<P> Before 1901 , what is now Australia was six separate British colonies . The Union Flag , as the flag of the British Empire , was first used on Australian soil on 29 April 1770 when Lieutenant James Cook landed at Botany Bay , and it was again used at the start of European settlement of the country on 26 January 1788 . This was the original Union Flag introduced in 1606 that did not include the Saint Patrick 's Saltire , included from 1801 after the Acts of Union 1801 . It is the second version post 1801 that is depicted on the Australian Flag . It was often used to represent them collectively , and each colony also had its own flag based on the Union Flag . As an Australian national consciousness began to emerge , several flag movements were formed and unofficial new flags came into common usage . Two attempts were made throughout the nineteenth century to design a national flag . The first such attempt was the National Colonial Flag created in 1823 -- 1824 by Captains John Nicholson and John Bingle . This flag consisted of a red cross on a white background , with an eight - point star on each of the four limbs of the cross , while incorporating a Union Flag in the canton . The most popular `` national '' flag of the period was the 1831 Federation Flag , also designed by Nicholson . This flag was the same at the National Colonial Flag , except that the cross was blue instead of resembling that of St. George . Although the flag was designed by Nicholson in 1831 , it did not become widely popular until the latter part of the century , when calls for federation began to grow louder . These flags , and many others such as the Eureka Flag ( which came into use at the Eureka Stockade in 1854 ) , featured stars representing the Southern Cross . The oldest known flag to show the stars arranged as they are seen in the sky is the Anti-Transportation League Flag , which is similar in design to the present National Flag . The differences were that there was no Commonwealth Star , while the components of the Southern Cross are depicted with eight points and in gold . This flag was only briefly in usage , as two years after the formation of the Anti-Transportation League in 1851 , the colonial authorities decided to stop the intake of convicts , so the ATL ceased its activities . The Eureka Flag is often viewed as the first `` Australian '' flag as it was the first notable example of a design that had the Southern Cross while excluding the Union Flag . The Murray River Flag , popular since the 1850s , is still widely used by boats that traverse Australia 's main waterway . It is the same as the National Colonial Flag , except that the white background in the three quadrants other the canton were replaced with four alternating blue and white stripes , representing the four major rivers that run into the Murray River . </P>
<P> Before 1901 , what is now Australia was six separate British colonies . The Union Flag , as the flag of the British Empire , was first used on Australian soil on 29 April 1770 when Lieutenant James Cook landed at Botany Bay , and it was again used at the start of European settlement of the country on 26 January 1788 . This was the original Union Flag introduced in 1606 that did not include the Saint Patrick 's Saltire , included from 1801 after the Acts of Union 1801 . It is the second version post 1801 that is depicted on the Australian Flag . It was often used to represent them collectively , and each colony also had its own flag based on the Union Flag . As an Australian national consciousness began to emerge , several flag movements were formed and unofficial new flags came into common usage . Two attempts were made throughout the nineteenth century to design a national flag . The first such attempt was the National Colonial Flag created in 1823 -- 1824 by Captains John Nicholson and John Bingle . This flag consisted of a red cross on a white background , with an eight - point star on each of the four limbs of the cross , while incorporating a Union Flag in the canton . The most popular `` national '' flag of the period was the 1831 Federation Flag , also designed by Nicholson . This flag was the same at the National Colonial Flag , except that the cross was blue instead of resembling that of St. George . Although the flag was designed by Nicholson in 1831 , it did not become widely popular until the latter part of the century , when calls for federation began to grow louder . These flags , and many others such as the Eureka Flag ( which came into use at the Eureka Stockade in 1854 ) , featured stars representing the Southern Cross . The oldest known flag to show the stars arranged as they are seen in the sky is the Anti-Transportation League Flag , which is similar in design to the present National Flag . The differences were that there was no Commonwealth Star , while the components of the Southern Cross are depicted with eight points and in gold . This flag was only briefly in usage , as two years after the formation of the Anti-Transportation League in 1851 , the colonial authorities decided to stop the intake of convicts , so the ATL ceased its activities . The Eureka Flag is often viewed as the first `` Australian '' flag as it was the first notable example of a design that had the Southern Cross while excluding the Union Flag . The Murray River Flag , popular since the 1850s , is still widely used by boats that traverse Australia 's main waterway . It is the same as the National Colonial Flag , except that the white background in the three quadrants other the canton were replaced with four alternating blue and white stripes , representing the four major rivers that run into the Murray River . </P>
what do the stars represent on the australian flag
what do the stars represent on the australian flag
Southern Cross
Southern Cross