Australia Day: Thousands of Australians support national flag change
Sixty-four per cent of people in a recent poll supported a change of flag design
![](https://static.independent.co.uk/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2016/01/26/11/australia-flag.jpg)
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Louise Thomas
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Thousands of Australians have backed a change of design to their national flag, a survey released on Australia Day has found.
More than 8,000 people responded to the poll from Western Sydney University, which offered six alternative flag designs, all without a Union Jack.
Sixty-four per cent of people supported a change of flag design and the Southern Horizon was revealed as the most popular.
Thirty-one per cent of participants voted in favour of the Southern Horizon, which depicts the Southern Cross and Commonwealth star on top of a blue background above green and gold waves.
The Reconciliation flag came second with 28 per cent of the vote and features the colours red, yellow and black – a nod to Australia's indigenous population. The Eureka flag came third with 15% of the vote.
The Alternative Australian Flag survey, which ran from December 16 to January 25 and was conducted by Dr Benjamin T Jones, a research fellow at Western Sydney University, aimed to study Australian’s attitudes to their flag.
Dr Jones said the majority of people wanting to change the flag supported a “simple design”, with similarities to the current flag or something that reflected Australia’s indigenous heritage.
Dr Jones said an official poll by the government was needed: “Australia has never had a truly democratic process to choose a national flag. The 1901 competition for a flag of government — not national flag — required a British element and British approval.
“A national conversation on the Australian flag and a democratic vote is long overdue.”
Dr Jones told the Sydney Morning Herald the winning design features “minimal changes beyond the removal if the Union Jack”.
“Those who support a new Australian flag design fall primarily into two categories; those who want a neutral design with some link to the current flag and those who want a completely new design with specific recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.”
![Thirty-one per cent of participants voted in favour of the Southern Horizon, which depicts the Southern Cross and Commonwealth star](https://static.independent.co.uk/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2016/01/26/08/australia-flag-1.jpg)
The outcome of the survey reflects the recent flag referendum in New Zealand, where the winning alternative design - the Silver Fern - kept the blue background and red stars of the current national flag.
New Zealand is still debating whether to change its flag. A final referendum is due to be held in March, in which the current design will be pitted against the Silver Fern.
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