Australia and the Vexillological World: Information, Relationships, Identity

A national flag is the primary symbol of a nation. It is a material artefact that flutters with ease into the human realm to engage with, and shape its citizens in varying ways. Vexillology is the scholarly study of flags. To delve into the vexillological world enables deeper understandings about flags and how they make meaning. This presentation focuses on the Australian national flag and highlights how it is uniquely positioned to move beyond its materiality and enter the everyday world. The Australian flag is informed by colonisation: designed to hold influence over hegemonic understandings of the nation and of national identity, and so for many Australians the flag is just an everyday object that is not seen as privileging White Australia. As we move into the 21st century I consider how the flag, in its current formation continues to mould its citizens. I use Indigenist Standpoint Pedagogy (ISP) and vexillology to critically examine the flag and demonstrate how it channels authority over the information it sends, the relationships it forges and the identity it creates. These facets of the flag invariably affect feelings of inclusion and belonging for Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians in differing ways. ISP combined with a vexillological lens reveal how the threads of the Australian flag and nation intertwine, seamlessly weaving their way into the human world: a deeply connected entity that sometimes evokes profound responses, and yet at other times is completely ignored – therein lies its power.