When was the white ensign introduced

On considering the matter on - , the Naval Board recommended to the Government "that the Royal Australian Navy should have its own unique white ensign", a "white flag with the Union Flag in the upper canton at the hoist with six blue stars positioned as in the Australian flag". The new ensign was granted Royal Assent on - and announced by the prime minister on - The introduction of the ensign was brought forward from the originally planned date, - , to 1 March , when HMAS Boonaroo became the first ship to be commissioned under the Australian white ensign.

Sea Power Centre - Australia site. Accessed: 4 August This bill was introduced into Parliament on 22 May and provided for the establishment of an Australian Register of Ships. The Government at first proposed that the National Flag should replace the Red Ensign as the proper colours for all civilian vessels, whether registered or not. However, after further consideration, it was announced on 21 August that Australian merchant ships will continue to fly the Australian Red Ensign as their national colours.

Also, that yachts and other civilian vessels outside the merchant service will be allowed to fly either the Australian National Flag or the Australian Red Ensign and that yachts holding a warrant for the use of the British Blue Ensign could continue to wear this ensign. Home About Us History of the Ensign History of the Ensign History of the Ensign In general Australia follows the British system which, as far as is known, dates back to about the middle of the sixteenth century.

Certain British yacht clubs are also authorised to use the Red Ensign defaced. The ensign is flown only at sea and never on land unless with express permission. In this regard it must be remembered that at its birth the RAN was realistically an offshoot of the RN, comprised of ships and equipment of exclusively British origin and with all senior positions filled by British officers on loan; indeed it was not until that the position of Chief of Naval Staff was filled by an Australian.

This flag arrangement was accepted for many years; our Navy had been founded upon the traditions, regulations, laws and procedures of the Royal Navy, our officers underwent much of their training in the UK and most RAN ships, aircraft and materiel continued to be of British origin or design. Following World War II however the RAN in line with the rest of the Australian community began to develop more independent attitudes and a growing feeling that our policies, our ships and our personnel should be more readily identifiable as Australian.

He made the points that in overseas waters our ships needed to be readily identifiable if the national policy of projecting Australia as an independent nation was to be furthered and that in home ports our Navy needed to be seen as an Australian service totally independent of any form of overseas control. The involvement of RAN ships in the Vietnam War where they were flying a distinguishing ensign identical with that of another country not engaged in the war lent logic and urgency to his argument.

George's cross in the canton. By the white ensign consisted of simply a white field, with a small St George's cross in the canton, which was consistent with the red and blue ensigns of the time.

In , the St. George's cross was reintroduced to the flag as a whole, though not as broad as before, and the Union Flag was placed in the canton. There was also a version of this flag without the overall St George's cross, which appears to have been for use in home waters only, though this flag appears to have fallen out of use by In , after the Act of Union , the flag was updated to include the new Union Flag in the canton, and so took on the form as used today.

The blue field of the Union Flag was darkened at this time at the request of the Admiralty , in the hope that the new flags would not require replacing as often as the previous design, due to fading of the blue. Throughout this period, the proportions of the flags changed. In , the then Secretary of the Admiralty , Samuel Pepys , instructed that flags be of the ratio 18 inches long for each breadth, 11 inches at the time.

In the early 18th century, the breadth of cloth had been reduced to 10 inches, so the flags became In , the breadth was reduced for the final time to 9 inches, giving the current ratio of Throughout this period in the history of the Royal Navy, the White Ensign was one of three ensigns in use, with each one being assigned to one of the three squadrons of the navy, according to its colour red, white and blue, with red being the most senior and blue the least. Ships flew the colour of ensign corresponding to the squadron to which they were attached, which was in turn determined by the seniority of the admiral under whose command the ship sailed a rear admiral of the red was senior to a rear admiral of the white.

In the Admiralty decided to end the ambiguity caused by the Red Ensign being both a civil ensign and a naval ensign, and the White Ensign was reserved to the Royal Navy ; the relevant Order in Council retained the option to use Red or Blue Ensigns in HM Ships if desired.

Royal Navy ships and submarines wear the White Ensign at all times when underway. The White Ensign may also be worn on a gaff , and may be shifted to the starboard yardarm when at sea. When alongside, the White Ensign is worn at the stern, with the Union Flag flown as a jack at the bow, during daylight hours. The White Ensign is worn at the mastheads when Royal Navy ships are dressed on special occasions such as the Queen's birthday, and may be similarly be worn by foreign warships in British waters when dressed in honour of a British holiday or when firing a salute to British authorities.

The White Ensign may also be worn by the boats of commissioned ships. Brunel's SS Great Britain , although a merchant ship, appears to have worn and still wears, in dry dock the White Ensign, apparently because its first master an ex-Royal Navy man brought it with him. On land, the White Ensign is flown at all naval shore establishments which are commissioned warships [2] , including all Royal Marines establishments. Permission has been granted to some other buildings with naval connections to fly the White Ensign.

Special permission was granted to any individual or body to fly the White Ensign to mark Trafalgar Day in