Adelaide, 26 July I974
Thank you for your letter of 17th July, 1974, regarding the State Governor’s personal flag.
Since assuming office, I have given much thought to the question of what flag should be flown by the Governor of South Australia, both on Government House and on the official car.2 Correspondence with the former Foreign Secretary, Sir Alexander Douglas—Home, resulted in a statement that if the Premier of the State made a request, through the Prime Minister, that a particular flag be used in place of the Union flag, used at present, the Queen would raise no objection.
I do not share the view that all reference to Britain, or Australia as an entity, should be dispensed with. Australia was founded from the United Kingdom by British settlers, and the Queen accepted the invitation by the Australian Parliament to adopt the title of Queen of Australia. The separate States of Australia cannot dissociate themselves from their past or from the decision of the Australian Government. However, I do agree that it is desirable that the Governor of each State should use a flag which is distinctive to that State.
My own preference is for the Australian flag in the top left quarter, with the State emblem, topped by the Crown (signifying our unique connection with the Queen), occupying the remaining three quarters. This would seem to me to be a reasonable expression of what the State Governor represents—the connection with the Crown, the State existing within the Australian Federation, and the Union Jack (as a reminder of our origins) at the very top left hand corner of our flag.
A sketch of our suggestion for South Australia is attached.3 This is virtually your own proposal, with the addition of the Australian flag indicative of the Queen’s title, but not dominant in the design. Your flag would show in the main part of the design the lion with the Crown.
I would emphasize that I and my Premier remain completely flexible in this matter, and I personally would be glad to accept whatever is the consensus of opinion after discussion between all concerned.
1 Sir Stanley Burbury, Governor of Tasmania, 1973–82, who was the first Australian–born (not British) Governor of Tasmania.
2 See Document 436, note 2.
3 Attachment not published.
[NAA: A2880, 6/14/20]