Commissioning of the First Nation Flags
Commissioning of First Nation Flags at the Christian Brothers Oceania Province Centre
At a recent gathering at the Christian Brothers Oceania Province Centre in Melbourne, staff participated in a flag-raising ceremony with the Australian, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island flags being raised for the first time on the newly erected flag poles outside the Parkville office.
Deputy Province Leader Br. Paul Conn, CEO Anthony Banks and Sherry Balcombe (Victorian Aboriginal Catholic Ministry).
As Edmund Rice people, we are called to act for the needs of our times. In Australia, in 2023, we see the need for Reconciliation as a part of that calling.
The raising of these flags is a symbolic gesture of our commitment to Reconciliation as a Province. We fly these flags proudly to demonstrate our recognition of First Nations Peoples and our endorsement of the Statement from the Heart.
As a symbol of the Oceania Province’s commitment towards the recognition and reconciliation with Australia’s First Peoples, the Treacy Centre proudly flies our three National Flags: The Australian Flag, the Aboriginal Flag, and the Torres Strait Flag.
The Aboriginal Flag was designed by Harold Thomas, a Luritja man from Central Australia. According to Mr Thomas, the meaning of the flag is represented through:
· Black: the Aboriginal peoples of Australia
· Yellow: the Sun, the giver of life and protector
· Red: the red earth, red ochre and a spiritual relationship to the land.
The Torres Strait Islander flag was designed by the late Bernard Namok from Thursday Island. The flag was recognised by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission in June 1992 and given equal prominence with the Aboriginal flag.
The meaning of the Torres Strait Islander flag is represented through:
· Green: the land
· Blue: the sea
· White: peace
· Black: the Torres Strait Islander peoples
At the centre of the Torres Strait Islander flag is a dhari (headdress), which represents the people of the Torres Strait Islands. The five-pointed star in the middle of the dhari represents the five major island groups, as well as the importance of stars for navigational purposes.
