Flag of New Zealand - wikipedia Flag of New Zealand New Zealand Use National flag and state ensign Proportion 1 : 2 Adopted 24 March 1902 In use since 1869 Design A Blue Ensign with the Southern Cross of four white - edged red five - pointed stars centered on the outer half of the flag. The flag of New Zealand outside the Beehive in Wellington The flag of New Zealand is a defaced Blue Ensign with the Union Flag in the canton, and four red stars with white borders to the right. The stars ' pattern represents the asterism within the constellation of Crux, the Southern Cross. New Zealand 's first flag, the flag of the United Tribes of New Zealand, was adopted in 1834, six years before New Zealand became a British colony following the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840. Chosen by an assembly of Māori chiefs at Waitangi in 1834, the flag was of a St George 's Cross with another cross in the canton containing four stars on a blue field. After the formation of the colony in 1840, British ensigns began to be used. The current flag was designed and adopted for use on Colonial ships in 1869, was quickly adopted as New Zealand 's national flag, and given statutory recognition in 1902. For several decades there has been debate about changing the flag. In 2016, a two - stage binding referendum on a flag change took place with voting on the second final stage closing on 24 March. In this referendum, the country voted to keep the existing flag by 57 % to 43 %. Contents 1 History 1.1 Flag of the United Tribes 1.2 Union Flag 1.3 Flags based on defaced Blue Ensign 1.4 Flown in battle 2 Legislation 2.1 Entrenchment proposal 3 As a vehicle flag 4 Debate 4.1 2015 -- 16 referendums 5 Similar flags 6 Other flags of New Zealand 7 See also 8 Notes 9 References 10 External links History Flag of the United Tribes The flag pole at Waitangi, flying ( left -- right ) the Flag of the United Tribes of New Zealand, the Ensign of the Royal New Zealand Navy and the Union Flag, 5 February 2006. The need for a flag of New Zealand first became clear when the trading ship Sir George Murray, built in the Hokianga, was seized by Customs officials in the port of Sydney. The ship had been sailing without a flag, a violation of British navigation laws. New Zealand was not a colony at the time and had no flag. Among the passengers on the ship were two high - ranking Māori chiefs, believed to be Patuone and Taonui. The ship 's detention was reported as arousing indignation among the Māori population. Unless a flag was selected, ships could continue to be seized. The first flag of New Zealand was adopted 9 ( or 20 ) March 1834 by a vote made by the United Tribes of New Zealand, a meeting of Māori chiefs convened at Waitangi by British resident James Busby. The United Tribes later made the Declaration of Independence of New Zealand at Waitangi in 1835. Three flags were proposed, all designed by the missionary Henry Williams, who was to play a major role in the translation of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840. The chiefs rejected two other proposals which included the Union Flag, in favour of a modified St George 's Cross or the White Ensign, which was the flag used by Henry Williams on the Church Missionary Society ships. This flag became known as the flag of the United Tribes of New Zealand and was officially gazetted in New South Wales in August 1835, with a general description not mentioning fimbriation or the number of points on the stars. The need for a flag was pressing, not only because New Zealand - built ships were being impounded in Sydney for not flying a national flag, but also as a symbol of the independence declared by the Māori chiefs. The flag is still flown on the flag pole at Waitangi, and can be seen on Waitangi Day. Flag of the United Tribes Proposed flag not adopted by Māori ; it included the Union Flag and lacked sufficient red. Initial design of the United Tribes flag. The Flag of the United Tribes of New Zealand. Union flag After the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, the British Union Flag was used, although the former United Tribes flag was still used by a number of ships from New Zealand and in many cases on land. The New Zealand Company settlement at Wellington, for example, continued to use the United Tribes flag until ordered to replace it by Governor William Hobson in May 1840 ( following his declaration of British sovereignty ). Flags based on defaced blue Ensign Lieutenant Albert Hastings Markham, designer of the flag of New Zealand. The first flag of New Zealand to be based on the British blue ensign was introduced in 1867 following the Colonial Navy Defence Act 1865, which required all ships owned by colonial governments fly the defaced Royal Navy blue ensign with a colonial badge. New Zealand did not have a colonial badge, or indeed a coat of arms of its own at this stage, and so the letters `` NZ '' were simply added to the blue ensign. In 1869 the First Lieutenant of the Royal Navy vessel Blanche, Albert Hastings Markham, submitted a design to Sir George Bowen, the Governor of New Zealand, for a national ensign for New Zealand. His proposal, incorporating the Southern Cross, was approved. It was initially used only on government ships, but was adopted as the de facto national flag. To end confusion between various designs of the flag, the Liberal Government passed the Ensign and Code Signals Bill, which was approved by King Edward VII on 24 March 1902, declaring the flag as New Zealand 's national flag. The United Tribes flag design also features on the back of the Second Boer War medals presented to soldiers who served in the war, which indicates that the United Tribes flag was used widely in New Zealand until around this time. Flags based on defaced Blue ensign The Blue Ensign. The flag of New Zealand, 1867 -- 1869. Code Signals Flag, 1899. The current flag, formally adopted in 1902. Flown in battle One of the first recorded accounts of the New Zealand national Blue Ensign flag being flown in battle was at Quinn 's Post, Gallipoli, in 1915. It was not, however, flown officially. The flag was brought back to New Zealand by Private John Taylor, Canterbury Battalion. The first time the Flag of New Zealand was flown in a naval battle and the first time officially in any battle, was from the HMS Achilles during the Battle of the River Plate in 1939. Legislation The national flag is defined in legislation as `` the symbol of the Realm, Government, and people of New Zealand '' and like most other laws, can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. The flag proportion is 1 : 2 and the colours are red ( Pantone 186C ), blue ( Pantone 280C ) and white. Entrenchment proposal In March 1994 the Prime Minister of New Zealand Jim Bolger made statements supporting a move towards a New Zealand republic. In response Christian Democrat MP Graeme Lee introduced a Flags, Anthems, Emblems, and Names Protection Amendment Bill. If passed, the Bill would have entrenched the Act that governs the flag and added New Zealand 's anthems, requiring a majority of 65 percent of votes in Parliament before any future legislation could change the flag. The Bill passed its first reading but was defeated at its second reading, 26 votes to 37. As a vehicle flag The National Flag can only ( officially ) be used as a vehicle flag by the Prime Minister of New Zealand, NZ Government Ministers, NZ Ambassadors, and NZ High Commissioners. No distinguishing defacement or fringing of the flag is used. Debate The silver fern flag of the 2015 referendum Main article : New Zealand flag debate Debate on keeping or changing the New Zealand flag started before May 1973, when a remit to change the flag was voted down by the Labour Party at their national conference. In November 1979 Minister of Internal Affairs Allan Highet suggested that the design of the flag should be changed, and sought an artist to design a new flag with a silver fern on the fly, but the proposal attracted little support. In 1998 Prime Minister Jenny Shipley backed Cultural Affairs Minister Marie Hasler 's call for the flag to be changed. Shipley, along with the New Zealand Tourism Board, backed the quasi-national silver fern flag, using a white silver fern on a black background as a possible alternative flag, along the lines of the Canadian Maple Leaf flag. On 5 August 2010 Labour list MP Charles Chauvel introduced a member 's bill for a consultative commission followed by a referendum on the New Zealand flag. 2015 -- 16 Referendums Main article : New Zealand flag referendums, 2015 -- 16 On 11 March 2014, Prime Minister John Key announced in a speech his intention to hold a referendum, during the next parliamentary term, on adopting a new flag. Following National 's re-election the details of the two referendums were announced. The first referendum was set for November 2015 allowing voters to decide on a preferred design from five choices. The second referendum would see the preferred design voted on against the current flag in March 2016. Under the New Zealand Flag Referendums Bill, in the event that the flag were to change, the current flag ( described as the `` 1902 flag '' ) of New Zealand may continue to be used, and is `` recognised as a flag of historical significance. '' Official documents depicting the current flag, such as drivers ' licences, would continue to be valid and would be replaced through matter of course ( e.g., driver licence renewals ). On 11 December 2015, preliminary results were announced for the first referendum. The blue and black design, with a silver fern and red stars, was the winning flag. This flag design did not win the second referendum, as preliminary results announced on 24 March 2016 showed the current flag was chosen to remain the New Zealand flag. 56.7 % were in favour of retaining the flag, with a voter turnout of 67.3 %. 43.3 % were in favour of changing the flag to the Lockwood design. Only six of the 71 electorates voted in favour of changing the flag. Similar flags This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( January 2017 ) The New Zealand flag was the first national flag to incorporate the stars of the Southern Cross constellation, and remains distinctive as the only national flag that includes only those stars from the constellation that actually form the cross itself. The Australian flag adopted in 1901 also has the Union Flag in the canton and the Southern Cross on the fly. The cross on the New Zealand flag is composed of the four prime stars of the Southern Cross constellation, each being a red five pointed star with a white outline. The Australian flag has six white stars, five of which have seven points ( the Commonwealth Star ) and a five pointed star, Epsilon Crucis, the smaller star of the Southern Cross constellation which does not form part of the actual cross itself is also included. Australia 's flag features a large Commonwealth Star below the Union Flag as it is a symbol of Australia. Many other flags also contain the Southern Cross, some as far back as the 1823 / 24 National Colonial Flag for Australia. Other flags of New Zealand This gallery presents other flags of New Zealand. Other flags of New Zealand Queen 's Personal New Zealand Flag Governor - General Naval Ensign Civil Ensign Blue Ensign for government ships Air Force Ensign Tino Rangatiratanga, Māori Sovereignty flag New Zealand Police Yacht Club Ensign Civil Air Ensign See also List of New Zealand flags Flag desecration -- New Zealand National symbols of New Zealand Coat of arms of New Zealand Notes ^ a `` His Excellency the Governor is pleased to direct it to be notified, for general information, that a Despatch has recently been received from the Right Honorable the Secretary of State for the Colonies, conveying His Majesty 's approbation of an arrangement made by this Government for complying with the wishes of the Chiefs of New Zealand to adopt a National Flag in their collective capacity, and also, of the Registrar of Vessels, built in that country, granted by the Chiefs and certified by the British Resident, being considered as valid instruments, and respected as such in the intercourse which those Vessels may hold with the British Possessions. The following is a description of the Flag which has been adopted : A Red St. George 's Cross on a White ground. In the first quarter, a Red St. George 's Cross on a Blue ground, pierced with four white stars. '' ^ a As a vehicle flag, the flag of New Zealand is authorized to be used by the Prime Minister, Government Ministers, Ambassadors, High Commissioners, and Consuls - General. No defacement of the flag is done in any of these cases. References ^ Jump up to : `` Flags ''. Ministry for Culture and Heritage ( New Zealand ). 23 July 2010. Retrieved 2011 - 09 - 06. Jump up ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-35888474 Jump up ^ `` United Tribes flag ''. New Zealand : Ministry for Culture and Heritage. 28 June 2012. Retrieved 18 August 2015. Without a flag to represent the new nation, trading ships and their valuable cargoes were liable to be seized Jump up ^ `` United Tribes flag ''. NZHistory. Ministry of Culture and Heritage. 19 November 2010. Retrieved 2010 - 08 - 26. Jump up ^ Caroline Fitzgerald ( 2011 ). Te Wiremu -- Henry Williams : Early Years in the North. Huia Press. ISBN 978 - 1 - 86969 - 439 - 5. 231 Jump up ^ `` Flags of New Zealand : United Tribes flag ''. NZHistory. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. 20 March 2010. Retrieved 2010 - 12 - 28. ^ Jump up to : Whitmore, Robbie ( 2006 ). `` The colonisation of New Zealand ''. New Zealand in History. Retrieved 2010 - 12 - 28. Jump up ^ Simpson, K.A. `` Hobson, William -- Biography ''. Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 2011 - 04 - 03. Jump up ^ Volker Preuß. `` Flagge Neuseeland '' ( in German ). Retrieved 2003 - 09 - 07. Jump up ^ `` Rear - Admiral Sir Albert Hastings Markham, Norfolk Museums and Archeology Service ''. Archived from the original on 2008 - 06 - 02. Retrieved 2008 - 11 - 18. Jump up ^ `` New Zealand Signalling Ensign '' ( in Italian ). www.rbvex.it. Retrieved 2004 - 08 - 20. Jump up ^ `` South African War medal ''. Ministry for Culture and Heritage ( New Zealand ). 18 August 2014. Retrieved 15 February 2015. Jump up ^ `` New Zealand Signalling Flag ''. NZ History.net.nz. Retrieved 2012 - 01 - 20. Jump up ^ `` New Zealand flag from Quinn 's Post NZHistory, New Zealand history online ''. www.nzhistory.net.nz. Retrieved 2015 - 09 - 26. Jump up ^ `` The `` Diggers ' '' flag, the New Zealand Ensign, flying at the masthead of Achills during the naval battle ``. Auckland Star. 23 February 1940. p. Page 9. Retrieved 3 November 2014. Jump up ^ Flags, Emblems, and Names Protection Act 1981, s 5 ( 2 ). Jump up ^ `` History of Republicanism in New Zealand -- 1994 ''. New Zealand Republic. November 2007. Retrieved 2007 - 11 - 27. Jump up ^ `` Maori Law Review -- New Zealand ''. Maori Law Review. September 1994. Archived from the original on 2008 - 09 - 20. Jump up ^ Moody, John. `` Past Attempts to Change New Zealand 's Flag '' ( pdf ). New Zealand Flag Association. Retrieved 2012 - 04 - 29. Jump up ^ `` New Zealand -- Proposals for a new flag ''. Flags of the World. 29 September 2006. Retrieved 2007 - 09 - 01. Jump up ^ `` Bill advocates consultative debate on new flag ''. Scoop.co.nz. 5 August 2010. Retrieved 2012 - 04 - 29. Jump up ^ `` New Zealand to hold referendum on new, ' post-colonial ' flag ''. The Guardian. 11 March 2014. Retrieved 11 March 2014. Jump up ^ `` New Zealand to hold referendum on national flag ''. BBC News. 11 March 2014. Retrieved 11 March 2014. Jump up ^ `` First steps taken towards flag referendum ''. beehive.govt.nz. New Zealand Government. 29 October 2014. Retrieved 31 October 2014. Jump up ^ `` The NZ flag -- your chance to decide ''. Government of New Zealand. Retrieved 1 November 2015. ^ Jump up to : `` New Zealand Flag Referendums Bill - amendments ''. Parliamentary Counsel Office. 2015. Retrieved 1 April 2015. Jump up ^ `` New Zealand chooses new flag as preliminary winner ''. BBC.com. 2015 - 12 - 11. Retrieved 2015 - 12 - 11. Jump up ^ Griffiths, James ( 15 December 2015 ). `` Would you replace the New Zealand flag with this ? ''. CNN. Retrieved 15 December 2015. Jump up ^ `` Flag referendum : New Zealand votes to keep current flag ''. New Zealand Herald. 2016 - 03 - 24. ISSN 1170 - 0777. Retrieved 2016 - 03 - 24. Jump up ^ `` The National Maori Flag ''. Ministry for Culture and Heritage ( New Zealand ). 11 November 2011. Retrieved 2011 - 12 - 19. Jump up ^ `` Government Notice, Colonial Secretary 's Office. Sept. 9, 1835, New Zealand ''. The Cornwall Chronicle. Launceston, Tasmania. 1835 - 09 - 09. Retrieved 2014 - 06 - 15. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Flags of New Zealand. Ministry of Culture and Heritage -- New Zealand Flag Maritime history of the flag The Flag Institute, United Kingdom a 2003 paper on New Zealand flag changes by John Moody, Secretary of the New Zealand Flag Association. 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Question: what do the stars represent on the new zealand flag
Answer: the asterism within the constellation of Crux, the Southern Cross