Damon Mcknight
The Australian National Flag is flown at half-mast as a sign of mourning. Flags can be flown at half-mast on the day of a local citizen's funeral or on the day of the funeral of the head of state of another country with which Australia has diplomatic relations. The Australian Government may also give direction for all flags to be flown at half-mast, for example, on the death of a member of the royal family or the Governor-General. The Australian National Flag should be raised first and lowered last, and under no circumstances should it be flown at half-mast after dark.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Occasions | On the death of a local citizen or on the day, or part of the day, of their funeral. |
| On the death of the Sovereign (Queen or King) from the time of death up to and including the funeral. | |
| On the death of a member of the royal family, by special command of the Sovereign and/or by direction of the Australian Government. | |
| On the death of the Governor-General or a former Governor-General. | |
| On the death of a distinguished Australian citizen, in accordance with protocol. | |
| On the death of the head of state of another country with which Australia has diplomatic relations, the flag would be flown at half-mast on the day of the funeral or as directed. | |
| On Australian National Flag and Australian State flags, the Union Jack is placed in the upper left-hand quarter (known as the 'canton'). | |
| Flags cannot be flown at half-mast after dark, even if illuminated. | |
| The Australian National Flag should be raised first and lowered last. | |
| The flag should be raised to the top of the flagpole briefly, and then lowered slowly and ceremoniously. | |
| Flags flown at half-mast should be positioned a third of the distance down the flagpole. | |
| When flying the Australian National Flag with other flags, all flags in the set should be flown at half-mast. | |
| When lowering the flag from a half-mast position, it should be briefly raised to the peak and then lowered ceremoniously. | |
| When Rouse is played, the flag orderlies raise the flags from the half-mast position to the mast peak. | |
| The flag must be lowered to a position more than its own depth from the top of the flagpole to avoid the appearance of a fallen flag. |
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What You'll Learn
- The Australian flag should be raised first and lowered last
- No flags should be flown above the Australian flag when it's at half-mast
- The flag must be flown during the day
- The flag must be flown at least one flag depth from the top of the flagpole
- Flags in any locality may be flown at half-mast on the death of a local citizen
The Australian flag should be raised first and lowered last
The Australian National Flag (ANF) is a symbol of the country and its people. As such, there are specific protocols in place for its handling, especially when flying the flag at half-mast as a sign of mourning.
When flying the ANF with other flags, the Australian flag should be raised first and lowered last. This is to ensure that the ANF is given the highest honour and respect among the flags. If there are two Australian National Flags, one can be flown at each end of a line of flags. When flying the ANF alone on a building with multiple flagpoles, it should be flown in the centre or as near to it as possible.
The ANF is raised to the top of the flagpole first, then slowly lowered to the half-mast position, which is approximately one-third of the length of the flagpole down from the top. This ensures that the flag is recognisably at half-mast and does not appear to have accidentally fallen from the top of the pole. When removing the flag from the half-mast position, it is briefly raised to the peak again before being lowered ceremoniously.
The Australian flag can be flown at half-mast on various occasions, including the death of a distinguished Australian citizen, the death of a foreign head of state with whom Australia has diplomatic relations, ANZAC Day, Remembrance Day, and the death of a notable local citizen. Private citizens and non-government buildings may also choose to fly the flag at half-mast to honour local leaders or heroes.
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No flags should be flown above the Australian flag when it's at half-mast
The Australian National Flag is given precedence over all other flags when flown in Australia or an Australian territory. It should not be flown in an inferior position to any other flag, except for the United Nations Flag on United Nations Day. The Australian flag should always be positioned on the far left when all flagpoles are the same height and in a straight row.
When flown at half-mast, the Australian flag should be positioned one-third of the way down the flagpole. No other flag should be flown above it. This is because flying the flag at half-mast is a sign of mourning. Flags may be flown at half-mast on the day of a local citizen's funeral or on the day of their death.
The Australian flag should be raised first and lowered last. It should be raised to the top of the flagpole briefly and then slowly lowered. Under no circumstances should the flag be flown at half-mast after dark, even if illuminated.
The Union Jack, in the upper left-hand quarter of the Australian flag, is known as the 'canton'. This is the position of honour on the flag and it should always appear in the upper left-hand corner when the flag is flown, whether horizontally or vertically.
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The flag must be flown during the day
The Australian flag must only be flown during the day. It is prohibited to fly the flag at half-mast after dark, even if the flag is illuminated. The flag should be raised to the top of the flagpole at the start of the day and lowered slowly and ceremoniously at the end of the day.
The Australian National Flag (ANF) is raised first and lowered last when flown with other flags. When lowering the flag from a half-mast position, it should be raised to the peak of the flagpole and then lowered. The flag should be flown at the top of the flagpole during Rouse, the bugle call traditionally played at Australian Army and Royal Australian Air Force military funerals and services of remembrance.
The flag should be flown during normal working hours on or near government buildings. The Victorian Government's policy is that when there is one flagpole, the Victorian flag should be flown. When there are two flagpoles, the Australian and Victorian flags should be flown. When there are three or more flagpoles, the Australian, Victorian, Aboriginal, and Torres Strait Islander flags should be flown. The Australian National Flag takes precedence over all other flags when flown in Australia or an Australian territory.
The Australian Government provides a flag broadcast service to notify agencies of occasions to fly the flag at half-mast. These occasions include the death of a local citizen or the day of their funeral, the death of a member of the royal family, the death of a distinguished Australian citizen, and the death of the head of state of another country with which Australia has diplomatic relations.
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The flag must be flown at least one flag depth from the top of the flagpole
The Australian flag is flown at half-mast as a sign of mourning. When flown in this manner, it must be positioned at least one flag depth from the top of the flagpole. This ensures that the flag does not appear to have accidentally fallen from the top of the flagpole.
The flag is half-masted by first raising it to the top of the mast and then slowly lowering it to the designated position, which is typically a third of the distance down the flagpole or two-thirds of the way up. The specific position may vary depending on the size of the flag and the length of the flagpole.
The Australian National Flag (ANF) should be raised first and lowered last when flown with other flags. All flags in the set should be flown at half-mast when the ANF is flown at half-mast. When lowering the flag from a half-mast position, it should be briefly raised to the peak and then lowered ceremoniously.
Flags in any locality can be flown at half-mast on the death of a local citizen or on the day, or part of the day, of their funeral. There are also occasions when the Australian Government directs that all flags be flown at half-mast, such as in the event of the death of a member of the royal family, a distinguished Australian citizen, or the head of state of another country with which Australia has diplomatic relations.
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Flags in any locality may be flown at half-mast on the death of a local citizen
In Australia, flags are flown at half-mast as a sign of mourning. Flags in any locality may be flown at half-mast on the death of a local citizen or on the day, or part of the day, of their funeral. This is not limited to government buildings and can be done by private citizens to honour local leaders. The Australian National Flag and Australian State flags should be flown with the Union Jack placed in the upper left-hand quarter (known as the 'canton') nearest the flagpole. The canton is the position of honour on the flag and it should always appear in the upper left-hand corner when the flag is being flown (either horizontally or vertically). When the flag is displayed vertically, the canton appears to be back-to-front, however as the canton is in the upper left-hand quarter, it is correct.
When flying the flag at half-mast, it should be positioned a third of the way down the flagpole. The flag should first be raised to the top of the flagpole and then slowly lowered. Under no circumstances should flags be flown at half-mast after dark, even if illuminated. The Australian National Flag takes precedence over all flags when flown in Australia or an Australian territory. It should not be flown in an inferior position to any other flag with the exception of the United Nations Flag on United Nations Day.
In Canada, each province can make its own determination of when to fly the flag at half-mast when provincial leaders or honoured citizens pass away. In the United States, only the president or the governor of the state may order the flag to be at half-staff to honour the death of a national or state figure. The US Flag Code also mentions the use of the flag for honouring leading citizens, such as Martin Luther King Jr.
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Frequently asked questions
The Australian flag is flown at half-mast as a sign of mourning. This can occur on the death of a local citizen or on the day, or part of the day, of their funeral.
The Australian Government and/or the Government of South Australia can give direction for all flags to be flown at half-mast.
The flag should be raised to the top of the flagpole and then slowly lowered to the half-mast position, which is typically a third to two-thirds of the way up the flagpole. Under no circumstances should flags be flown at half-mast after dark. When lowering the flag, it should be raised to the peak again before being lowered for the day.
