Last modified: 2017-02-05 by ian macdonald
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image by Jonathan Dixon, 24 September 2015
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At a Flags Australia meeting in May, Ron Strachan showed us a flag used at
Blue Mud Bay. Unfortunately he can't tell us any more about it, and we're not
even sure which way is the right way up. The flag is divided horizontally white
and blue, separated by a black stripe, with a yellow disc with red outline in
the centre.
Blue Mud Bay gives its name to legal case concerning rights
over water in the intertidal areas of Aboriginal land. In 2008 the High Court
decided that the water should be treated the same as the underlying land, and
ceremonies celebrating this decision included white over blue "sea rights flags"
placed in the intertidal zone.
I don't know that the flag with extra
black, red and yellow is related to the sea rights flags, but the possibility of
a connection was enough reason for me to make the image of the flag Ron showed
us with white on top.
Jonathan Dixon, 24 September 2015
"On July 2008 the High Court of Australia confirmed that traditional owners
of the Blue Mud Bay region in North-East Arnhem Land, together with traditional
owners of almost the entire Northern Territory coastline, have exclusive access
rights to tidal waters overlying Aboriginal land.
Upon the High Court
decision community member Donald Nuwandjali Marawili requested that the Northern
Land Council assist with the production of a flag for the Blue Mud Bay
Celebration and Yilpara and for the future celebration and recognition of sea
rights in the Northern Territory."
White symbolises the clouds; blue
symbolises the sea; black symbolises the landowners, and red represents their
blood; the yellow disc symbolises the sand on the beaches.
Source:
https://anmm.wordpress.com/2016/05/27/raising-the-flag-for-national-reconciliation-week-2016-our-history-our-story-our-future/
Miles Li, 5 January 2017