How many stars are on the Australian flag?
There are six stars on the Australian flag. The largest star represents the Commonwealth, with a point for each state and one for the territories. The other five Australian flag stars represent the Southern Cross constellation.
The stars on the Australian flag are the easiest way of telling it apart from the New Zealand flag, which looks mighty similar.
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The Australian flag isn’t exactly one of the world’s greats. It’s a muddled, underwhelming affair, not helped by the perplexing decision to retain the British flag in the top left corner.
But how many stars are on the Australian flag, exactly?
Stars on the Australian flag: How many and what do they represent?
There are six stars on the Australian flag, and they’re in a strange formation. They’re also different shapes and sizes. Many believe the six Australian flag stars represent the six states of Australia, but that’s not the case.
The largest star on the Australian flag is under the British flag, and is called the Commonwealth Star. The Commonwealth Star on the Australian flag has seven points. This is one point for each Australian state, and one for the territories of Australia.
Stars on the Australian flag: The Southern Cross
Then, to the right, are five stars. Four of these are the same size, and have seven points. The other has five points, and is significantly smaller. These represent the Southern Cross constellation – sometimes known as Crux elsewhere.
The Southern Cross has become a symbol of Australian independence and identity. The constellation is easily seen in the Southern Hemisphere. Many Australians mistakenly believe it can only be seen in the Southern Hemisphere, but that’s not true – it can be spotted in the Northern Hemisphere, too. Particularly at tropical latitudes.
But it became symbolic because the Southern Cross was seen as something unique to Australia that didn’t apply to Europe, where most early settlers to Australia came from.
The fifth star is smaller because it is smaller and less bright when looking at the Southern Cross constellation from earth. The design of the Australian flag is designed to mimic what people can see from earth.
Differences between Australian flag and New Zealand flag
The flag of Australia and flag of New Zealand are very similar. Both are predominantly dark blue with the British flag in the top left corner. Both have stars on them. However, the Australian flag has six white stars on it, and the New Zealand flag has four red stars with white outlines.
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