Last modified: 2006-08-12 by bruce berry
Keywords: rhodesia | southern rhodesia | zimbabwe |
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The historical flags flown over Zimbabwe are given in the pages listed below:
I wonder how many other countries have
as an official policy the flying of two flags (state flags don't count, neither
does a supra-national flag)?
Anonymous
This practice was followed in the
Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. After the dissolution of the
federation, Rhodesia continued the practice with the Union Jack and the light
blue Rhodesian flag, but ceased doing so with the adoption of the new
green and
white national flag on 11 November 1968.
Devereaux Cannon, 10 January 1998
The only oddity about this situation was that it continued
so late, since in the early days all British dominions flew the Union Jack (as
the primary flag) and the local flag, often side by side. (I use the word
“dominion” here in the pre-First World War sense, meaning a possession of the
British Crown, as opposed to a self-governing member of the Empire, which was
the definition that came into use in the 1920s, and more particularly in the
1930s following the Statute of Westminster, which made the Dominions [capital D]
independent states.) See for instance
South Africa 1910-1928.
Mike Oettle, 22 May 2002
The impression I have is that it was done, to a greater or
lesser extent, only in Australia, Canada,
New Zealand, (Southern) Rhodesia and
the Union of South Africa.
David Prothero, 23 May 2002
In the Rhodesian case, one of the reasons as to why this
came into being was due to the confusion in the 1930s over what was considered
to be the Southern Rhodesia flag. When the Admiralty granted
permission for a Southern Rhodesian dark blue ensign in 1937, this was
specifically stated as being for use OUTSIDE the country only while the Union
Jack remained the official flag of the colony and thus flew within the country.
With the advent of the Federation in 1953, it must be remembered that the UK
Government was an official participating entity in the Federal government
structure (along with the Governments of Southern Rhodesia, Northern Rhodesia,
Nyasaland and the Federal Government - a unique, if somewhat clumsy, 5
administration arrangement), hence the Union Jack remained an "official" flag
along with the Federal flag. Following the dissolution of the Federation at the
end of 1963, the participating territories reverted back to their individual
"colonial" status and Southern Rhodesia continued with the dual flag arrangement
until after UDI in 1965. This "rebellion against the crown" saw the adoption of
a new flag on 11 November 1968 and the dropping of the Union Jack as an official
flag of the country.
Bruce Berry, 23 May 2002
sent by Olivier Touzeau, 15 Oct 2002
From a series of Cigarette Silks Iron-on Transfers, the
subject of which is: Nation Animals & Flags, a fanciful flag of Rhodesia is
given.
Olivier Touzeau, 15 Oct 2002
The flag shown for Rhodesia is interesting. It is likely
to be a fantasy, like many of the others, but perhaps Bruce Berry could give us
some indication. It's unlikely that the
British South Africa Company would have used a plain red flag with a roundel
in the centre, but the arms in the roundel do resemble (vaguely) those of the
BSA Co. However, the BSAC's chief flag was a Union Jack defaced with its arms.
Mike Oettle, 15 Oct 2002