Last modified: 2016-02-27 by ian macdonald
Keywords: elcho island | disc: yellow | djarridjarri | sun | : yellow | aboriginal |
Links: FOTW homepage |
search |
disclaimer and copyright |
write us |
mirrors
See also:
The Elcho Island Flag has three equal horizontal stripes of Red (bottom), Blue (central) and Black (top). The Blue is called "Djarridjarri" in the Yolngu language and stands there for this traditional Elcho Island 'blue' colour of very long standing. It was made as the additional Blue stripe of equal length and breadth to two Red and Black stripes in addition to the Yellow Sun of the original Black National Aboriginal Flag colours.
For the antecedents and consequences of the Elcho Island Flag of four
colours (red [for the blood connection between people and country ?],
blue [for the sea], yellow [sun] and black [for the people] in the
vein of the Aboriginal flag) see:
http://deadlysounds.vibe.com.au/dsounds/archive/read.asp?id=632. [mentions the djarridjarri ("blue flag") totem - ed.]
Patrick Byrt, 31 July 2005
I drafted and widely promulgated the 1992 Flagging the Future policy for the creation of further Indigenous Flags apart from the National Aboriginal Flag, to the Torres Strait [and] other Australian Indigenous destinations, including Elcho Island, preceding ... the creation of the Elcho Island Flag in 1993.
The Elcho Island Red, Blue and Black striped and Yellow central sun disc Flag was presented live on the national ABC TV news to the then Commonwealth Aboriginal Affairs Minister, the Hon Robert Tickner in Canberra in 1994 (?), after being raised and displayed by Elcho Island participants at the 1993 South Pacific Arts Festival in Adelaide, South Australia, and at the Adelaide Festival Theatre centre amphitheatre.
Both Bessie Nakamara Simms
and her sister Jillian Spencer, of the Yuendumu Night Patrol (around
Papunya) are witnesses of the holding of the Pacific Art Symposium
occurring in Adelaide where the Elcho Island Flag was displayed in
1993.
Patrick Byrt, 31 July 2005
