Australia vs New Zealand
Both flags use a British blue ensign base with the Southern Cross constellation. Australia displays five white stars (four seven-pointed, one five-pointed) plus a large Commonwealth Star below the canton. New Zealand displays four red, five-pointed stars with white borders.
- Proportion
- 1:2
- Adopted
- 1908
Colors
- Navy Blue #001B69
- White #FFFFFF
- Red #E50027
- Proportion
- 1:2
- Adopted
- 1902
Colors
- Navy Blue #00008B
- White #FFFFFF
- Red #CC142B
Look foron Australia
Look foron New Zealand
- Large seven-pointed Commonwealth Star (Federation Star) below Union JackNo star underneath the Union Jack
- Five stars in Southern Cross (four 7-pointed, one small 5-pointed)Only four stars in the Southern Cross constellation
- All stars are pure whiteStars are red with a crisp white perimeter border
Which flag is Australia?
Neighboring Ensigns Born Under the Southern Cross
Both nations developed their flags from British maritime defaced blue ensigns during the expansion of the British Empire in the South Pacific. New Zealand acted first, adopting its current Southern Cross flag in 1902 after First Lord of the Admiralty recommendations for colonial vessels.
Australia held a public design competition in 1901 following the federation of its six colonies. Over 32,000 entries were submitted, and five nearly identical designs shared first prize. King Edward VII approved a simplified design in 1903 with a six-point Commonwealth Star. The seventh point (territories) was added in 1908 — the current flag.
Because New Zealand adopted its design a year before Australia, New Zealand politicians occasionally call out Australia for 'copying' their flag. In 2018, New Zealand Acting Prime Minister Winston Peters publicly called on Australia to change its design to stop international confusion.
Telling them apart
- The Southern Cross (Crux) constellation appears on flags across the Southern Hemisphere, including Brazil, Samoa, and Papua New Guinea.
- Australia includes the tiny fifth star, Epsilon Crucis, which has only five points because it is fainter in the night sky.
- New Zealand omits Epsilon Crucis entirely, focusing on the four primary navigational stars.
Questions
Why did New Zealand not change its flag in the 2016 referendum?
In March 2016, New Zealand held a nationwide binding referendum. The public voted 56.73% to 43.27% to retain the existing flag over the proposed silver fern design.
What does the large star under Australia's Union Jack represent?
It is the Commonwealth Star. Six of its seven points represent the original six federating states, while the seventh point represents Australia's territories.
More lookalikes
Chad vs Romania
Chad has the darker, deeper indigo blue; Romania uses brighter royal cobalt.
Monaco vs Indonesia
Monaco is miniature and squarish (4:5); Indonesia is island-wide (longer 2:3 rectangle).
Ireland vs Ivory Coast
Ireland starts with Green on the left; Ivory Coast starts with Orange on the left.
Luxembourg vs The Netherlands
Luxembourg has Light blue; Netherlands has Navy-adjacent dark blue.