View source for Flag of the Australian Capital Territory

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{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2017}}
{{Use Australian English|date=March 2018}}
{{Infobox flag
| Name = Australian Capital Territory
| Image = Flag of the Australian Capital Territory.svg
<!--| Image = Australian Capital Territory Flag.jpg-->
| Use = 110000
| Symbol = {{FIAV|110000}} {{FIAV|normal}} {{FIAV|Mirror}}
| Proportion = 1:2<ref>"...(the length is always double the width)." {{Cite web |title=Guidelines-for-the-use-of-the-ACT-Flag.pdf|url=https://www.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/114815/Guidelines-for-the-use-of-the-ACT-Flag.pdf}}</ref>
| Adoption = 25 March 1993<ref>"...passed by the ACT Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory on  '''25 March 1993''': "..." The ACT flag has been '''flown outside the Assembly building since that day'''". {{Cite web |title=Guidelines-for-the-use-of-the-ACT-Flag.pdf|url=https://www.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/114815/Guidelines-for-the-use-of-the-ACT-Flag.pdf}}</ref>
| Design = A vertical 1:2 bicolour of blue (charged with the [[Crux|Southern Cross]]) and gold (charged with a modified [[Coat of arms of the Australian Capital Territory|Coat of arms of the city of Canberra]])
| Designer = Ivo Ostyn<ref>https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/Flags/au!act.html {{Bare URL inline|date=August 2025}}</ref>}}
The current flag of the [[Australian Capital Territory]] was officially adopted by the [[Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly]] in 1993.

The flag differs from the Australian state flags as it is not a [[Defacement (flag)|defaced]] [[Blue Ensign]]. It is similar in design to the [[flag of the Northern Territory]]. The flag uses the [[Canberra]] city colours of blue and gold (which also happen to be the [[Tincture (heraldry)|heraldic colours]] of Australia). The [[Crux|Southern Cross]] appears as five white stars on a blue panel at the [[Flag terminology#Description of standard flag parts and terms|hoist]], whilst in the centre of the goldfield in the [[Flag terminology#Description of standard flag parts and terms|fly]] is the modified [[Coat of arms of the Australian Capital Territory|Coat of arms of the city of Canberra]]. The flag was based on a design by Ivo Ostyn.<ref>https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/Flags/au!act.html {{Bare URL inline|date=August 2025}}</ref>

== History and adoption ==
[[File:Formerly used flag of the Australian Capital Territory.svg|thumb|right|{{FIAV|historical}} The former flag of the city of Canberra was used unofficially for the Australian Capital Territory, until an official flag was adopted.<ref name="Former Flag of Canberra">[https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/au-act.html#form Former Flag of Canberra]</ref>]]

Even though the Australian Capital Territory has existed since 1909 and was given self-government in 1989, it had never had a flag of its own. In 1988<ref name="Flag Winner">[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/102068377?browse=ndp%3Abrowse%2Ftitle%2FC%2Ftitle%2F11%2F1988%2F09%2F06%2Fpage%2F11017578%2Farticle%2F102068377 Flag Winner, Canberra Times, 6 September 1988]</ref> and 1992<ref name="ACT flags aplenty">[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/126931246?browse=ndp%3Abrowse%2Ftitle%2FC%2Ftitle%2F11%2F1992%2F06%2F27%2Fpage%2F13952328%2Farticle%2F126931246 ACT flags aplenty, including a Govt favourite]</ref> community competitions for a proposed new flag were held, in which artists and residents of the ACT could put forth their designs for the new flag. The 1988 competition, undertaken by radio station 2CC, was won by then-Chisholm resident Ivo Ostyn with a representation of the then-recently erected flagpole of [[Parliament House, Canberra|New Parliament House]] in green within a yellow circle on a green background.<ref name="Flag Winner" /> The 1992 competition was undertaken by newspaper The Canberra Times.

In 1993, following a 1992 motion by Opposition leader [[Trevor Kaine]], the ACT Government commenced a process to develop and select an ACT flag.<ref name="ACT flags aplenty" /> The ACT Government selected four options and surveyed the public between 19 February<ref name="25 March 1993 Hansard">{{Cite web |url=http://www.hansard.act.gov.au/hansard/1993/pdfs/19930325.pdf#27 |title=25 March 1993 Hansard of the Legislative Assembly |access-date=5 July 2021 |archive-date=9 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709182922/http://www.hansard.act.gov.au/hansard/1993/pdfs/19930325.pdf#27 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and 5 March 1993<ref name="A new flag for the ACT">[[:File:A New Flag For The ACT.jpg|A New flag for the ACT]]</ref> to find the public's preference. 

The Southern Cross and modified form of the coat of arms received 12,624 votes compared to a stylised Brindabella range which received 10,681 votes. A motion in the Legislative Assembly to declare the flag to be the flag of the ACT was resolved in the affirmative at midday, 25 March 1993.<ref name="25 March 1993 Hansard" /> The flag selected was designed by Ivo Ostyn, who had won the 1988 design competition and had been involved in the 1992–1993 process. In later years Ostyn spoke against his creation, indicating his preference for a simpler flag that did not bear the coat of arms.<ref name="Cultivating a flower for our flag">[https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6166601/cultivating-a-flower-for-our-flag/ Cultivating a flower for our flag, Canberra Times, 21 August 2012]</ref>

In 2020, the ACT Government commenced a process to develop a new coat of arms for the ACT. The development of a territory coat of arms will not automatically replace the coat of arms that appears on the current flag.{{citation needed|date=October 2025}}
[[File:A New Flag For The ACT.jpg|thumb|A survey form for selecting the ACT flag, distributed by the ACT Government. Document courtesy of the [[ACT Heritage Library]].|center]]

==See also==
*[[Coat of arms of the Australian Capital Territory|Coat of arms of the city of Canberra]]
*[[List of Australian flags]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==

* {{FOTW|id=au-act|title=Australian Capital Territory}}

{{Australian Capital Territory}}
{{Australian Flags}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Australian Capital Territory, Flag of the}}
[[Category:1993 establishments in Australia]]
[[Category:Flags introduced in 1993]]
[[Category:Flags of Australian states and territories]]
[[Category:Symbols of the Australian Capital Territory|Flag]]
[[Category:Southern Cross flags]]
[[Category:Flags displaying animals]]

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[[Category:Flags with blue, white and yellow]]