It's hard to believe that on this day, 5 years ago, this flag was voted the Preferred Alternative New Zealand Flag! A lot of water has gone under the bridge since then, this year also happened to be the 20th-anniversary of our Silver Fern Flag — on Jan 1st 2020 who amongst us would have predicted such a highly momentous year ahead?

We are now packaging up the last flag orders of 2020 in both our Wellington and Melbourne locations, and we will be on holiday until the 11th of January 2021, any orders placed between 19 Dec and 11 Jan will be shipped on the 11th of January.

In the meantime, you can check out our recently-launched flag store at silverfernflag.org/store, our flag store hadn't really been updated since 2005 when our first orders started flooding in after an appearance on Campbell Live, our new Silver Fern Flag store makes ordering a lot easier, and an added bonus is postage is free for all NZ and Aussie orders over $60.

After many months of research and product testing, we have also created the Silver Fern Apparel Store by partnering with Redbubble, at this separate store, you can order items as diverse as tees and hoodies in multiple colours, bags, and mobile phone cases directly through the team at Redbubble. 

Having endured over 9-months of lockdowns, curfews, and restrictions in Melbourne, where I am based for work, I feel for our expatriate communities who are experiencing similar lockdowns, particularly those in the UK and the United States.  Wherever you are in the world today, I hope you are able to have an enjoyable and restful holiday period, stay safe, stay well, and here's to a safe and happy 2021!

The silver fern flag, designed by Kyle Lockwood will feature at the V&A Gallery (Victoria & Albert Museum) in London.

This is one of the world’s top galleries and we are very excited that our Silver Fern Flag will be proudly on display.

This major exhibition is well worth a visit if you are in London between Saturday 12 May 2018 and the 4th of November 2018.

This exhibition will display emerging technologies, the ways in which they will affect our lives in the near future, and what choices we have – as citizens – to influence their development.

The world of tomorrow is shaped by the designs and technologies emerging today. From smart appliances to satellites, this exhibition brings together more than 100 objects either newly released or in development that point towards where society might be headed. Although some may seem straight out of science fiction, they are all real, produced by research labs, universities, designers' studios, governments and corporations.

Guided by ethical and speculative questions, we invite you to step into four scenarios – self, public, planet and afterlife – each evoking increasing scales of technological impact. How might these objects affect the way you live, learn and even love?

The undeniable physical reality of these objects may give the impression that the future is already fixed. But new things contain unpredictable potentials and possibilities, often unanticipated even by their creators. It is up to us – as individuals, as citizens and even as a species – to determine what happens next. While the objects here suggest a certain future, it is not yet determined. The future we get is up to us. The future starts here.

1. Self
What makes us human? We can now design life itself. Our bodies, and even our internal biological systems, are becoming sites of design. Wearable technologies and personal trackers have become standard objects of our everyday. We measure our heart rate when we go jogging, and navigate cities with the help of GPS. As we extend our cognitive and biological capacities through machines, distinctions between what is human and what is technological blur. Once synonymous with privacy and reclusion, the home is now a broadcasting station from which we share our lives through social media. We are now all connected, but are we still lonely?

2. Public
Are cities still for everyone? This section explores the public realms of cities, politics and networks, the places where we come together to collectively make decisions. People get together to crowdfund everything from bicycles to bridges, or to leak governmental secrets and generate new currencies. In face of this, Does democracy still work? The future of public and civic spaces lies between two competing forces: the top-down strategies of an increasingly small number of companies and governments, and the bottom-up tactics of an increasingly large number of people. Which will thrive?

3. Planet
Should the planet be a design project? Human activity has altered our planet to the extent that some scientists have declared a new geological epoch, the 'Anthropocene', or 'age of humans'. Now that we know our behaviour has unintentionally designed the Earth, can we use technology to reverse the effects? Some designers are working on possible solutions to clean, repair or give back to the planet. Others are looking beyond the Earth for solutions in the stars – designing satellites that scope asteroids for mining new geological resources, and solutions for inhabiting Mars. But if Mars is the answer, what is the question? Can we still save our planet or shall we leave?

4. Afterlife
Who wants to live forever? Current advancements in biotechnology and artificial intelligence have the potential to redefine our conceptions of what life is. Reawakening after death or uploading one's mind onto a computer are ideas that may sound like science fiction but are taken seriously by some futurists today. Against these efforts to preserve the self, institutions such as the Long Now Foundation or the Svalbard Global Seed Vault are working to preserve humanity through books, seeds and material culture. What do we want to preserve for the future – the individual or the collective?


See more, and to book visit;
https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/about-the-future-starts-here-exhibition

​THE NEW ZEALAND HERALD
Now he is Prime Minister, English said the flag referendum showed constitutional changes such as the flag or a move toward a republic should not be led by politicians. "That is the lesson from the flag referendum. I oversaw the process for changing the flag, I voted for changing the flag. In the end, a lot of the voting became a bit of a political vehicle, probably because it was proposed by the Prime Minister."

OTAGO DAILY TIMES
Kyle Lockwood's Red white and blue flag is flying at Harrington Point

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

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

"After snaking through the initial bends on Queen Charlotte Drive at the foot of the Marlborough Sounds, you eventually arrive at a house peering over the glistening water with two giant flags waving in the wind and a letterbox with a Porsche painted on it. One of those flags is the Kyle Lockwood silver fern design, the alternate to the current New Zealand flag. The other is that of the San Jose Earthquakes, the Major League Soccer franchise."

 See more at - Stuff  http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/nz-teams/87669197/the-year-kip-colvey-cracked-americas-big-league-signing-his-first-professional-football-contract-with-san-jose

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

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

Christchurch, Sydney, London, Los Angeles, Pukekohe...  the Silver Fern Flag represents New Zealand around the world, here's a world map showing cities and locations where, over the past decade, online customers have bought our Silver Fern Flag products.  It's also good indicator of where New Zealander's abroad tend to live, although some buyers aren't Kiwi, they just happen to love New Zealand so much they fly our flag anyway!

Typically the Silver Fern Flag is bought in New Zealand, Australia, and the United Kingdom, which isn't too suprizing, but perhaps the most unusual places it has been sent to are Hradec Králové, a township outside Prague in the Czech Republic, and Willemstad, Curacao, a small Dutch Carribean island off the coast of Venezuela, The Silver Fern Flag is now represented on every continent except Antartica, but perhaps some cool Kiwis at Scott Base can change that for us!?   Click here to see the full map: 

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.