Flag within a flag: Understanding the ongoing cultural significance of the Union Jack in the Australian flag

In Australia, social scientists have long understood the importance
of national symbols and the role they play in both the construction
and maintenance of the nation, but in-depth analysis of the
national flag has been overlooked. In particular, the cultural
significance of the British flag that sits within the Australian
national flag warrants focused consideration, as it symbolises the
moment Australia became a British possession in multifarious
ways. In this article, a critical analysis of the Australian flag
demonstrates how the primary symbol of the nation can
heighten White privilege through its official point of honour.
Vexillology and Indigenist Standpoint Pedagogy provide a
framework from which to deconstruct the Australian flag. This
article conducts a critical examination of the social, institutional
and historical frameworks that support the flag to argue that it is
an ongoing signifier of White cultural power.