Discovered on Christmas Day 1643 by Captain William Mynors, Christmas Island today forms part of Australia’s External Territories.
Given its Australian connection, Christmas Island officially adopted its flag on Australia Day (26 January) 2002.
However, unofficially, the island had used the same pattern since 14 April 1986, when Tony Couch was announced as the winner of its flag design competition.
Couch, a Sydney resident, had previously worked on the island as a rigging supervisor in the local phosphate mines and won A$100 for his effort.
One of 69 submissions, his design features a blue and green background, split diagonally from top left to bottom right, representing the sea and land.
Like many Southern Hemisphere flags, the Southern Cross also appears, here in the lower hoist.
To further emphasise the links between Christmas Island and Australia, the constellation appears as portrayed on the Australian flag.
The upper fly features a golden bird in flight.
This is the golden bosun (Phaethon lepturus fulvus) or white-tailed tropicbird, which is native to the island.
Finally, the island appears in green on a central gold disc.
Couch added the gold disc to offset the green, but it has since come to symbolise the island’s mining industry.
Bonus fact: the first attempt to make this design the official flag of Christmas Island failed in 1995.
Author: Alex Crouch (Flag Institute accredited journalist, 2015/16)
The Christmas Island flag is one of 298 flags which I own. I contacted Chris Su from the islands government to find out which dates were deemed official flag days and received a reply (1st October, Territory Day and Christmas Day (more for fun). I have since had Christmas greetings from their Tourist Board and they are delighted to think that their flag is being flown on the other side of the world, in the North of England. Chris asked that send them a photo of the flag flying alongside that of Cumberland, which I duly did. The island is also known for its detention centre and for the annual migration of thousands of red crabs which give rise to road closures at this time of year.
Tony Couch was from Perth .western australia not Sydney. I should know he was my brother.