58-667: The flag of New Zealand ( Māori : te haki o Aotearoa ), also known as the New Zealand Ensign , is based on the British maritime Blue Ensign – a blue field with the Union Jack in the canton or upper hoist corner – augmented or defaced with four red stars centred within four white stars, representing the Southern Cross constellation. New Zealand's first internationally accepted national flag ,
116-550: A simple majority in Parliament. Section 5(2) of the act declares the flag to be "the symbol of the Realm, Government, and people of New Zealand". Section 11(1) outlines two offences : altering the flag without lawful authority, and using, displaying, damaging or destroying the flag in or within view of a public place with the intention of dishonouring it. The minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage has authority to prescribe when and how
174-635: A commission in the Royal Naval Reserve or has otherwise been issued a warrant. Defaced versions with a badge or other emblem are used more broadly; in the United Kingdom by authorised government or private bodies; and internationally by nations or organisations previously a part of the British Empire . The evolution of the Blue Ensign followed that of the Union Jack . The ensign originated in
232-628: A common means of commercial intermodal freight transport . A tanker is a ship designed to transport liquids in bulk. Tankers can range in size from several hundred tons , designed to serve small harbours and coastal settlements, to several hundred thousand tons, with these being designed for long-range haulage. A wide range of products are carried by tankers, including: Different products require different handling and transport, thus special types of tankers have been built, such as chemical tankers , oil tankers , and gas carriers . Among oil tankers, supertankers were designed for carrying oil around
290-590: A decree by Governor George Grey on 15 January 1867. In 1869 the then First Lieutenant of the Royal Navy vessel Blanche , Albert Hastings Markham , submitted a design to Sir George Bowen , the Governor of New Zealand , for a national ensign for New Zealand. This followed a request by Bowen to Markham to come up with a new flag design, following a request to Bowen from the Colonial Office. His proposal, incorporating
348-647: A defaced blue ensign with an eagle and anchor. Yachting Blue Ensigns defaced by the badge of the club were recorded in the Navy List until 1985, and now they are administered by the Royal Yachting Association for the Ministry of Defence. Current defaced Blue Ensigns are: Current flags: Former flags: The defaced blue ensign was formerly used as: These include: Merchant ship A merchant ship , merchant vessel , trading vessel , or merchantman
406-569: A dilapidated condition. From November 1941 to October 1984 the Ceremony of Honouring the Flag Regulations 1941 required state schools to commemorate Waitangi , Anzac , Empire , King's birthday , Trafalgar , Armistice and Dominion Days . In 1984 the cost of flags and poles was estimated to be $ 340,000. Unlike some countries there is no single official " Flag Day " in New Zealand or, as in
464-415: A new flag would better reflect the country's independence , while others argue that the design represents New Zealand's strong past and present ties to the United Kingdom and its history as a part of the British Empire . Relatedly, debate about changing the flag has often arisen in connection with the issue of republicanism in New Zealand . The Southern Cross constellation is depicted on other flags, such as
522-448: A possible alternative flag. On 5 August 2010 Labour list MP Charles Chauvel submitted a member's bill for a consultative commission followed by a referendum on the New Zealand flag. On 11 March 2014, Prime Minister John Key announced in a speech his intention to hold a referendum, during the next parliamentary term , on adopting a new flag. Key stated, "It's my belief, and I think one increasingly shared by many New Zealanders, that
580-449: A royal blue background with a Union Jack in the canton , and four five-pointed red stars centred within four five-pointed white stars on the fly (outer or right-hand side). The exact colours are specified as Pantone 186 C (red), Pantone 280 C (blue), and white. According to the Ministry for Culture and Heritage , the government department responsible for the flag, the royal blue background
638-561: A small armed force to Wellington in May 1840 (following his declaration of British sovereignty). The Union Jack, as a symbol of British authority, became the focus of the Flagstaff War which began in 1844, marking (according to some historians) the start of the New Zealand Wars . The Union Jack was described as the "superior flag", to be flown above the New Zealand flag prior to 1965. During
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#1732869208858696-604: A vote made by the United Tribes of New Zealand , a meeting of Māori chiefs convened at Waitangi by British resident James Busby . The United Tribes later made the Declaration of Independence of New Zealand at Waitangi in 1835. Three flags were proposed, all designed by the missionary Henry Williams , who was to play a major role in the translation of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840. The chiefs rejected two other proposals which included
754-593: Is "reminiscent of the blue sea and sky surrounding us", and the stars "signify [New Zealand's] place in the South Pacific Ocean". The New Zealand Government history website states: "Its royal blue background is derived from the ensign of the Blue Squadron of the Royal Navy." The notice that appeared in the New Zealand Gazette on 27 June 1902 gave a technical description of the stars and their positions on
812-644: Is a watercraft that transports cargo or carries passengers for hire. This is in contrast to pleasure craft , which are used for personal recreation, and naval ships , which are used for military purposes. They come in myriad sizes and shapes, from six-metre (20 ft) inflatable dive boats in Hawaii, to 5,000-passenger casino vessels on the Mississippi River, to tugboats plying New York Harbor , to 300-metre (1,000 ft) oil tankers and container ships at major ports, to passenger-carrying submarines in
870-731: Is any sort of ship or vessel that carries cargo , goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year; they handle the bulk of international trade . Cargo ships are usually specially designed for the task, often being equipped with cranes and other mechanisms to load and unload, and come in all sizes. A bulk carrier is a ship used to transport bulk cargo items such as iron ore , bauxite, coal, cement, grain and similar cargo. Bulk carriers can be recognized by large box-like hatches on deck, designed to slide outboard or fold fore-and-aft to enable access for loading or discharging cargo. The dimensions of bulk carriers are often determined by
928-458: Is flown at half-mast, it should be lowered to a position recognisably at half-mast to avoid the appearance of a flag which has accidentally fallen away from the top of the flagpole; the flag should be at least its own height from the top of the flagpole. With the Union Jack in its upper left-hand quarter, the flag still proclaims New Zealand's origins as a British colony. Some New Zealanders believe
986-770: Is one of the striking features of the Southern Hemisphere sky, and has been used to represent New Zealand, among other Southern Hemisphere colonies, since the early days of European settlement . Additionally, in Māori mythology the Southern Cross is identified as Māhutonga , an aperture in Te Ikaroa (the Milky Way ) through which storm winds escaped. The flag should be rectangular in shape and its length should be two times its width, translating into an aspect ratio of 1:2. It has
1044-520: Is still flown on the flag pole at Waitangi, and can be seen on Waitangi Day . After the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi , the Union Jack was used, although the former United Tribes flag was still used by a number of ships from New Zealand and in many cases on land. The New Zealand Company settlement at Wellington , for example, continued to use the United Tribes flag until Governor William Hobson sent
1102-544: The Caribbean . Many merchant ships operate under a " flag of convenience " from a country other than the home of the vessel's owners, such as Liberia and Panama , which have more favorable maritime laws than other countries. The Greek merchant marine is the largest in the world. Today, the Greek fleet accounts for some 16 per cent of the world's tonnage ; this makes it currently the largest single international merchant fleet in
1160-718: The Horn of Africa from the Middle East ; the FSO Knock Nevis being the largest vessel in the world, a ULCC supertanker formerly known as Jahre Viking (Seawise Giant). It has a deadweight of 565,000 metric tons and length of about 458 meters (1,500 ft). The use of such large ships is in fact very unprofitable, due to the inability to operate them at full cargo capacity; hence, the production of supertankers has currently ceased. Today's largest oil tankers in comparison by gross tonnage are TI Europe , TI Asia , TI Oceania , which are
1218-576: The Invasion of the Waikato (July 1863 – April 1864) period of the New Zealand Wars the British forces realised they needed access to colonial ships to fight Māori. The colonial government subsequently acquired vessels which were staffed by Royal Navy officers. The vessels were under local and not Admiralty control. An armed ship, Victoria , owned by the Colony of Victoria transported reinforcements to New Zealand for
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#17328692088581276-569: The Southern Cross , was approved on 23 October 1869. It was initially to be used only on government ships. To end confusion between various designs of the flag, New Zealand's Liberal Government passed the New Zealand Ensign Act 1901, which was approved by King Edward VII on 24 March 1902. One of the first recorded accounts of the New Zealand Blue Ensign flag being flown in battle was at Quinn's Post, Gallipoli , in 1915. It
1334-509: The flag of Australia —although in Australia's case there are five all-white stars and an additional larger star beneath the Union Jack canton, while New Zealand's four stars have red centres. The similar flags of Australia and New Zealand are often mistaken for each other, and this confusion was cited by the NZ Flag.com Trust as a reason for adopting a different design. Debate on keeping or changing
1392-405: The flag of the United Tribes of New Zealand , was adopted in 1834, six years before New Zealand's separation from New South Wales and creation as a separate colony following the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840. Chosen by an assembly of Māori chiefs at Waitangi in 1834, the flag was of a St George's Cross with another cross in the canton containing four stars on a blue field. After
1450-454: The trading ship Sir George Murray , built in the Hokianga , sailed to the port of Sydney flying a kaitaka flag. The ship was seized by customs officials in the port who deemed the cloth not to meet the British navigation laws requiring ships to fly national ensigns. Among the passengers on the ship were two high-ranking Māori chiefs , believed to be Patuone and Taonui . The ship's detention
1508-665: The 17th century with the St George's Cross (the Flag of England ) in the canton , and with a blue field. The Acts of Union 1707 united England (which included present day Wales ) with Scotland in the Kingdom of Great Britain , thus producing a new Blue Ensign with the new Union Flag, containing a saltire , in the canton. With the Act of Union 1800 , Ireland became a part of the new United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , and St Patrick's Cross
1566-464: The New Zealand Ensign: "The centres of the stars forming the long limb of the cross shall be on a vertical line on the fly, midway between the Union Jack and the outer edge of the fly, and equidistant from its upper and lower edges; and the distance apart of the centres of the stars shall be equal to thirty-six sixtieths the hoist of the ensign. The centres of the stars forming the short limb of
1624-458: The New Zealand flag started before May 1973, when a remit for "New Zealand to be declared a republic, change the national flag, and the national anthem" was voted down by the Labour Party at their national conference. In November 1979 Minister of Internal Affairs Allan Highet suggested that the design of the flag should be changed, and sought an artist to design a new flag with a silver fern on
1682-536: The Red Ensign to be used on land on occasions of Māori significance, continuing the long preference of Māori for the use of red in flags. The flag commonly known as the tino rangatiratanga ( te reo Māori for 'absolute sovereignty') flag was designed in 1989. It has been acknowledged as a national flag for the Māori . There are two official flags which, when flown in the appropriate circumstance, take precedence over
1740-587: The Royal Navy's command. In 1866 the British Admiralty advised colonies that if they possessed vessels governed by the Act, they must fly the Royal Navy Blue Ensign but that they must also include on the flag the seal or badge of the colony. New Zealand did not have a colonial badge, or indeed a coat of arms of its own at this stage, and so in 1867 the letters "NZ" were simply added to the blue ensign, following
1798-464: The U.S., no Pledge of Allegiance to the flag. Flag flying may be encouraged on certain commemorative days , at the discretion of the minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage. The flag is usually only used as a vehicle flag by certain high-ranking officeholders, including: the prime minister and other ministers; ambassadors and high commissioners (when overseas); and the chief of Defence Force . In such cases, no distinguishing defacement or fringing of
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1856-633: The Union Jack shall each measure six-sixtieths, and the star at the bottom of the cross shall measure seven-sixtieths of the hoist of the ensign across their respective red points, and the width of the white borders to the several stars shall in all cases be equal to one one-hundred-and-twentieth of the hoist of the ensign." Māori did not have flags until Europeans introduced them to New Zealand, when they quickly adopted them and made them part of their culture. During this time, some Māori attached fern leaves or traditional woven cloth , such as paki, to their ships when participating in international trade. In 1830,
1914-647: The Union Jack, in favour of a modified St George's Cross or the White Ensign , which was the flag used by Henry Williams on the Church Missionary Society ships. This flag became known as the flag of the United Tribes of New Zealand and was officially gazetted in New South Wales in August 1835, with a general description not mentioning fimbriation or the number of points on the stars. The United Tribes' flag
1972-535: The campaign and took part in bombardments of Māori. The British government was concerned about its colonies developing their own navies, not under the control of the Royal Navy 's Admiralty. This led to the British parliament passing the Colonial Naval Defence Act 1865 , which allowed the colonial governments to own ships, including for military purposes, under the provision that they would have to be under
2030-436: The country electing to keep the existing flag by 57% to 43%. The flag of New Zealand uses two prominent symbols: In its original usage as the flag of United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , the Union Jack combined three heraldic crosses which represent the countries of the United Kingdom (as constituted in 1801): The Union Jack reflects New Zealand's origins as a British colony . The Southern Cross constellation
2088-400: The cross shall be on a line intersecting the vertical limb at an angle of 82 therewith, and rising from near the lower fly corner of the Union Jack towards the upper fly corner of the ensign, its point of intersection with the vertical line being distant from the centre of the uppermost star of the cross twelve-sixtieths of the hoist of the ensign. The distance of the centre of the star nearest
2146-470: The design of the New Zealand flag symbolises a colonial and post-colonial era whose time has passed". Following his party's re-election that year, the details of the two referendums were announced. The first referendum was set for November 2015 allowing voters to decide on a preferred design from five choices. The second referendum would see the preferred design voted on against the current flag in March 2016. Had
2204-400: The first referendum. The black, white and blue design , with a silver fern and red stars, was the winning flag. This flag design did not win the second referendum; according to preliminary results announced on 24 March 2016, the existing 1902 flag was chosen to remain the New Zealand flag. 56.7% were in favour of retaining the flag, with a voter turnout of 67.3%. 43.3% were in favour of changing
2262-443: The flag changed, the current flag (described as the "1902 flag") of New Zealand would have been "recognised as a flag of historical significance", and its continued use would have been permitted. Official documents depicting the current flag would have been replaced only through ordinary means, e.g. an existing driving licence would have remained valid until its renewal date. On 11 December 2015, preliminary results were announced for
2320-402: The flag is used. The flag is flown at half-mast in New Zealand —always at the discretion of the minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage—to indicate a period of mourning. Notable occasions on which the flag was half-masted include: the death of former prime minister David Lange , the death and state funeral of mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary and the death of Queen Elizabeth II . When the flag
2378-460: The flag should be flown and what the standard sizes, dimensions, proportions and colours should be. In its advisory role, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage has issued guidelines to assist persons in their use of the flag. No permission is needed to fly the flag, and it may be flown on every day of the year—government and public buildings with flagpoles are especially encouraged to fly the flag during working hours. However, it should never be flown in
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2436-475: The flag to the Lockwood design. A red version of the flag, officially called the Red Ensign and nicknamed the "red duster", was adopted in 1903 to be flown on non-government ships. It was flown on New Zealand merchant ships during both world wars. The Red Ensign has sometimes been flown incorrectly on land in the belief that it is the national flag. The Flags, Emblems, and Names Protection Act 1981 does allow for
2494-542: The flag. The bill passed its first reading but was defeated at its second reading, 26 votes to 37. In 1998 Prime Minister Jenny Shipley backed Cultural Affairs Minister Marie Hasler 's call for the flag to be changed. Shipley, along with the New Zealand Tourism Board, put forward the quasi-national silver fern flag (a silver fern on a black field, along the lines of the Canadian Maple Leaf flag ) as
2552-418: The fly, but the proposal attracted little support. In 1994 Christian Democrat MP Graeme Lee introduced a Flags, Anthems, Emblems, and Names Protection Amendment Bill. If passed, the bill would have entrenched the Act that governs the flag (see § Flag law and protocol ) and added New Zealand's anthems, requiring a majority of 65 percent of votes in Parliament before any future legislation could change
2610-439: The formation of the colony in 1840, British ensigns began to be used. The current flag was designed and adopted for use on the colony's ships in 1869, was quickly adopted as New Zealand's national flag, and given statutory recognition in 1902. For several decades there has been debate about changing the flag . In 2016, a two-stage binding referendum on a flag change took place. Voting in the second stage closed on 24 March, with
2668-599: The formerly ubiquitous twelve-passenger freighters in which the transport of passengers is secondary to the carriage of freight. The type does however include many classes of ships which are designed to transport substantial numbers of passengers as well as freight. Indeed, until recently virtually all ocean liners were able to transport mail, package freight and express, and other cargo in addition to passenger luggage, and were equipped with cargo holds and derricks, kingposts, or other cargo-handling gear for that purpose. Modern cruiseferries have car decks for lorries as well as
2726-750: The largest sailing vessels today. But even with their deadweight of 441,585 metric tons, sailing as VLCC most of the time, they do not use more than 70% of their total capacity. Apart from pipeline transport , tankers are the only method for transporting large quantities of oil, although such tankers have caused large environmental disasters when sinking close to coastal regions, causing oil spills . See Braer , Erika , Exxon Valdez , Prestige and Torrey Canyon for examples of tankers that have been involved in oil spills. Coastal trading vessels are smaller ships that carry any category of cargo along coastal, rather than trans-oceanic, routes. Coasters are shallow-hulled ships used for trade between locations on
2784-676: The national flag of New Zealand: In addition, the New Zealand Police , New Zealand Fire Service , New Zealand Customs Service , and the services of the New Zealand Defence Force have their own flags. A few local authorities have commissioned their own flags, such as that of the City of Nelson . Blue Ensign The Blue Ensign is a British ensign that may be used on vessels by certain authorised yacht clubs, Royal Research Ships and British merchant vessels whose master holds
2842-410: The outer edge of the fly from the point of intersection shall be equal to twelve-sixtieths of the hoist of the ensign, and the distance of the centre of the star nearest the Union Jack from the point of intersection shall be equal to fourteen-sixtieths of the hoist of the ensign. The star nearest the fly edge of the ensign shall measure five-sixtieths, the star at the top of the cross and that nearest to
2900-541: The ports and sea routes that they need to serve, and by the maximum width of the Panama Canal. Most lakes are too small to accommodate bulk carriers, but a large fleet of lake freighters has been plying the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway of North America for over a century. A container ship is a cargo ship that carries its cargo in standardized containers, in a technique called containerization . These ships are
2958-412: The same island or continent. Their shallow hulls allow them to sail over reefs and other submerged navigation hazards, whereas ships designed for blue-water trade usually have much deeper hulls for better seakeeping . A passenger ship is a ship whose primary function is to carry passengers. The category does not include cargo vessels which have accommodations for limited numbers of passengers, such as
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#17328692088583016-956: The term "Merchant Navy" without further clarification is used to refer to the British Merchant Navy ; the United States merchant fleet is known as the United States Merchant Marine . Merchant ships' names have a prefix to indicate which kind of vessel they are: The UNCTAD review of maritime transport categorizes ships as: oil tankers, bulk (and combination) carriers, general cargo ships, container ships, and "other ships", which includes "liquefied petroleum gas carriers, liquefied natural gas carriers, parcel (chemical) tankers, specialized tankers, reefers, offshore supply, tugs, dredgers, cruise, ferries, other non-cargo". General cargo ships include "multi-purpose and project vessels and Roll-on/roll-off cargo". A cargo ship or freighter
3074-477: The world, albeit not the largest in history. During wars, merchant ships may be used as auxiliaries to the navies of their respective countries, and are called upon to deliver military personnel and materiel . The term "commercial vessel" is defined by the United States Coast Guard as any vessel (i.e. boat or ship) engaged in commercial trade or that carries passengers for hire. In English,
3132-566: Was incorporated into the Union Flag and, accordingly, into the cantons of all British ensigns from 1 January 1801. Prior to the reorganisation of the Royal Navy in 1864, the plain blue ensign had been the ensign of one of three squadrons of the Royal Navy, the Blue Squadron . This changed in 1864, when an order in council provided that the Red Ensign was allocated to merchantmen, the Blue Ensign
3190-583: Was not flown officially. The flag was brought back to New Zealand by Private John Taylor, Canterbury Battalion. The first time the flag of New Zealand was flown in a naval battle and the first time officially in any battle, was from HMS Achilles during the Battle of the River Plate in 1939. The Flags, Emblems, and Names Protection Act 1981 governs the usage of the national flag and all other official flags. This act, like most other laws, can be amended or repealed by
3248-465: Was reported as arousing indignation among the Māori population. The Murray was sold at auction to Thomas McDonnell who flew a St. George's cross with a blue canton charged with a half moon from the ship. This flag was described by the Sydney Herald as 'the New Zealand colours', though they may have been simply McDonnell's house flag. The first flag of New Zealand was adopted 9 (or 20) March 1834 by
3306-647: Was suspended during both World War I and World War II . In addition, prior to WWI, a number of ships (in particular, the RMS ; Lusitania and RMS Mauretania ) were listed as Royal Navy Reserve Merchant Vessels, receiving an annual subsidy from the navy and were permitted to fly the blue ensign. Since 1864, the Blue Ensign is defaced with a badge or emblem, to form the ensign of United Kingdom government departments or public bodies. Current defaced Blue Ensigns (besides yacht clubs listed below) are: Royal Air Force marine vessels (such as seaplane tenders) flew
3364-460: Was to be the flag of ships in public service or commanded by an officer in the Royal Naval Reserve , and the White Ensign was allocated to the Navy. Thus, since 1864, the plain blue ensign (without any defacement or modification) is permitted to be worn, instead of the Red Ensign, by three categories of civilian vessel: Permission for yachts to wear the blue ensign (and other special yachting ensigns)
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