![[ 1835 flag (as gazetted, six pointed stars) ]](../images/n/nz-1835c.gif)
Last modified: 2014-09-20 by ian macdonald
Keywords: maori | crosses: 2 | cross (red) | stars: 4 | waitangi | proposal | variant | museum | stars: 4 | star: 5 points (white) | star: 6 points (white) | star: 8 points (white) |
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by António Martins, September 1998
The new flag was gazetted the
next year by the British Admiralty, with the eight-pointed stars
replaced with five-pointed ones, and the black fimbriation returned to
the more heraldically correct white.
Stuart Park, 29 January 1996
![[ 1835 flag (as gazetted, five pointed stars) ]](../images/n/nz-1835a.gif)
image by António Martins, September 1998
Following its adoption, the flag was gazetted in Sydney. Busby's original
1834 drawing had eight pointed stars and black fimbriation of the blue quarters
in the upper hoist. However, the New South Wales Gazette description and the
subsequent British Admiralty publication of the flag in 1835 omitted the
fimbriation and showed 6 pointed stars. That version has been the most common
variant seen since, though several varieties are known.
Stuart Park, 8 Nov 1996
From flag chart Flags of Australia [foa]:
"In March 1834 twenty-five Maori chiefs gathered together at Waitangi, New Zealand to choose one of three flags supplied by the Governor of New South Wales, who at the time, had jurisdication over New Zealand..."This is known as the Flag of the United Tribes of New Zealand (1835-1840). The flag is a “white duster” (white field with red St. George’s throughout) in the canton, which is blue, is a red St. George’s cross fimbriated white. In each of the four blue quadrants appears a white eight-pointed star.
The flag, which became known as the Flag of the United Tribes of New
Zealand, served as the national flag until 6th February 1840, when on the
signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, it was replaced by the Union Jack.
David Prothero, 16 December 1998, quoting [cay66]
The 1834 flag, like that raised in 1831, had no validity outside the Bay of Islands
and Hokianga as the chiefs of those districts had no say over the
rest of the country, despite the recognition given to it by the
British Government. The idea of it may well have been prompted by
McDonnell's 1831 initiative.
Ian Church, 23 March 2009
The Flags of Paradise chart
[brt96]
shows a white fimbriation on the cross
in the canton, and six-pointed stars.
John Ayer, 25 January 1999
This flag, without the
fimbriation, was then adopted around 1859 by the
Shaw Savill and Albion
shipping company as their house flag
[car61].
Also known as the Waitangi Flag,
it has appeared in various contexts since.
Stuart Park, 29 January 1996
There have been several other variants used by various
groups over the last 150 years.
Stuart Park, 9 November 1996
In the San Francisco City Museum, there was memorabilia commemorating the
Great White Fleet’s 1908 round-the-world trip. Included was a display of
flags of countries visited. Most looked familiar, but the one given for
New Zealand looked strange.
Josh Fruhlinger
That is the so-called Flag of the Confederation of United Tribes. Was the one
on display an original (1908) flag — its use as a gift to the Great White Fleet
would be fascinating — or was it a modern flag, the Museum having just got the
wrong flag for New Zealand?
Stuart Park, 29 March 1997
