Visitors to BRHS will see this display comprising a small Australian National Flag, Aboriginal Flag and Torres Strait Islander Flag in many locations throughout Bairnsdale Regional Health Service’s three campuses.

The three-flag displays were distributed across BRHS for National Reconciliation Week in 2024.

They are symbolic. They show that our health is committed to serving all Australians, with a special acknowledgement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

In January 2025, BRHS also introduced this display of flags on email communications.

The use of these flags is entirely optional for all email staff and symbolise our organisation’s support for Aboriginal people, Torres Strait Islander people, the LDBTQIA+ community and people with disability.

You’ll find more details about this initiative further down this page.

Why is the three-flag display important?

Because it demonstrates to everyone who comes into contact with BRHS that we also committed to providing culturally safe and effective health services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and to closing the significant gap in health outcomes between Indigenous and other Australians.

These flags are only a small gesture, but they are a significant one.

In the spirit of community cohesion, we want to inform everyone – patients, visitors, staff and our volunteers – about why we are displaying these flags and the history behind each.

These flag displays accord with Commonwealth and Victorian Government protocols to ensure all these flags are flown together, where possible.

Bairnsdale Regional Health Service (BRHS) acknowledges the Gunaikurnai people as the traditional owners of the land on which the health service is located.

We recognise and respect their cultural heritage, beliefs and relationship with the lands.

We pay our respects to elders both past and present and thank them for their contribution to the health service.

The Australian National Flag

In 1901, the new Commonwealth Government launched a worldwide competition for a new flag design.

More than 32,000 designs were submitted from across the globe. Judges chose five designs that were almost identical and split the £200 prize between the winners.

The Australian flag flew for the first time on 3 September 1901, but not quite as you see it today.

That first flag had a six-pointed Commonwealth Star for each of the six states, with different numbers of points on the stars of the Southern Cross.

The four main stars of the Southern Cross became seven-pointed stars in 1905.

The Commonwealth Star gained its seventh point in 1908 to represent future territories – the future Australian Capital Territory was legislated in 1908, while the Northern Territory transferred from South Australia to the Commonwealth in 1911.

The Blue Ensign was intended for naval and official use, with the Red Ensign for our merchant fleet, but it came to be used by Australians on land, and the Union Jack alone was widely used.

In 1998, an amendment to the Flags Act 1953 ensured the national flag could only be changed with the agreement of the Australian people via a vote.

The Australian Aboriginal Flag

The Australian Aboriginal Flag was designed by Northern Territory Aboriginal artist Harold Thomas. It has been in use since it was first raised at Adelaide’s Victoria Square on 9 July 1971 – Australian Aborigines’ Day.

The black portion of the flag symbolises the Aboriginal people. The red represents the earth and the colour of ochre used in Aboriginal ceremonies. The yellow circle represents the sun, the constant renewer of life.

The Torres Strait Islander Flag

The Torres Strait Islander Flag was adopted in May 1992 during the Torres Strait Islands Cultural Festival. Its origin is attributed to the late Bernard Namok of Thursday Island, off Queensland’s northern tip.

The flag has three horizontal panels: the top and bottom panels are green and the middle one blue. These panels are divided by thin black lines.

The green represents the land. The blue represents the sea. The black symbolises the people.

In the centre of the flag is a white dhari (a traditional headdress) and symbolises all Torres Strait Islanders.

The star is an important symbol for seafaring peoples. The five points of the star on this flag represent the five island groups within the Torres Strait Islands.

The flag stands for the unity and identity of all Torres Strait Islander peoples of Australia.

Why is the email flag display important?

In the same vein as the three-flag displays, the email flags are a demonstration to all members of our community that BRHS is a safe and inclusive organisation.

With the introduction of this flag image in our email signature, BRHS is also encouraging staff to indicate their preferred personal pronouns if they feel safe to do so or feel comfortable to do so.

Both the inclusion of the flags design and preferred personal pronouns is optional for our staff.

Our CEO, Executive team and management team support their use, with our Staff Council also consulted and supportive of the design. BRHS staff are under no obligation to include these in their email signature.

In addition to the Australian, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags, the email signature flags feature the LGBTQIA+ Progress Pride Flag and the Disability Pride Flag.

The LGBTQIA+ Progress Pride Flag

This flag is an update of the original Rainbow Pride Flag, which designed by openly gay American activist Gilbert Baker in 1978.

The six stripes in the centre and right of this flag represent life (red), healing (orange), sunlight (yellow). Nature (green), serenity (blue) and spirit (violet).

This was been modernised in 2018 by fellow American Daniel Quasar, a graphic designer, who included the white, pink and blue chevrons on the left to represent the trans community, and black and brown chevrons to represent people of colour.

Disability Pride Flag

The Disability Pride flag represents the disability pride movement and was designed by Ann Magill, an American woman with cerebral palsy.

Its first iteration featured a series of bold coloured stripes zig-zagged across a black background, but was redesigned in 2021 with diagonal stripes and more muted tones following feedback from people who have disabilities that are triggered by their vision.

The inclusion of this flag in our design represents the hard work that BRHS has completed with partners Get Skilled Access to improve accessibility to our services for all people with disability.