New Zealand is a nation rich in history and culture, made especially popular with the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit films. Still, there’s so much more to Aotearoa, the Land of the Long White Cloud, as named by the Polynesian Māori – the country’s indigenous population. From the breathtaking landscapes abundant in greenery and its friendly and easy-going people, to the tasty foods and amazing traditions, this country has got plenty to offer.
As a multicultural South Pacific nation, it’s a mixture of symbols and influences. The national flag of New Zealand is the perfect example of this, as it’s undergone changes over the years to best capture this blend of cultures and symbols, representing the Polynesians and the Europeans.
The Flag Through History
Although it’s believed the first Māori settlers came somewhere around 1200 and 1300 AD, with tribal traditions saying Kupe was the first Polynesian navigator to discover the island, and the first European explorers arrived the 1600s, the story of the flag begins in the 19th century. Specifically, it was in the 1830s that a flag was proposed, following an event with a trading ship from Hokianga.
Since this ship was in the waters without a flag, it was contrary to British law which required every sailing and trading ship to bear a nation’s flag. Not surprisingly, this led to its seizing in Sydney. As this was a period before New Zealand became a British colony, the first official flag to be adopted in 1834 was the Te Kara o Te Whakaminenga o Ngā Hapū o Niu Tireni, the Flag of the United Tribes of New Zealand, also known as only Te Kara.
Despite it being a legal flag of the country, the Union flag (i.e. the Union Jack) came to be used afterwards as the official flag from 1840 until 1902, once signing the Te Tiriti o Waitangi (the Treaty). This generated understandable disagreement among the natives, which is what brought to the creation and use of the national flag of New Zealand we know today.
The Flag Markings
As a former British colony, this is marked by the presence of the Union flag in the upper left corner of the flag of New Zealand of today. The other symbol that’s present are the four five-pointed red stars with white borders on the fly, chosen for the Southern Cross that marks the nation’s place in the South Pacific.
The blue colour used for the background symbolises the blue sea and the sky. Before this, the NZ flag had a red NZ in the bottom corner instead of the stars. This was changed back in 1869, so the call for votes for flag changes isn’t something that recent in the country.
The Referendum
While we’re at it, the most recent call for flag change that led to the referendums in 2015 and 2016 came out of the dissatisfaction of some politicians and citizens who would rather have a symbol of their own represent the nation, one specifically that doesn’t come with the Union flag. Another reason was the notable similarity to the Australian flag, which has created some mishaps over the years for obvious reasons.
Much like the New Zealand flag, the Australian one also features the Union flag and the Southern Cross. Despite the slight differences, like the six white stars with more points in the Australian, there’s still confusion and mixups. As a topic that sparked worldwide interest, the referendum voting was even covered in The Big Bang Theory, with a special mention on Sheldon Cooper’s YouTube/podcast show Fun with Flags.
Much to his disappointment, however, the majority of the votes were in favour of keeping the flag as is with a 56.6% win, as opposed to the 43.1% of the votes for the new flag, choosing one from the new five design proposals. The new ones focused on the symbolism that both the Māori and the Pākehā communities hold near and dear, like the silver fern, with and without the Southern Cross constellation.
The event also resulted in a social media phenomenon with the Laser Kiwi Flag, originally known as the Fire the Lazar, designed by Lucy Gray. With the laser-eyed Kiwi bird at the forefront, it’s evident why it gained popularity on a global level, and can still be found as a consumer good even if it didn’t make it to a national flag status.
The Māori Flag
One can’t talk about New Zealand flags without mentioning the special Māori flag that features black, white, and red patterns. These were chosen to represent Te Korekore (potential being), Te Ao Mārama (the realm of being and light), and Te Whai Ao (coming into being) respectively. In the middle, there’s the Koru, the curling shape that represents the unfolding of new life, as a symbol of hope, of rebirth and continuity.
