List of New Zealand flags

This is a list of flags of New Zealand. It includes flags that either have been in use or are currently used by institutions, local authorities, or the government of New Zealand. Some flags have historical or cultural (e.g. Māori culture) significance.

The national flag of New Zealand and Tino Rangatiratanga flag flying on Auckland Harbour Bridge, on Waitangi Day, 2012

National flags
FlagDateUseDescription
1902[nb 1]– presentFlag of New ZealandA defaced Blue Ensign with four red stars with white borders to the right, representing the constellation of Crux, the Southern Cross.
1867–1869The first flag of New Zealand based on the Blue EnsignBlue Ensign with the red letters "NZ" outlined in white
1840–1867[nb 2]British Union FlagAdopted following the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840.
1834–1840[nb 3]Flag of the United Tribes of New ZealandBased on the White Ensign. Two crosses of St George and four eight-point stars in the canton on a blue background.[5] (See also variant design under "Maori flags" below)

Royal and Viceregal
FlagDateUseDescription
1962–presentPersonal Flag of Queen Elizabeth II in New ZealandA banner of the Coat of Arms of New Zealand, defaced with a blue disc bearing the crowned letter 'E' in gold
2008–presentFlag of the Governor-General of New Zealand The shield of the New Zealand Coat of Arms surmounted by the Royal Crown.
1953–2008Flag of the Governor-General of New ZealandA lion standing atop a crown, over a scroll inscribed "New Zealand"
1936–1953Flag of the Governor-General of New ZealandA lion standing atop a crown, over a scroll inscribed "Dominion of New Zealand"
1908–1936Flag of the Governor of New ZealandA Union Flag defaced with a white circle, with four red stars and the initial 'NZ' at the center, surrounded by a wreath of ferns.
1874–1908Flag of the Governor of New ZealandA Union Flag defaced with a white circle, with four red stars and the initial 'NZ' at the center, surrounded by a green wreath.
1869–1874Governor of New ZealandA Union Flag defaced with four five-pointed stars. This design was due to a misinterpretation of design instructions.
?Flag of the Queen's Representative in the Cook Islands Flag of the Cook Islands with a crown in the centre of the ring of stars

Ensigns
FlagDateUseDescription
1901–New Zealand Red EnsignA red ensign with four white stars representing Crux, the Southern Cross
1968–Ensign of the Royal New Zealand NavyA white ensign with four red stars
1939-Ensign of the Royal New Zealand Air ForceA light blue field with the roundel of the Royal Air Force defaced with the letters, "NZ".
16 November 1938 –New Zealand Civil Air EnsignA blue cross with a wide border on a light blue field. The Union Flag is in the canton, with the Southern Cross in the fly.
New Zealand Police EnsignA blue flag with the New Zealand Flag in the canton, with the NZP emblem in the fly.
New Zealand Fire Service EnsignA blue flag with the New Zealand Flag in the canton, with the Fire Service emblem in the fly.
1996–New Zealand Customs FlagA New Zealand Blue Ensign, with the letters "HMC" (for "Her Majesty's Customs" in the lower hoist was in use from 1966 to 1996. This flag superseded it in 1996.
1968–1998New Zealand Ministry of Transport EnsignA sky blue flag with the New Zealand Ensign in the canton, with the NZMOT coat of arms within a blue disc in the fly.
Ensign of the Royal New Zealand Yacht SquadronA white cross on a blue field, with the New Zealand Flag in the canton.

Associated states and territories
FlagDateUseDescription
1979–Flag of the Cook IslandsA Blue Ensign defaced with 15 stars in a ring
1975–Flag of NiueA yellow ensign, the Union Flag has a star in the middle and four stars forming a diamond around it
2008–Flag of Tokelau A blue flag with a stylized Polynesian canoe (vaka) in gold and a representation of the Southern Cross in the fly
1993–Unofficial flag of the Chatham Islands A blue flag with a depiction of the island superimposed on a rising sun.

Regions and cities
FlagDateUseDescription
1976–Flag of the City of Christchurch Chevron Gules a Mitre between a Fleece and a Garbe of the first in base two Bars wavy Azure on a Chief of the last four Lymphads sails furled, also of the first And for the Crest on a Wreath Or and Azure a Kiwi proper
1979–Flag of the City of Dunedin Argent a fess dancetty vert on which a sheep's head caboshed between two wheat sheafs all proper. In chief a three-towered castle sable, mortared of the first and flagged gules on a rock proper. In base a lymphad sable sailed and flagged azure.
1987–Flag of the City of Nelson Blue top third with bishop's mitre. Blue and white waves beneath with black cross flory.
2004–Flag of OtagoBlue and gold, horizontally divided by a zigzag line ("dancetty", in vexillological terms), with counterchanged eight-pointed stars. Used by the Otago Regional Council, and widely by the general public in the Otago region.
c. 1990 –Flag of the City of Palmerston NorthPlain white background with central coat of arms. 'City of Palmerston North, New Zealand' in black text above and below the coat of arms.
1911–Flag of the City of Wellington Black symmetric cross on a yellow background with a central circular design of a ship with a fish on its sail.

Māori flags
FlagDateUseDescription
1834-Original design of the United Tribes of New Zealand flag, widely used by Maori groupsSimilar to the amended design used as the de facto national flag 1835–1840, but with eight-pointed stars and black fimbriation in the canton
1990–Flag of Tino rangatiratanga – Official National Māori Flag, approved by the NZ Cabinet in 2010[6]A white curling stripe on a red and black field
Kotahitanga flag – unofficial Māori flag, widely used by Māori groupsThree horizontal stripes of red, white and black, defaced with a circular emblem featuring a mere crossed with a scroll representing the Treaty of Waitangi within a border of koru containing the word "Kotahitanga" (unity)
Example of a Maori FlagSome Maori tribes use the Red Ensign defaced with their tribal name
1864Hung as part of the memorial in the Auckland War Memorial Museum for those who died, both European and Māori, in the New Zealand Wars.A white Greek cross on its left upper canton, a four pointed white star (ascending Star of Bethlehem) on its right lower canton, and downward white crescent (new moon) in the centre on a field of red.

Sporting flags
FlagDateUseDescription
1908–1912Flag of the Australasian team at the 1908 and 1912 Olympic GamesA Blue Ensign defaced by a white circle containing the British Crown plus a shield containing the Southern Cross
1994–Flag of the New Zealand Olympic CommitteeA white flag with a depiction of the silver fern superimposed on the five ringed emblem of the International Olympic Committee
1979–1994Flag of the New Zealand Olympic and Commonwealth Games AssociationA black flag with a depiction (in white) of a silver fern on the Olympic rings.
1987Flag of the All Blacks, New Zealand's national rugby team.A black flag with a white silver fern.
Burgee of the Royal New Zealand Yacht SquadronA blue triangular flag with a white cross, with the Southern Cross in the canton and a crown in the centre.

Other New Zealand flags
FlagDateUseDescription
Flag of the New Zealand Navy Board[7]A fouled anchor with a red-blue background
1987–New Zealand Post flagAn orange-red flag with the NZ Post logo in white. Vertical white and blue strip in the fly.

Proposed alternative flags
See also: New Zealand flag debate and 2015–2016 New Zealand flag referendums

Notes
  1. Officially adopted the national flag,[1] in use from 1869 on colonial gunboats.[2]
  2. The Union Jack was described as the "superior flag", to be flown above the New Zealand flag prior to 1965.[3]
  3. In use sporadically as a national flag until the adoption of the current flag in 1902.[4]

References
  1. Mulholland 2016, p. 66.
  2. Mulholland 2016, p. 55.
  3. Mulholland 2016, p. 48.
  4. Mulholland 2016, p. 128.
  5. The drawing of the United Tribes Ensign sent by Governor Bourke to King William IV, retrieved 2009-07-15. This design was amended when the flag was officially gazetted, with the eight-pointed stars replaced with five-pointed stars, and the black fimbriation replaced with white.
  6. "National Māori flag". Ministry for Culture & Heritage. 28 June 2012. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  7. New Zealand Naval Flags

Further reading
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