Royal Australian Air Force Ensign

The Royal Australian Air Force Ensign was approved in its current form by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 1981 and proclaimed an Australian Flag by His Excellency the Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia in 1982. This effectively made the Ensign the Battle Ensign of the RAAF. Accordingly the Ensign is always to be treated with the dignity and respect befitting the proud history of the RAAF.

The following conditions apply to the use of the Ensign:

• The Ensign is normally for display purposes but may be paraded when accompanied by a member of the Australian Defence Force.
• The Ensign should be prevented from touching the ground at all times.
• If not flown on a mast, the Ensign should preferably be attached to a staff approx 2.6m in length, thereby allowing the Ensign to hang properly.
• The Ensign is not to be used for decorative purposes on walls, tables, and platforms or in any similar manner.
• When displayed with other flags the Ensign must be placed in the proper order of precedence, and raised and lowered in order of precedence.
• If flown on a flagpole, the Ensign is to be placed at half-mast on ANZAC Day until noon and on Remembrance Day from 1030 hours until 1103 hours.
• The Ensign is not normally flown at half-mast on State occasions unless placed in close proximity to other national or Service flags.
• The Ensign should be lowered at sunset each day unless illuminated with suitable flood lighting.

History of the RAAF Ensign

In 1918, the Air Council decided that the newly formed Royal Air Force (RAF) should have its own ensign; but their proposal did not meet with immediate acceptance, particularly from the Lords of the Admiralty who had the right of veto over any new flag intended for use in British territories. Negotiations and work on the design continued and after some difficulty - as the roundel was not strictly an heraldic device - the College of Arms agreed to the present Royal Air Force design in 1920.

With the formation of the Royal Australian Air Force on 31 March 1921, as the successor to the Australian Flying Corps which had been established by the Australian Army in 1913, it was decided to have an Ensign which could reflect the national identity of our military aircraft and would include a distinctive roundel. However, while a specific RAAF Ensign was formally approved by Air Board and the then Minister for Defence on 10 August 1921, it was not processed for Royal approval. Consequently the RAF Ensign was adopted without change by the RAAF and was flown until 1948.

The RAF Ensign is a light blue (Air Force Blue) British Ensign defaced with a large RAF roundel. This roundel consists of concentric circles of red, white and dark blue. The blue represented the Royal Navy Air Service and the red the Army's Royal Flying Corps, which merged to form the RAF in 1918.

In 1948 it was decided to have an Ensign, that would better reflect an Australian identity and consequently the Southern Cross and the Commonwealth Star were added and the roundel although retained was reduced in size. This design was granted Royal approval in October 1948.

From 1948 to 1982 the RAAF flew the RAAF Ensign (without the Red Kangaroo). This was a light-blue ensign with a roundel in the lower fly and the Southern Cross on the fly. During the Vietnam War, the RAAF removed the British roundel on its aircraft and replaced the central red circle of the British roundel with a leaping red kangaroo to create a new Australian roundel. However, the Air Force Ensign with its British roundel was not altered until 1982.

On 6 May 1982, the current RAAF Ensign received Royal approval. The only change in design was the replacement of the RAF Roundel with the RAAF Roundel, which has a red kangaroo in motion at its centre.

The new Air Force ensign with the Australian roundel was proclaimed by the Right Honourable Sir Zelman Cowen, AK, GCMG, GCVO, QC, Governor-General of Australia, as an official Australian flag under Section 5 of the Flags Act 1953 on 06 May 1982 (2.5mb)

Use and purchase

The use and purchase of the RAAF Ensign is restricted. It is an Australian Defence Force requirement that all prospective purchasers have written permission from the RAAF in the first instance.

Only service related organisations are eligible to apply for an Ensign. The Ensign is not available to individuals or small businesses.

To obtain permission please send a written application to the following:

Air Force Headquarters
DCOORD-AF Attn: SORP
R1-6 Russell Offices
Russell
Canberra
ACT 2600

"Please ensure you written application includes contact details for further correspondence."