Flags fly in Harington Point, including a red version of Kyle Lockwood’s silver fern flag (foreground) and the New Zealand Red Ensign (right).

Flags, flags everywhere. Shawn McAvinue asks why so many residents in a small settlement at the northeastern end of Otago Peninsula are flying flags.
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Harington Point crib owner Don Shanks said the flying of flags just "evolved" in the "tight-knit community".

"It’s amazing how it evolved. Everyone got on board. We didn’t have meetings about it, they just popped up."

The Shanks crib on Harington Point Rd had been in the family since 1957.
It was not known when the flag pole was put on the crib shed, but a photo taken of a sea lion on the beach in 1973 showed it was there then.

"If it is the first one, I could not tell you."

He owned nine flags.

"From Hawaiian, to Scottish, to happy faces — a whole array."

When someone died in the community, New Zealand flags were flown at half-mast across Harington Point.

The flags were flown at half-mast when his brother Roy Shanks died in December 2015 and when his wife Moira Shanks died in May last year.

The flags were also lowered when local, Matenga "Marty" Taiaroa died on a fishing boat when sailing from the West Coast to Dunedin in February last year.

"The flags were lowered to half-mast in respect. It’s quite significant for the area and it means a lot to everyone."

Permanent Harington Point residents Jim and Elaine Shanks — no relation to Don — said the wooden flag pole was put up on their house about 20 years ago when they built a deck. The pole was salvaged from the supporters’ club at Carisbrook and was given to the couple, who are life members.

"Otherwise it would have been cut up as firewood."

He believed their house was the third in Harington Point to get a flag pole.

"It’s something that has proliferated over the last few years ... it’s good because it adds colour to the area."

His flag collection was in tatters after being "hammered" by the wind, but his Confederation of United Tribes of New Zealand 1835 flag was in good condition.

The other flag in good nick was the Speight’s flag given to him by former All Black Greg Cooper.
"It’s a special possession."

The Speight’s flag was hoisted only when the community needed to know a few drinks were being had inside.

Harington Point crib owner Linda McLean said she and her husband Clark were flying the flag of Hungary because they  recently had visitors staying from the European country.

A seal sleeping on their water tank on Wednesday night was not bothered by the flapping of the tri-coloured flag.

The couple owned about 15 flags.

"We often have an Aussie one up because our son-in-law’s an Aussie."

When the Hungarians departed, the Hungarian flag was replaced with the Dunedin flag.

The McLeans bought the "wee shack" about 40 years ago and when they had added rooms on to the crib, the flag pole was moved from the back to the front.

Harington Point crib owners Barry and Heather Clough said they would like to have a flag pole at their crib.

"Everyone’s got one."

The Dunedin couple was seeking a second-hand pole after being quoted $600 for  a new one. Mrs Clough said any second-hand pole must be sturdy, preferably alloy.

"Everything rusts out pretty quick," she said.

The Cloughs knew once they got their pole, they would  open themselves up to getting flags as presents on  every occasion.
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"If you can’t think of something, you give them a flag."

https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/settlement-shows-its-true-colours

We've written to the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition as they would both like to see a silver fern appear on New Zealand's national flag. 

Our letter to the prime minister can be viewed below. We'll keep you posted as to his response.

Please Share!

silverfernflag.co.nz Newstalk ZB Media Statement.

Hello Chris, thank you for approaching me and asking about a flag I designed for New Zealand.

The flag was designed when I was a Massey University student in 2000, features a bold silver fern on the left hand side, and the Southern Cross to the right, the colours honour the red, white and blue colours seen on the present flag. If you are near a computer or a smart phone, the design can be viewed at www.silverfernflag.co.nz.

A stylised Silver Fern, a New Zealand icon for well over 100 years, has been worn proudly by many generations of New Zealanders, from sports people, to firefighters and military personnel, The Silver Fern is an element of indigenous flora representing the growth of our nation.

The multiple points of the fern leaf represents Aotearoa's peaceful multicultural society, a single fern leaf spreading upwards represents that we are all New Zealanders - one people - growing onward into the future.

The Southern Cross, is a defining element in the present New Zealand Flag, it represents our geographic location in the antipodes. The Southern Cross is visible throughout the year in the southern night skies.

It has been used as a navigational aid for centuries and it helped guide early settlers to our islands. Each star is also representative of the major island groups of New Zealand - North Island, South Island, Stewart Island, and the Chatham Islands.

Red, is a significant colour to the NZ Maori, Red also represents the sacrifice made by all New Zealanders during wartime.

White represents Aotearoa, Land of the Long White Cloud, The official Maori name for New Zealand.  The colour also represents peace.

Blue represents aumoana or the ocean that surrounds our island nation, over which all New Zealanders, or their ancestors, crossed to get to New Zealand.

Rugby is not credited with the first wearing of the silver fern, according to Nelson historian Alan Turley.

He said that while records were scant, an historic magazine cutting given to him by rugby commentator Keith Quinn, showed the fern being worn in a shooting, not rugby, match between New Plymouth's army garrison and the visiting Royal Navy.

It was 1853, and the Royal Navy ship HMS Sparrow was anchored offshore in a visit to the fledgling town. While onshore, the navy men challenged the local army lads to a rifle shooting match at the Rewarewa rifle range.

According to the clipping, the army men decided to pick silver fern tips growing near the range and pin them to their uniform shirt pockets as a sort of good luck talisman. The team won the shooting match and thereafter considered the fern a good-luck symbol, and so the tradition of the silver fern began.

I appreciate that people fought wars under our present union-jack based flag, but what is lesser known is that soldiers, who made the ultimate sacrifice for New Zealand, lie buried in foreign fields beneath headstones bearing not the Union Jack, but the Silver Fern. Also the badges of many NZ army regiments feature the silver fern.

Our Canadian commonwealth brothers-in-arms also had troops who fought under a British Red Ensign based flag, but in 1965 they changed their flag to the distinctive Maple Leaf Flag which we today associate with all things Canadian, however on remembrance days, the old flag is sometimes brought out and displayed too.

If New Zealand changes its flag in the future I hope that on ANZAC and remembrance days we could honour our past soldiers in the same way as the Canadians do today.

Both the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition, are supporters of the Silver Fern. The fern is our icon, it's not just about the All-Blacks, it was on our one cent coins, it is now on our $1 coins too, and it features on our banknotes. It's been on our coat of arms since 1956, and lately it has become the official symbol of the NZ government abroad.

It's now being painted on Air New Zealand's aircraft, and like Canada's maple leaf, the fern is a powerful symbol that says 'New Zealand'. It even features strongly on our passports.

Speaking of passports I'm presently spokesman for a group called nzten.com, we are advocating for the return of ten year NZ passports. Amongst our 11,000 supporters are a few Knights and Dames, and the Hon Phil Goff.

I believe that one day New Zealand will choose a new flag, the present flag suggests we are a subservient colony of the United Kingdom, not the proud independent nation of New Zealand that we have been, since the passing of the Statute of Westminster Adoption Act in 1947.

I believe my design honours our past, but also looks forward to our future. Flag change could be 25 years away, but I hope that whichever design is chosen, it is done democratically, and that design chosen represents all New Zealanders.


Kyle Lockwood.

Melbourne, 12th August 2013.


ENDS

Chris Lynch <[email protected]> 11 August 2013.

Hi there, Kyle I host NewstalkZB's Canterbury Mornings programme (on New Zealand's second biggest radio market)

We are discussing "changing the New Zealand flag" on the programme tomorrow Monday. We're on 100.1FM and streaming live at NewstalkZB.co.nz.

I'm keen to get people's input on this issue and welcoming calls in from the public on (03) 340 10 98 or toll-free (inside the Canterbury region) on 0800 80 10 80. Talkback starts at 8.40AM.

You're more than welcome to call in and please spread the word!!

Best Wishes, Chris Lynch


Chris Lynch
Host
Canterbury Mornings with Chris Lynch
E: [email protected]
W: newstalkzb.co.nz
F: facebook.com/canterburymornings
F: facebook.com/lynchinnz
T: lynchonzb

Our silver fern flag featured in the NZ Herald yesterday. (Albeit the prototype version) A bill on the status of the NZ flag is expected to be drawn by parliament in the near future. Check out the article here at http://m.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10863680

Whilst we in the southern hemisphere are looking forward to warm beachy summers, the first snows are falling in the Czech Republic....

"We love your flag, white, blue and red are also our Czech flag colours too.
Best regards, Helena" 

We got a message from Helena who lives in Hradec Králové (Translation Queenstown) in the Czech Republic. 

She sent us a photo of their Silver Fern flag flying proudly over their holiday cottage named New Zealand Point in a place named Mlade Buky (young beechs) 

Helena said 
"Dear Kyle, Thank you very much, the flag is here. It's great! Have a look!" 

The cottage is situated in the peaceful Krkonose mountains, about 120 kms from the beautiful Czech capital, Prague. 

The cottage is also available to rent, contact Helena at   info@medsport.cz

Updating our flag is a task which shouldn't be taken lightly.

We believe that flag change should be done by referendum, and not forced upon us by a government. New Zealanders should vote on whether we retain the existing flag, or choose a new flag. Voting could be through a citizens initiated referendum, or one introduced 
by a Member of Parliament.
 
There should be seven or eight well known designs put forward in the referendum for voting, here are some well known  designs which we believe could be put forward;

Which flag says Canada to you? The 1965 flag, right? Prior to 1965 the flag on the top was the flag of Canada.

Although the idea of a new design had been discussed for decades in the 1900s, it was in the 1960s that the debate intensified and became a subject of considerable controversy, After much debate new flag was officially proclaimed in 1965. The Canadian people were not given the chance to vote on the new design.

Despite the preceding acrimony, the new flag was quickly embraced by the Canadian public, and internationally the flag quickly became a welcome marker of Canadians around the world. The pre-1965 flag still remains an official flag in Canada, and is sometimes flown today.

New Zealand can take the lead from countries like Canada and Jamaica, but we can improve on it, we believe that flag change should not be forced on the country by a government, like in the Canadian example.  Kiwis should have the right to vote, to either, retain the existing ensign, or vote for a new national flag. It should be noted here that New Zealanders have never had the chance to vote for our present flag, as it was forced upon us by the British government.

We can learn from Canada too, in that once an new official flag is adopted, we can retain the existing ensign as an official flag, as some will choose to fly it. It will be like how God Save the Queen is still an official anthem of New Zealand, but today most Kiwis sing and recognise God Defend New Zealand as our anthem.

What do you think?  Vote above, and add your comments below!

© 2012 silverfernflag.org

People have asked 'How do I fold the flag properly?' which is a really good question! a Google search gives us a lot of results on folding the USA Flag, but few on how to fold a New Zealand Flag. Check out our slideshow and download our flag care .pdf here this gives you information about the significance of the Silver Fern Flag and the proper method of folding a flag, The method is actually useful for most Commonwealth of Nations countries, including folding the flags of New Zealand, Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom.