Last modified: 2016-02-27 by ian macdonald
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![[Flag of Victoria Police]](../images/a/au_vicp.gif)
image by Herman FMY using template by Martin Grieve, and badge from the Police Life periodical, 26 Feb 2007
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From photos of the National Police Memorial ceremony, the flag of Victoria Police is also based on the [British] blue ensign with the Victoria police
badge in the fly. The paraded flag does not seem to differ from the flag for hoisting, with the exception
of the additional silver fringes, cords, and tassel.
Herman FMY, 25 February 2007
The Victoria Police badge is described at their website. It includes
a white faceted five pointed star point-down on a wreath which is taller
than it is wide, surmounted by a (St Edward's?) crown. The star represents
the willingness of members to go in any direction to perform their duties,
the wreath bravery and the crown royal authority and allegiance to the
Sovereign. One the star is a circular emblem comprising a title band with
the words "VICTORIA" and "POLICE" in white on navy blue, surrounding a
disc with a blue cross on red fimbriated white containing 5 white
5-pointed stars. The stars and cross represent the Southern Cross, the red
background the link with the Queen/royalty. Below the circular emblem is a
blue scroll containing the motto "UPHOLD THE RIGHT" in white.
Jonathan Dixon, 1 October 2008
Having seen a copy of the warrant, the drawing is accurate with one
major exception. The police Chief Commissioner of Victoria decided to 'modernise' the
badge by substituting the original motto approved personally by Her
Majesty - "Tenez le Droit" in French to the nearest equivalent in
English "Uphold the Right". The badge modification was never approved
by the Queen and certainly no new warrant was issued by the Second Sea
Lord at the Admiralty. It could be argued that the
ensign they have decided to use is unauthorised. At the Police Academy
in the chapel, the ensign version there, has a gold fringe
around it, perhaps a case of ex army personnel mistakenly thinking the
ensign was a colour!
Neil Freeman, 21 February 2009
In the English heraldic tradition at least, an armiger
does not need permission to change the motto on his coat-of-arms.
Miles Li, 22 Febraury 2009
When is it that this change happened? Australian flags are no longer subject to the jurisdiction of the British Admiralty (which was in any case superseded by the Ministry of Defence in 1964), and haven't been for many years, certainly not since the enactment of the Australia Act 1986. That act also provides that “all powers and functions of Her Majesty in respect of a State are exercisable only by the Governor of the State,” i.e., not by a ministry in Whitehall.
One might argue that the ensign was unauthorized if this change
occurred before full sovereignty was transferred, but not since.
Joe McMillan, 22 February 2009
According to oxbadge.com, the change was made in 1985, before the Australia Acts actually came into force. While there may be some ambiguity then, I doubt that the UK Ministry of Defence could be considered to have jurisdiction over Australian flags at that time.
In any case, the legal basis for the flag was not that simple to start with.
Surely a warrant from the Admiralty only covered use at sea?
Jonathan Dixon, 22 February 2009
Several of the other photos at http://www.cuff.dk/cuff/mounted.html
show what is presumably the Victorian equivalent of the WA Police lance pennon - swallowtailed, three horizontal stripes light blue, white, blue.
Jonathan Dixon, 18 Jan 2005
Having looked at the National Police Memorial photos website, I can now summarize the patterns of lance pennons used by mounted police in each Australian state and territory:
Victoria: light blue above white above dark blue. Proportions 1:3; swallowtail 1/3 the pennon length.
Miles Li, 13 March 2007