<P> "before it (the flag) becomes too faded or too tattered, (it) be taken down and perhaps offered to a museum or an art gallery as the seminal flag that flew over this building 100 years from the time the first flag was flown?" </P> <P> The flag was subsequently entrusted to the Australian Flag Society and has been paraded at schools to mark Australian National Flag Day on a tour of the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales and Queensland . </P> <P> Under Section 5 of the Flags Act 1953, the Governor - General may proclaim flags other than the National Flag and the Red Ensign as flags or ensigns of Australia . Five flags have been appointed in this manner . The first two were the Royal Australian Navy Ensign and the Royal Australian Air Force Ensign, the flags used by the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force . The Australian Army has no ensign of its own, but they are given the ceremonial task to be the defender of the National Flag . The Air Force and the Navy flew the appropriate British ensigns (the White Ensign and the Royal Air Force Ensign) until the adoption of similar ensigns based on the Australian National Flag in 1948 and 1967 respectively . The current Navy and Air Force Ensigns were officially appointed in 1967 and 1982 respectively . </P> <P> In 1995, the Aboriginal Flag and the Torres Strait Islander Flag were also appointed flags of Australia . While mainly seen as a gesture of reconciliation, this recognition caused a small amount of controversy at the time, with then opposition leader John Howard describing it as divisive . Some indigenous people, such as the flag's designer Harold Thomas, felt that the government was appropriating their flag, saying it "doesn't need any more recognition". </P>

What does the symbols mean on the australian flag