Flags of Australia and New Zealand compared
Both flags have a blue field, the Union Jack and the Southern Cross. Australia has six white stars; New Zealand has four red stars with white borders.
Australia
AU
New Zealand
NZSimilarities
Both flags place the Union Jack in the canton and show the Southern Cross on the fly. Their official descriptions identify the constellation as a feature of each design.
Differences
Australia has six stars: five forming the Southern Cross and a large seven-pointed Commonwealth Star below the Union Jack. New Zealand has four five-pointed red stars with white borders, forming the Southern Cross.
Why do the flags look alike?
The Union Jack and blue field on both flags reflect the British ensign tradition. Australia’s present flag is based on the winning design of the 1901 flag competition, first known as the Commonwealth Blue Ensign; the Commonwealth Star gained its seventh point in 1908. Albert Hastings Markham designed New Zealand’s flag in 1869, and it was adopted as the national flag in 1902.
How to tell the flags apart
Count the stars and check their colour: Australia has six white stars, including a large Commonwealth Star below the Union Jack. New Zealand has four red stars with white borders.
Sources
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How can you tell the flags of Australia and New Zealand apart?
Valto Tunnus Symbols and visual analysis writerThe flags of Australia and New Zealand look very similar: both feature the Union Jack and the Southern Cross. Learn the key differences and how to recognise each flag quickly.