(From February 1922, when the Navigation Act 1912–20 took effect, this was compulsory.) The design was further modified in 1908 to give the Commonwealth six-pointed star (each of its points representing a State) another point to represent Papua and any future territories, making it consistent with the star in the Commonwealth Coat of Arms authorised that year. In June the same year the Admiralty authorised the flying of the red merchant flag on ships registered in Australia. King Edward VII's approval of the chosen design, slightly simplified, in 1902 was gazetted in February 1903. The blue flag was first flown from the Exhibition Building Melbourne on 3 September 1901 when the winning design was announced – this was a huge flag (36 by 18 feet), made to order for the occasion. The judges, representing naval and shipping expertise, chose a design for these flags as submitted in five of the entries.

In August and September 1901 judges appointed by the Commonwealth government worked through over 30 000 competition entries to select a design for two Australian flags – one with a blue ground for official use, the other with a red ground for merchant ships.

World of warships historical flags