National Flag Day - 2009

On this day in 1901, the Australian Flag was hoisted for the first time in Melbourne after a competition was conducted by the Commonwealth Government to help decide the design. There were 33,000 entries and a prize of £200 (which was a lot of money in those days) was split between three people who offered almost identical designs.

Unlike many countries who's flag was thrust upon them, Australians chose their Flag in the same way they chose to elect a new Commonwealth Government - with a vote and not a war.

The Australian Army is the defender of the Flag and most Australians love and cherish that piece of material with a 2:1 aspect ratio. It is a flag that shows Australia's place in the world, a flag representing a proud history and most importantly of all, a flag of destiny - a flag that demonstrates that Australia has come a long way since European settlement in 1788 to a group of self-governing colonies in the British Empire to a modern, independent and progressive federation of the six sovereign states that were created from the former colonies in 1901.

Below is a message from Her Excellency, The Governor General. I couldn't put the words better myself.

A message from Her Excellency, The Governor General

If there was a day in the year when you should be flying the Australian Flag, today is that day.

Written at 06:00 on 3 September 2009 by Lord Watchdog.

Comments

Teacher Member #: 199 25 April 2009. Posts: 20.	Posted at 13:36 on 3 September 2009.
	May I note the absense of the message written by Nathan Rees? It is a little convenient that you neglect to include a message which contains a sentence regarding a move to a new flag in an evolutionary manner. Why is it so hard to include a balanced viewpoint in your articles?

Lord Watchdog

Top Dog

Member #: 2
28 January 2006.

Posts: 537.

Posted at 14:00 on 3 September 2009.

I knew this would be on. If you'd bother to do a little research you would realise that I left out about twenty official messages. Most of the Premiers sent messages, along with Leaders of Oppositions, the Prime Minister and Federal Leader of the Opposition, the Governor of New South Wales and a few community leaders.

There just isn't enough room to air the views of everyone and if I did I am sure you would have still been overtly critical of it.

The problem with your problem is that this thread was about the positive aspects of National Flag Day. It has nothing to do with whether we should keep the current flag or succumb to the desires of a precious few and change it to something else. So in that sense your comment is off-topic and completely irrelevant.

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Regards, Lord Watchdog.

Teacher Member #: 199 25 April 2009. Posts: 20.	Posted at 14:14 on 3 September 2009.
	You still have not addressed my question as to why you fail to balance your views and opinions. Looking back through this websites archives I get the impression that this is a major weakness of yours. You always put your favored right wing opinions and then block any chance for anyone to oppose you. It is a sickening attitude and it amazes me that anyone comes to this site.

Lord Watchdog

Top Dog

Member #: 2
28 January 2006.

Posts: 537.

Posted at 14:59 on 3 September 2009.

Teacher, if my opinions bother you then feel free to press the back button and never come back. Nothing personal - I always say that to Lefties who come here, force their own opinions on other people here, tell me how to administer my website and insult others with petty diatribe.

As has been said before, my contributions are unlikely to ever favour socialist values at any time. Part of putting forward a legitimate argument on a subject is to promote what you believe in. I am not going to sit here and promote an opposing opinion. That is a job for those who oppose my opinions - people such as yourself.

Teacher, you are suffering from an adequacy deficiency. By accusing me of putting imbalanced arguments in my posts here you are failing to do the same yourself, or does your book of rules on debate only apply to everyone but yourself.

Your spelling and grammar also leave a lot to answer for too and I have said that before too. You have claimed in the past to be a school teacher and to have been well-educated. If this is the case then why don't you use that education you have received to try and convince those who visit this website that your opinions are credible? Sure, you oppose my stance against a republic and a change to the Australian Flag. I don't have a problem with that but I do have a problem with the fact that your justification is based on personal issues with those that oppose you rather than constructing a valid and credible arguent as to why a republic and/or new flag would benefit Australia.

In future I would like you to base your posts here on facts rather than resorting to being a shit-stirrer. It may interest you to know that I once had another user here like you who liked to argue for the hell of it instead of saying something worthwhile and I ended up banning him. I will ban you too if the need arises.

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Regards, Lord Watchdog.

Steve

Member #: 195
16 February 2009.

Posts: 22.

Posted at 21:13 on 3 September 2009.

I honestly don't know why this person chose to hijack such an important article. National Flag Day has to be up there with Australia Day, Anzac Day, Queens Birthday and Remembrance Day as far as significant days go in the Australian calendar. Not because we arn't a republic, not because we should be a republic but because we cannot rewrite the history books to suit ourselves.

I am lucky that I am semi-retired and was about to get a few mates around while the missus got a few of her friends around and we enjoyed a barbeque in the back yard to mark the occasion.

No country is perfect but each and every country should have times like this to celebrate the successes that are part of their histories and National Flag Day is significant even if only in that respect. On the subject of respect, people like Teacher should learn the meaning of the word and demonstrate that there is some respect left in the world. We can't have EVRYTHING our own way now can we.

Lord Watchdog

Top Dog

Member #: 2
28 January 2006.

Posts: 537.

Posted at 00:01 on 4 September 2009.

There's one in every class as they say.

QUOTE: Not because we arn't a republic, not because we should be a republic but because we cannot rewrite the history books to suit ourselves.

This is the main problem with the republican movement. They want to use their cause to rewrite history, cleanse it and craft our system of government in a likeness of Chairman Mao or some other dictator.

I agree fully on your shortlist of important days too. As a nation we could do more to uphold the value of these occasions. I am envious of your opportunity to fire up the barbie too. Since the weather has warmed up a bit I've been using mine a fair bit but mainly at the weekends. As someone who hates washing up I will be using it a lot more as summer approaches.