Starship Asterisk*

... the flag ... had no legal status beyond the original British Admiralty authorisations which only related to use at sea. It wasn't until the Flags Act 1953 (enacted 1954) ... that Australia finally had an official national flag ...

http://www.ausflag.com.au/history.html

I'll stop now.

The Southern Cross is such a famous constellation that it is depicted on the national flag of Australia. The Southern Cross officially appeared on the Australian flag in 1954. Long before that, in 1902, it was on the national flag of New Zealand. The Southern Cross is also a handy navigation aid. N...