Written by Oscar Holland, CNN
The Aboriginal flag of Australia will replace the flag of the state of New South Wales at the Sydney Harbor Bridge, after officials ruled out a $ 25 million ($ 17 million) plan that would have accommodated all two.
In a statement announcing the decision on Monday, New South Wales (NSW) Prime Minister Dominic Perrottet said the milestone would provide a “daily reminder of our nation’s rich history”.
The state government first announced plans to permanently install an Aboriginal flag on the iconic bridge, alongside national and state flags, earlier this year, when it undertook to build a third pole 20 feet high (66 feet).
The state allocated funds for the project as part of the Closing the Gap initiative, a national initiative to close the health and life expectancy gaps between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Aborigines and non-Indigenous Australians.
But the scheme’s multimillion-dollar price raised eyebrows among many Australians, including Perrottet, who expressed surprise at the figure.
When asked in June why the flagpole cost so much, the prime minister told reporters, “I don’t know, but apparently I do.” Then he joked, “I’ll go to (hardware) Bunnings myself and go up there and put the stick.”
Perrottet ordered a cost review. In a press release announcing the new plan on Monday, Aboriginal State Minister Ben Franklin said the money would be reallocated to other initiatives that “will deliver real results for Aboriginal people across NSW.”
People wave the Australian Aboriginal flag as protesters take part in an “Invasion Day” demonstration on Australia Day in Sydney on January 26, 2022. Credit: Steven Saphore / AFP / Getty Images
Increasingly prominent
Designed by Indigenous artist Harold Thomas in 1971, the Aboriginal flag is flown on the bridge for 19 days each year, including during NAIDOC (Aboriginal and Island Day Observation Committee) Week, which concluded on Sunday.
The decision to install it permanently follows a campaign and a five-year “Funda la bandera” petition that attracted more than 175,000 signatures.
Officially recognized since 1995, the red, black and yellow flag has become an emblem for Australian Aborigines and is often seen flying from government buildings. But its use was compromised for a long time by a commercial dispute, after a company that licensed the image to its creator began demanding payments from various organizations that use it.
In January, following the high-profile “Free the Flag” campaign, the Australian national government bought the copyright in a deal worth more than A $ 20 million ($ 14 million), making them freely available for public use.
The yellow circle of the design represents the sun, with the black stripe symbolizing the indigenous peoples and the red part related to their blood and land.
Meanwhile, the NSW flag is based on the British Blue Ensign used by various countries and territories that are – or were once – associated with the United Kingdom. As part of Monday’s announcement, officials said they would create a new home for a “prominent” state flag in a new downtown remodeling project.
Earlier this month, officials in neighboring Victoria State announced that the Aboriginal flag would also be waving permanently over Melbourne’s West Gate Bridge.
Top image: Aboriginal flag seen waving next to Australian flag on Sydney Harbor Bridge during Australia Day celebrations in January 2022.