeoning interest in republicanism, have failed to engage and fire widespread public support.

Redolent of our national unity and some of our historical past, the flag incorporates, on a dark blue field, the large white Federation Star with seven points representing the six States and the Territories; on the fly, the five stars representing the constellation of the Southern Cross; and the Union Jack in the upper quarter of the hoist, next to the staff. Through this design, geography and history were interwoven to call the fledgling nation to independence – and its dazzling future.

This is a flag for all Australians. As the people of the nation progress together along the path of reconciliation, we hope it may one day be the flag which all Australians embrace.

The flag has an interesting history. It was the product of a national competition announced in April 1901 by our first Prime Minister, Sir Edmund Barton. Extraordinarily, that competition attracted as many as 32,823 entries, representing about 1% of the young nation’s overall population. Contrast the 25,000 entries attracted by the design competition of the 1980’s: less than .2% of the then population.

Why was this competition a century ago so popular? No doubt national pride had a lot to do with it, but possibly also the prize money: a total of £200, a substantial amount 100 years ago, now worth, according to the Reserve Bank, $20,848. The subscribers were the Government - £75, the Melbourne magazine, The Review of Reviews - £75, and significantly for contemporary society, £50 from the Havelock Tobacco Company!

Interestingly enough, the winning design – substantially what we cherish today – was submitted by five competitors, and quite independently. They shared the prize money. We would say surprisingly, none of them came from Queensland! The winners were a 14 year old Melbourne schoolboy, Master Ivor Evans; Mr William Stevens, a merchant seaman from Auckland, New Zealand; Mr Lesley John Hawkins, an apprentice optician from Sydney; Mr Egbert Nuttall, a Melbourne architect; and Mrs Annie Dorrington, an English-born resident of Perth, Western Australia. Let me mention the inspiration of young Ivor Evans: he saw the Southern Cross as symbolizing the nation’s bright future, and the brightest stars in that constellation denoting the four virtues Australians should endorse, virtues of which Danté had written, justice, prudence, temperance and fortitude.

It was not until 20th February 1903 that King Edward VII approved the winning design. It has since undergone three changes. Early on, for ease of manufacture, the number of points on the stars in the Southern Cross – originally ranging from five to nine to reflect their relative brilliance in the night sky, was brought to a uniform seven, save for the smallest which retains five. Then in 1909, the Federation star acquired its seventh point, to acknowledge Australia’s acquisition of the Territory of Papua three years earlier. Finally, in the mid-1950’s, the blue ensign was adopted for nationwide use, private use having previously been limited to the red ensign.

While the flag has been used since 1903, it was not formally recognized until as long as five decades later. In 1953, the government of Sir Robert Menzies introduced the Flags Act, which came into force the following year. That legislation established the precedence and form of the blue ensign as our national flag. Upon Queen Elizabeth II’s first visit to Australia in 1954, she gave her assent to that Act: the first Australian Act of Parliament to receive royal assent from a reigning sovereign while present on Australian soil. British sentiment explained the continuing presence of the Union Jack atop the Australian flag in certain situations well into the 1960’s. But through recent decades, our flag has garnered the respect it deserves, flying with precedence throughout the nation.

Our flag uniquely expresses this great nation’s history and geography. It denotes, with eloquent silence, stipulations precious to our way of life: parliamentary democracy, the rule of law, freedom of speech. Alone in the world, it flies over an entire continent. It has inspired our service men and women in all wars since 1901, our Olympic and Para-Olympic athletes, and has dignified countless days of national commemoration. It is displayed with prominence daily at the entrance to our courts of law. It is flown with pride by many private citizens. It reflects our greatest triumphs, and our most poignant defeats.

To fly our national flag is the right and privilege of every Australian citizen. May we all continue to cherish that right!



The Annual General Meeting for the Association will be held on 22 March 2003 at 10.30am in the "Four Seasons Room" on the First Floor of the Queensland Irish Association (171 - 175 Elizabeth Street, Brisbane: opposite the Hilton Hotel). There is a lift in the entrance lobby for use. All buses proceeding down Elizabeth St., towards the Valley Stop outside the Hilton Hotel and there are two car parks handy- one in the Hilton complex and another 30-40 yards from the Irish Association in Elizabeth St. Refreshments will be served at the conclusion of the meeting.

Agenda

• Opening. Welcome. Quorum. Apologies.
• Minutes of 2002 AGM, and business arising therefrom.
• President’s Annual Report.
• Receiving the Council's report and the Statement of Income and Expenditure, Assets & Liabilities and Mortgages, Charges & Securities affecting the property of the Association for the preceding financial year.
• Receiving the Auditor’s Report upon the books & accounts for the year 2002
• Membership Report.
• Appointment of an Auditor for 2003.
• Appointment of Hon. Solicitor
• Notices of Motion - Proposed Constitutional Amendments
• Notices of Motion - Other
• Election of officers and members of Council. (At this point all offices are declared vacant and a Presiding Officer conducts the election).
• Announcement of new Council and formal close of AGM.

Flag Centenary Badge	$5.00 (Limited Stock)
Flag Centenary Keyring	$7:50 (Limited Stock)
Plastic Hand Waver Flags	$1.00 each or 100 for $75.00
Box of Small Flag Stickers (500 in a box)	$5.00
Roll of Flag Stickers (200 per roll)	$5.00
Sheet of Flag Stickers (100 per sheet)	$1.00
Umbrella – Australian Flag Design (Frame guaranteed for 2 years)	$30.00
Pens – Australian Flag Design	$2.00
Plastic Hand Waver Flags	$1.00 each or 100 for $75.00
Packet of 6 pens - Australian Flag Design	$10.00
Audio Tape – Stirring story of the Flag (posted)	$6.00
Bumper Stickers – "Keep this our Flag forever"	$0.50
Envelopes – With printed Australian Flag (pack of 25)	$2.50
Flags (various sizes and prices)	On Application
Printed Flag – 5’ x 3’(153cm x 92cm)	$20.00
Plastic Handwavers	$1.00 or 100 for $65.00
Cloth Handwavers	$3.00
Cloth Handwavers, larger size	$7.50
Neck Ties – Flag Design	$28.00
Bow Ties – Flag Design	$25.00
Bow Ties – Flag Design	$25.00
Flag Ties	$15.00
Greeting Cards – Australian Flag Design	3 for $1.00
Playing Cards – packs with Australian Flag and plastic case	$4.00
Scarves – Silk – high quality, various designs	$9.50
Shopping Bags with Flag emblem (new type)	$6.00
Tea Towels – great range of Australiana	$4.50
Two up game	$4.50
Video – "Our National Flag since 1901" (Informative & Stirring)	$20.00
Postcard – Solider holding Australian Flag	$1.00
Booklet – Don’t change our Flag – an exposure of false and misleading arguments – by Rupert Goodman	$6.00
Flag Badges – Map + Flag designs (various)	$2.50

All merchandise orders should be directed to: The Hon Secretary, ANFA (Qld Inc), GPO Box 2064, Brisbane QLD 4001 (Please remember to include postage costs for merchandise) (*Note new GPO Box)