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Hela Province (Papua New Guinea)

image by Jens Pattke, 16 July 2019

Description
2012 flag

See also:

Papua New Guinea

Description

Unnoticed by the public, the Hela Province is flying a new flag. This was preceded by a huge criticism of the complicated flag. Points of criticism were the head of the male native, battle axe and club. Demands were made to portray the female Hela- or Huli-Culture.
https://www.thenational.com.pg/new-flag-design-has-implications/

The new Hela Provincial flag has been redesign and distributed throughout Hela Province during the Prime Minister visit to Hela Province in September 24, 2015.
https://www.facebook.com/korobahelapng/posts/the-new-hela-provincial-flag-has-been-redesign-and-distributed-throughout-hela-p/851750398253665/

Examples:
https://www.facebook.com/korobahelapng/photos/a.403128699782506/849745498454155/?type=3&theater
https://www.facebook.com/korobahelapng/photos/a.403128699782506/851749794920392/?type=3&theater
https://www.facebook.com/korobahelapng/photos/a.403128699782506/851749991587039/?type=3&theater

The new flag is horizontally striped yellow-green-black (2:1:2). In the centre of the green stripe is a typical brown hat of the native Hela culture. In the yellow stripe is a red bird of paradise, the symbol of Papua New Guinea. Five white stars are arranged crescent-shaped in the black stripe. The four large white stars symbolize the sons, the small white star represents the daughter of Hela, Hewa.

Note: Oral History suggests that the grand Ancestor of the Huli was a man named Hela who had 4 sons and a daughter from which the Hela nation was to emerge. The offspring of Hela were sons Huli, Opene, Duna, Tuguba and sister Hewa.

The government seal has also been modified. It shows the figures of the flag on a circle. Around the circle is a white circle ring with black edges in the black inscription HELA (above) and PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT (below).
Jens Pattke, 16 July 2019

2012 flag

image by Jens Pattke, 30 June 2012

Papua New Guinea created two new provinces - Jiwaka and Hela, effective 17th of May 2012.
Valentin Poposki, 20 May 2012

Yesterday evening (Melbourne, Aust. time) S.B.S. TV's "World News Australia" reported the raising of the new P.N.G. Provincial Flag for Hela (formerly part of Southern Highlands Province), as part of its coverage of the current national elections. Video of this report can be viewed at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_qKBfRpLOg. Also, an online "PNG Courier Post" newspaper photograph of the other new P.N.G. Provincial Flag for Jiwaka (formerly part of Western Highlands Province) can be viewed at http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20120518/frhome.htm.

An article about these two new Papua New Guinea Provincial Flags, and background information, will be appearing in the near future in Flags Australia's journal "Crux Australis" later this year.
Ralph Bartlett, 26 June 2012

I have selected the frames from the movie http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_qKBfRpLOg and reconstructed from this source the new flag of Hela Province.
Jens Pattke, 30 June 2012

A nice image of the flag can be seen at http://www.postcourier.com.pg/pdfsfront/20120702-PC-frontpage.pdf
Jens Pattke, 30 November 2012

Variant of the Flag

image provided by Michel Lupant, 1 April 2015

A variant of the flag was received as a gift from a local office in Boroko /Port Moresby (probably with the help of the Belgian Honorary Consul) sent in November 2014 and manufactured in China.
Michel Lupant, 1 April 2015

Detail of central emblem

image provided by Michel Lupant, 1 April 2015