The Queensland flag,hanging at half mast alongide the Australian and Brisbane flags,on the day of Queen Elizabeth II’s death.

The Queensland flag,hanging at half mast alongide the Australian and Brisbane flags,on the day of Queen Elizabeth II’s death.Credit:Cameron Atfield

Ausflag executive director Harold Scruby said the timing for a redesign was “perfect”,given the flag was likely to change anyway.

The current state flag was introduced in 1876,when Queensland was a self-governing British colony,and consists of the British Blue Ensign with the colony’s badge to the right of the Union Jack.

That badge is officially described as “On a Roundel Argent a Maltese Cross Azure surmounted with a Royal Crown”. That crown is subject to change with a new monarch,as was the case when Queen Elizabeth II had her coronation.

“It was last altered in 1963,after Queen Elizabeth II decided to reproduce the Crown during her reign,” theQueensland government notes on its website.

Scruby,whose organisation’s ultimate goal was a new national Australian flag,said a uniquely Queensland flag,which better represented the state,would be a source of civic pride and give people a recognisable symbol to rally around,be it at official events or in the stands supporting the Maroons at State of Origin.

“If the Queensland flag has to change,and you’ve got the Olympics coming up,why wouldn’t you develop a flag which you could market to the world and the world would understand what it was?” he said.

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“... Flags are the greatest marketing tool you can have. If you look at Canada,it’s just such a stunning marketing tool that everyone recognises.”

Scruby said if one Australian state changed its flag,he would expect others to follow suit “like dominoes” — including,eventually,the national flag.

Members ofBrisbane Times′ readers’ panel were asked last month if they knew what the Queensland flag looked like. Of the 205 responses,53 per cent said they would be able to identify the state symbol.

Scruby said Ausflag research in NSW found only 8 per cent of people were able to recognise their state flag,and he expected that sort of result to be replicated elsewhere.

“There’s nothing on the Queensland flag that gives any recognition of the First Nations people. Nothing.

“So what a perfect time,if we are serious about a Voice,if we’re serious about equality and egalitarianism,why wouldn’t we be considering this?”

Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships Minister Craig Crawford said it was not an issue First Nations leaders had approached him about,and was not something he had considered.

“What I can say is the Queensland flag is very British and it is part of the history of our state,” he said on Thursday,a day before Elizabeth’s death.

“But as we go forward — and it’s a bit like the national anthem,where we change a word here and there — that’s probably something that the Queensland government should look at and ask is it appropriate? Is there something better for us?

“We would need to do that in consultation with First Nations leaders.”

Crawford said he did not believe it was high on the list of priorities to First Nations leaders,with whom the government had embarked on a road to treaty.

A spokesman for Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said she had no plans to take steps to change the flag.

Nor did the LNP opposition,which ruled it out altogether.

“The outpouring of grief and love for her majesty shows how important enduring symbols of strength and stability are to Queenslanders,” an opposition spokesman said.

“Symbols like the Queensland flag represent our great state now and into the future.

“It’s important respect for these symbols continue.”

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