Queensland adopted their flag: circa 1953.The flag of Queensland is a British Blue Ensign defaced with the state badge. The badge depicts a light blue Maltese cross with a St Edwards Crown in the center of the cross, all on a white disc. The original badge was designed by the then Queensland Colonial Secretary and Treasurer William Hemmant.
It is Australia's second largest state covering 1,722.000 square kilometers (107,384 square miles) and the third most populous state with more than 3,000,000 inhabitants - 17 percent of the nations people. It is two and a half times the size of Texas or seven times the size of the United Kingdom and more than half of the state is above the Tropic of Capricorn. It borders with New South Wales, Northern Territory and South Australia. It is bounded by the Gulf of Carpentaria, Torres Strait and the Coral Sea in the north, and the South Pacific Ocean in the east. The total coastline is 7400 kilometers.
Queensland is a state of great plains which merge into high country to the east and north-west. The country falls gradually to meet the coastal plain which reaches the Gulf of Carpentaria in the north. Rugged uplands region which is rich in minerals are in the far north-west and in the east the country rises towards the Great Dividing Range, which runs from the southern border to the northern tip of the state. East of this range the country drops seaward in a jumble of ranges separated by lowlands. This structure is continued in a chain of mountainous offshore islands sitting on the continental shelf. The Great Barrier Reef is situated beyond this and has coral formations stretching for about 2000 kilometers.
In the 1600's Queensland was first sighted by Dutch explores Willem Jansz and Jan Carstens. But in 1770 Lieutenant James Cook has been acknowledged as the first European to encounter Queensland's east coast. Its early days were spent as part of the British administered Colony of New South Wales and Brisbane was established as a penal settlement in 1825. The penal settlement was then closed in 1839 and the land was prepared for sale for permanent settlement.
On June the 6th 1859 Queen Victoria gave her approval for Queensland to become its own state. Since then Queensland has led the way in many ways including having the first free education in Australia in the early 1860's.
COAT of ARMS
Queensland's Coat of Arms is Australia's oldest State Arms and was granted to Queensland by Queen Victoria in 1893. In fact, they were the first Arms assigned to any British possession since Charles II granted Jamaica its Arms in 1661.
The Arms show the primary industries on the nineteenth century but are also appropriate for today as well. The rural areas are represented by a sheaf of wheat, and the heads of a bull and a ram, as well as by two stalks of sugar cane. The importance of mining is indicated by a column of gold rising from a heap of quartz.
The State Motto Audax at Fidelis, means Bold but faithful.
The Supporters a red deer and a brolga, were assigned in 1977 for the Queen's Jubilee year. The brolga is one of Queensland's most distinctive native birds whereas the red deer was introduced from the royal herds near London.
FAUNAL EMBLEM (bird) of the State of Queensland is the BROLGA.
The Brolga was officially proclaimed the bird emblem of Queensland in January, 1986.
Brolgas are the only species native to Australia out of the 14 species of the world wide family, the crane. They can be found all along the Queensland coast from Rockhampton to the Gulf of Carpentaria and are otherwise known as the Native Companions. The adult birds are predominantly grey and are characterized by a long thin neck, a bare head and a conspicuous patch of red skin behind the eye. They stand more than a meter tall on long, slender legs and their outstretched wings can measure two meters across.
Brolgas are famous for their intricate dancing displays at mating time. A pair of adult birds will bow to each other with exaggerated dignity, then bob and pirouette and prance back and forth. Sometimes they will jump into the air in unison. The huge wings are spread throughout the dance, adding extraordinary grace and smoothness to the movements.
FLORAL EMBLEM of the State of Queensland is COOKTOWN ORCHID (Dendrobium bigibbum var. phalaenopis).
The Cooktown Orchid was proclaimed Queensland's floral emblem in 1959 during celebrations to mark the State's centenary. This distinctive native flower had for a long time prior been the unofficial floral emblem.
The Cooktown Orchid (Dendrobium bigibbum var. phalaenopis) is native to Queensland's northern tropics. It grows on trees and rocks in well-watered areas of Cape York Peninsula. Each plant flowers for up to six weeks in autumn and winter. Individual flowers reach about four centimeters across. They are usually all-purple in color although plants with white or white-spotted flowers have been found.
FAUNAL EMBLEM ( animal) of the State of Queensland is the KOALA ( Phascolarctos cinereus).
The koala was officially proclaimed the faunal emblem of Queensland in 1971. The koala is commonly throughout eastern areas of Queensland south of Townsville although it has been found as far north as Cooktown and as far west as Cunnamulla. This species is reputed to be shy.
The koala is a marsupial - an animal which carries its young in a pouch. The newly born young, less than two centimetres long, crawls through its mother's fur to her pouch where it is harboured and suckled for about six months.
The koala is normally a gentle creature who spends almost all of its life eucalypt trees, usually dozing during the day, and actively foraging for choice leaves at night. It rarely drinks water, since it normally gains sufficient moisture from dew and its diet of oily eucalypt leaves.
GEM EMBLEM of the State of Queensland is the SAPPHIRE.
The sapphire was formalised in August, 1985 as the gem stone emblem. The sapphire gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum, was discovered in central Queensland in the early 1870's. As found in nature, typical corundum is very dark coloured. With tinges of blue, green or brown, it is very nearly opaque. However,the transparent gem varieties show a wide range of colours. Traditionally, the name sapphire was used for clear, blue corundum stones. Nowadays, except for the pink varieties which are called ruby, it is common to refer to stones of all colors as sapphire's. The hardness of the sapphire is second only to that of the diamond.
STATE BADGE
The badge of the State of Queensland evolved as a result of a need for a "seal or badge" to be included in the design of the State flag. It was adopted as part of the flag on 29 November 1876, the badge is officially described as: "On a Roundel Argent a Maltese Cross Azure surmounted with a Royal Crown".
In 1893, the badge was incorporated in the Queensland Coat-of-Arms. The Royal Crown has been altered slightly since the badge was first adopted in Queen Victoria's reign as succeeding sovereigns have favored different heraldic interpretations of the Crown. It was last altered in 1963 after Queen Elizabeth II decided on the rendering of the Crown to be used during her reign.
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