What do the stars on the Australian flag mean?
The stars on the Australian flag represent the Southern Cross constellation and Federation. The large seven-pointed star, called the Commonwealth Star, stands for the union of the states and territories, while the five smaller stars show the Southern Cross.
The flag has a dark blue background with the Union Jack in the upper left corner, reflecting Australia's history as a group of British colonies. Below it is the Commonwealth Star.
The Commonwealth Star originally had six points, one for each of the original states. A seventh point was added in 1908 to represent the territories.
The Southern Cross
On the right side of the flag is the Southern Cross, a constellation visible from the Southern Hemisphere. Four of its stars have seven points, and the smallest has five points.
The design came from a competition held in 1901, which attracted more than 30,000 entries. Five entrants who submitted similar designs shared the prize.
The Flags Act of 1953 made the design Australia's national flag. Some Australians support changing the flag to remove the Union Jack, while others want to keep it. Australia also officially recognizes the Aboriginal flag and the Torres Strait Islander flag.