By Aditya Joshi 5 th Class Ms.Collins

In 1901, the Commonwealth of Australia was formed. Until this time, Australia used Britain's flag, the Union Jack. A competition was held to find the design for Australia's own flag. Five designers shared the prize because they came up with similar ideas for the Australian flag.In the top left hand corner is the Union Jack. This shows that Australia is part of the British Commonwealth. Beneath the Union Jack is a large white star with seven points. The points represent the six states and the territories. Originally this star had six points. The seventh point, for the territories was added in 1908.On the right hand side are the stars of the Southern Cross. The southern Cross was chosen because it can always be seen in the Australian sky at night.

The Aboriginal Flag was designed by Harold Thomas, an artist and an Aboriginal, in The flag was designed to be an eye-catching rallying symbol for the Aboriginal people and a symbol of their race and identity. The black represents the Aboriginal people, the red the earth and their spiritual relationship to the land, and the yellow the sun, the giver of life.In the late 1960s, Aborigines stepped up their campaign for indigenous land rights through protest marches, demonstrations, banners and posters. The protests increased in the early 1970s and Harold Thomas noticed they were often outnumbered by non-Aborigines with their own banners and placards. He decided they needed to be more visible and the idea of the flag was born. The Aboriginal flag was first raised in Victoria Square in Adelaide on National Aboriginal Day in 1971, but was adopted nationally by Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders in 1972 after it was flown above the Aboriginal "Tent Embassy" outside of the old Parliament House in Canberra.The Aboriginal flag is increasingly being flown by both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people. In view of its increasing importance in Australian society, the Government initiated steps in 1994 to give the flag legal recognition.

After a period of public consultation, the Government made its own decision in July 1995 that the flag should be proclaimed a "Flag of Australia" under section 5 of the Flags Act 1953.The flag was so proclaimed by the Governor General of Australia, William Hayden, on 14 July 1995.

The Koala is one of Australia's best known animals. It is an icon represented when promoting Australia to the tourist industry, and in general people adore these cuddly creatures. There are two species of them, the Southern and the Northern Koala bears.Koalas are often referred to as a Koala bear. However they are not a bear. The name Koala comes from an Aboriginal word. It means "no drink",as Koalas get enough fluids through the eucalyptis leaves they feed on.

Koalas are found all over east Australia, mainly in the south east.The male Koalas are larger than the females. They have a grey soft furred coat, with a white chest. A flat nose and big ears, and clawed feet for climbing. The Koalas feed on eucalyptis leaves,which they have a variety of twelve different species to choose from. Did you know? Koalas make an extremely loud and agressive growling noise.

The Great Barrier Reef has some of the highest marine life diversity in the world,including:  450 type of corals  1500 types of fish  4000 types of molluscs There are more different species of animals and plants in a cubic metre of the Great Barrier Reef than in any other environment in the world – including tropical rainforests. In fact, some reefs in the Great Barrier Reef have more different fish types than in the entire Caribbean Ocean.

 The Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef system in the world.  It is found in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland, Australia.  The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest living structure.  It is made up of around 2900 individual reefs and 900 islands.  The Great Barrier Reef is around 2600 kilometres in length.  Astronauts can see the Great Barrier Reef from space.  Marine animals called coral,play an important role in the formation of the Great Barrier Reef.  The Great Barrier Reef is home to a wide range of life,including fish,sea turtles,giant clam,seahorse,sea snakes,nudibranch,sea turtles,stingray,sharks and many more.  Over 1500 different species of fish live` in the Great Barrier Reef,including clownfish, star of the animated film Finding Nemo.  Whales,dolphins and dugong can also be seen in the Great Barrier Reef.  The Great Barrier Reef is a popular tourist destination with around 2 million visitors every year.

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 Australia's capital city is Cranberra.  Australia is the only country that is also a continent.  Beef is the most popular meat in Australia.  Some Aborigines, native people, eat insects.  Did you know that at one time Australia was a group of British colonies?  The Sydney Opera House is one of the world's most famous building.  Cricket,Football,rugby,and soccer are very popular in Australia.  Australia is estimated to be 7,692,024 square Kilometers  Australia have the most venomous snakes in the world.

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