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4. My flag offerings
It’s hard to find a flag that pleases everyone, because we all want different things – a fern, Southern Cross, kiwi, koru, a coloured flag, or black and white (plus, of course, the flag that we have). If we would consider the views of others, and be willing to compromise, then an acceptable design will be found. Some symbolic designs have no obvious link to New Zealand at all, and these are unlikely to fill us with pride. If we are going to change the flag, then it must be for good reason, and not just for the sake of having a new one.
As explained on Page 2, there are a number of reasons we should have a new flag. The most important thing is to have a flag that clearly represents New Zealand, so we can all feel proud of our national flag. (I think this matters a lot more than we realise). With all the things people say they want in our flag, my designs are an attempt to please most of us.
Bear in mind we can remember our British heritage with our old flags, and in various other ways (explained on Page 1), plus the blue did come from Britain. These flags would allow us all to go forward together as New Zealanders, with a flag that is clearly about this country.
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About the designs: Originally, I had only one design here (a kiwi flag in black and white), but I think too many people wouldn't be happy with a black & white flag. Like many of us, I much prefer brighter colours to represent New Zealand, but I also want a connection to our national sports colours and emblem (sadly missing with our current flag, especially at the Olympics), so the challenge was to create a number of designs that achieve both.
Note: The fern and the koru on these flags are not the well-known brand logos, and are actually quite different. There are lots of variations of these symbols, used for different things or organisations, and all of these flag designs are my own amateur work. (Any improvements needed could be done professionally, but you can see the general idea). A national flag is not the place for fancy styling, so I have kept the fern and koru very basic.
Some examples of the infinite variety of ways our fern and koru are used in brand logos:
Fern:
All Blacks
Interislander
KiwiRail
NZ Army
Silver Fern Farms
Koru:
Air New Zealand
Age Concern
DOC
Ministry of Health
RadioNZ
Most of my flag designs include part of our current flag, and some try to convey our clean and green image, and our remoteness and natural beauty. All of them have a koru, which rightly acknowledges the Maori aspect, but it is also an iconic symbol of this country, and provides a strong "New Zealand-ness". I wouldn't want a flag that is too heavily Maori, but a simple koru without the red, black and white combination is surely an image we can all accept. The style is deliberately made "similar" to the well-travelled Koru on our national and international airline, which I see as mutually beneficial. (Many countries have part of their flag on their airline – often a jazzed-up version of the design, so we would just be doing the same in reverse). Here are some examples:
Britain
Canada
Israel
South Africa
Switzerland
With a fern on our flag, we would wave our national flag at sports events, just like any other country. Some people are against a sporting image, and seem to forget other countries have a link to their flags. Just remember, the silver fern is not restricted to sports (or the All Blacks, as some people think), but is a well-known symbol of New Zealand, in much wider general use. The styles might be different, but the fern can be seen almost anywhere! (Have a look at the library, our currency, the supermarket). The fern is prominent in our souvenir shops, and is known throughout the world. Our silver tree-fern is unique, and has been a symbol of New Zealand for a very long time. It is on thousands of headstones in foreign military cemeteries, where New Zealanders were buried in the Wars. The fern is our symbol of pride, which is why it should be on our flag. I think a new flag without it would feel like an opportunity lost.
The silver fern in Nature: New Zealand has many different fern species, including several large tree-ferns or ponga. One of these is unusual, with the underside of its leaves not green, but a silvery-white colour. The koru design comes from the coiled shape of the young shoots, before they unfurl to become beautiful large fern fronds.
Ponga
Silver fern
Natural koru
Some of my designs are better than others, and I don't imagine everyone will like them at first glance. However, I see them every day, and I do think one or two are worth considering. Although I like simple flags such as Canada's Maple-leaf, instant recognition is what really matters, and more-detailed designs can be just as effective (the Stars & Stripes of America, or Britain's Union Jack). The main thing is to have a design we can easily recognise, without any explanation at all. A flag unmistakeably about us will give us great pride and confidence. Most of all, I want a flag that will stir our emotions, because at last it can truly say to the world (and to us), "This is New Zealand, this is who we are – and we’re proud to be Kiwis".
Whether I have succeeded with any of these designs is for you to decide. (You can say what you think, on the page for Your Comments). As I said above, it's hard to find a flag that pleases everyone, so I'll be glad if at least one design appeals to you, even just a little!
My preference: I've found my thinking has evolved over time, so I don't think anyone should have fixed ideas. I started off liking Flag A, because it had all the elements listed above. After I made the bolder designs, Flags E to H appealed. (The blue and the stars do look nice on our flag, if we want to retain that history). Flag K was my choice of the ones without the Southern Cross. After adding the last two designs, I really like Flag M. It has equal amounts of colour and black & white (so is fair to both arguments), the design is not too complicated, and it's well away from the edge that wears out. I see the green as NZ, with the Tasman and Pacific Oceans each side of us. The black symbolises our night and day time-zones with the rest of the world. The koru and fern mark our growth as a nation, and show generations of pride in this land that we love. I also really like what happens when the flag is hung vertically. The blue then becomes the sky, behind a fern and snow-clad mountain – very much a New Zealand image.
One viewer comment said: "How about just a silver fern on a black background as a choice?"
For the sake of comparison, here is what it looks like.
A lot of people do want a black flag, but many others seriously don't, and their reasons can't be dismissed. Black does have some negative connotations, and bear in mind we only see part of our flag in all those TV shots behind the PM. While the Union Jack is very colourful, it would be quite depressing seeing only the black every day. A black flag is fine at sporting events where everyone knows what it's about, but a national flag is seen in many other situations, and expresses who we are. Is this really how we want to be seen? (Forever).
More importantly, think of this flag out in the middle of the ocean or in a war zone, where it could easily be misunderstood, or seen as a threat. Not everyone will know our flag as well as we do, and it's a serious risk to take. In those situations far from home, would you feel safe with this flag? My idea is that we should still have a fern (and have some black and white), but with colour added as well, our flag will feel joyful and alive. If you look at Canada's flag, it's the inclusion of nature and bright colour that make it so well-liked – not just simple design.
Those who say a black flag is the only acceptable option need to realise that this is one major reason others oppose a change of flag. A resolution is more likely to happen when we all start considering other people, and are willing to meet halfway. Of course, that also means others being prepared to accept a fern and some black! Try being open to other ideas, eg. if you had to choose a flag from the above, which one/s would it be? You might not get exactly what you want, but the more important aim is to find a flag that is acceptable to the majority of us.
Remember, these flags are just the ideas that I've come up with, and there are lots of different ideas to be found on many other websites. (It's a good idea to look at any designs on several occasions and compare with others, rather than dismiss them on first impressions). I think if flag designers take notice of what people want, then eventually someone will design a flag that most of us can like well enough, and ultimately, will feel proud of.
What would make an ideal flag? I suggest the following is a good checklist:
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That the design is not similar to any other flag (and unlikely to be copied)
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is viewable from either side
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can easily be recognised hanging by the pole
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is recognisable in black & white (the best ones are, because of some unique feature)
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is easy enough for flag-makers to produce
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simple enough for school pupils to draw
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and a New Zealander living overseas would be stopped short if they saw it in the country where they live, and just know it was a NZ flag.
I think any new flag that doesn't meet these criteria will cause ongoing dissatisfaction, and we would end up wanting to change it again. The right new design should make us proud of it forever.
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