The Australian National Flag Association was inaugurated at a public meeting held in Sydney on 5 October 1983 to oppose suggestions that the existing Australian National Flag is not appropriately representative of the nation, and should be changed, with the late Sir Colin Hines elected as founding president of the New South Wales branch.
Structure
There are also autonomous, state-based incorporated associations still operating as ANFA chapters in Queensland, Victoria, Tasmania and Western Australia. There have been informal meetings between the various state presidents where a national spokesperson for the five separate organisations is appointed. In 2013 an Australian Flag Association was formed, with ANFA Queensland President Allan Pidgeon AM as chair.
According to their official website ANFA NSW is a non-political, non-sectarian voluntary community service organisation. The controlling Council of Management is elected at each Annual General Meeting, operating under a government approved constitution. The stated aims and objectives are:
To communicate positively to all Australians the importance and significance of our chief national symbol - the Australian National Flag.
To provide promotional and educational material concerning the Australian National Flag.
To promote the Australian identity overseas by the use of the Australian National Flag.
To support existing "fly the flag" programmes and encourage support from recognised service organisations.
To encourage personal identity with the Australian National Flag at all levels within the community.
Amongst other activities ANFA NSW has successfully proposed that 3 September be proclaimed as Australian National Flag Day and produced a video “Our National Flag … since 1901” which tells the story of the flag. This was presented to every Australian school as part of the ‘Discovering Democracy’ programme.
Queensland
In 2017 ANFA QLD announced a search for the very first Australian flag, which has been lost since it flew on 3 September 1901 at the Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne.
Western Australia
In 1999 ANFA WA erected a memorial on the grave of Mrs Annie Dorrington, who along with four others shared and the prize money in the 1901 Federal Flag Design Competition, with other ANFA state branches contributing towards the costs.
The most recent ANFA branch was incorporated in the Australian Capital Territory in July 2001. However, on 15 July 2003, affiliation with ANFA was severed, and the organisation rebranded as the Australian Flag Society.
On 28 August 1996, the Governor General of the Commonwealth of Australia, Sir William Deane, issued a proclamation from Government House, Canberra which officially proclaimed 3 September as Australian National Flag Day to "commemorate the day in 1901 on which the Australian national flag was first flown". Each year the association arranges 3 September celebrations in capital cities and provincial centres. Current Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove said “National Flag Day is a day for all Australians to honour the flag we live under and to reflect upon its significance to us as individuals and as a nation … On this day we celebrate our flag and what it is to be Australian. On behalf of all Australians I express my best wishes to the Australian National Flag Association”.
