1. The Aboriginal Flag and Tent Embassy
By John and Sophia

2. Harold Thomas Designer of the Aboriginal Flag. Born in Alice Springs.
Won a scholarship to the South Australian School of Art in 1965.
First Aboriginal graduate from an Australian Art School.
Designer of the Aboriginal Flag, Harold Thomas was born in Alice Springs.
His mother was from the Luritja clan and his father was from the Wombai clan.
In 1965, he won a scholarship to the South Australian School of Art after he was sent to St Francis’ Anglican Boys’ home.
He was the first Aboriginal to graduate from an Australian Art School.
He also earned an Honorary Degree in Social Anthropology from Adelaide University.
In 1970, he began working at the South Australian Museum as a survey artist. This is where he designed the flag.
He continued to work as an artist and his artwork are on display in several Australian galleries.

3. Colours of the Flag Black – Aboriginal people of Australia.
Red – red earth, red ochre used in ceremonies and Aboriginal peoples’ spiritual relation to the land.
Yellow – sun, giver and protector of life
As you can see, the Aboriginal Flag is a rectangle that is horizontally divided into half.
The top half is black and the bottom half is red.
There is also a yellow circle in the centre of the flag.
The black represents the Aboriginal people of Australia.
The red represents the red earth and the red ochre used in ceremonies and Aboriginal peoples’ spiritual relation to the land.
And the yellow represents the sun, the giver of life and protector.
Normally, a flag would have the lighter colour at the top and the darker colour at the bottom but Harold Thomas has done the opposite.
The reason is to make the flag look unsettling and to show that Aboriginal people walk on top of the land.

4. History of the Flag
First flown at Victoria Square in Adelaide on National Aborigines day July 12th 1971.
Later used at the Tent Embassy in Canberra, 1972.
Proclaimed as an official ‘Flag of Australia’ in 1995.
The first time the Aboriginal flag was flown was at Victoria Square in Adelaide on National Aborigines day, July 12th 1971.
It was also used later at the Tent Embassy in Canberra in 1972, when there was an inequality of the Aboriginal human rights.
In 1995, the Australian Government proclaimed the flag as an official 'Flag of Australia' under section 5 of the Flags Act 1953.

5. When is the Aboriginal Flag used?
A symbol of unity and national identity for Aboriginal people.
Displayed permanently at Aboriginal centres throughout Australia.
Flown during NAIDOC Week.
The Aboriginal flag was created as a symbol of unity and national identity for Aboriginal people during the land rights movement of the early 1970s.
The flag displayed permanently at Aboriginal centres throughout Australia.
This flag should only be flown by other Australians with permission.
It is flown during NAIDOC Week (which stands for National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee) to celebrate and encourage greater understanding of Indigenous people and culture.

6. The 1960’s
The Aborigines became frustrated with the Australian Federal Government.
The Aboriginals were not treated as equal citizens.
In the 1960’s, the Aborigines became frustrated with the Australian Federal Government for not living up to the 1967 Referendum. The natives basically said, “You have given us all these things but nothing has changed.”
Aboriginal people were seeking national justice, including land rights, education, legal rights, health and proper citizenship. Parties such as the Freedom Ride clearly indicates the beginning of a black revolution.
Freedom Ride 1965

7. Tent Embassy: What is it?
What: a tent erected on the lawn of the Old Parliament House.
Purpose: to protest against the treatment of Aboriginals and their human rights.
The tent Embassy was erected on Australia Day, 26th of January 1972 on the lawn of the Parliament House, which is the old Parliament House of today.
It was organised by a group of Aboriginal people living in Sydney; to show that they were being treated like foreigners in their own country and have no legal freehold to any part of Australia.

8. Aboriginal Protesting Spirit
Many unsuccessful attempts by police to remove tent; repelled by Aboriginals and Australians
Despite the many attempts by the police to remove the tent such as on the 20th of July 1972 where the tent was torn down by a police force march of 150. However, the tent was re-erected 10 days after the incident and prevented its removal by 1500 supporters.

9. Removal of Tent Embassy
Charles Perkins negotiated with the Minister of the ACT for the tent’s removal in February
In February 1975, Charles Perkins and the Minister of the ACT negotiated a temporary removal of the Aboriginal Tent Embassy. At this point, Charles Perkins spoke for the Aboriginals after making his reputation from the Freedom Ride.
As promised, the Tent Embassy was re-erected in January 1992.
The Tent Embassy was re-erected in January 1992.

10. Aboriginal Tent Embassy Today
It stands today as a historical landmark of Australia
A second Tent Embassy was made at the Sydney Olympics
The Tent Embassy today stands in front of the Old Parliament House as a historical landmark of Australia.
It has also made an appearance at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. The embassy supporters have used this once in a lifetime opportunity to tell the world about their history and rights.
But thanks to these brave people who fought for their reputation and equal rights as citizens to pass onto the future of Aboriginals today.

11. Bibliography
Aboriginal flag,
Aboriginal Tent Embassy,
ABORIGINAL TENT EMBASSY – CANBERRA,
Australian Aboriginal Flag,
Barlow, A. & Hill, M. 2000, Australia’s Aboriginal People, Macmillan Education, South Yarra, VIC, Australia.
Flag History – Other Australian Flags – Aboriginal Flag,
History Of The Aboriginal Flag,
It’s an Honour – Symbols – Other Australian Flags,
NAIDOC,
Sydney 2000 Hemp Olympix,