Noongar News from our AIEO
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flags Symbolism. (ref NAIDOC committee website)
The Aboriginal flag is divided horizontally into halves. The top half is black and the lower half red. There is a yellow circle in the centre of the flag.
The meanings of the three colours in the flag, as stated by Harold Thomas, are:
- Black – represents the Aboriginal people of Australia.
- Yellow circle – represents the Sun, the giver of life and protector.
- Red – represents the red earth, the red ochre used in ceremonies and Aboriginal peoples’ spiritual relation to the land.
The Torres Strait Islander flag has three horizontal panels, with green at the top and bottom and blue in between. These panels are divided by thin black lines. A white Dhari (traditional headdress) sits in the centre, with a five-pointed white star beneath it.
The meanings of the colours in the flag are:
- Green – represents the land
- Black – represents the Indigenous peoples
- Blue - represents the sea
- White – represents peace
