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This is alist of flags of New Zealand. It includes flags that either have been in use or are currently used by institutions, local authorities, or the government of New Zealand. Some flags have historical or cultural (e.g.Māori culture) significance.
| Flag | Date | Use | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1834–1840[nb 1] | Flag of the United Tribes of New Zealand | Based on theWhite Ensign. Two crosses of St George and four eight-point stars in the canton on a blue background.[2] (See also variant design under "Māori flags" below) | |
| 1840–1867[nb 2] | BritishUnion Flag | Adopted following the signing of theTreaty of Waitangi in 1840. | |
| 1867–1869 | The first flag of New Zealand based on the Blue Ensign | Blue Ensign with the red letters "NZ" outlined in white[citation needed] | |
| 1902[nb 3]–present | Flag of New Zealand | AdefacedBlue Ensign with four red stars with white borders to the right, representing the constellation ofCrux, the Southern Cross. |
| Flag | Date | Use | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1962–2022[6] | Personal Flag ofQueen Elizabeth II in New Zealand | Abanner of thecoat of arms of New Zealand, defaced with a blue disc bearing the crowned letter 'E' in gold | |
| 1869–1874 | Flag of the governor of New Zealand | A Union Flag defaced with four five-pointed stars. This design was due to a misinterpretation of design instructions. | |
| 1874–1908 | A Union Flag defaced with a white circle, with four red stars and the initial 'NZ' at the centre, surrounded by a green wreath. | ||
| 1908–1936 | A Union Flag defaced with a white circle, with four red stars and the initial 'NZ' at the centre, surrounded by a wreath of ferns. | ||
| 1936–1947 | Flag of the governor-general of New Zealand | A lion standing atop a crown, over a scroll inscribed "Dominion of New Zealand" | |
| 1947–1953 | A lion standing atop a crown, over a scroll inscribed "New Zealand" | ||
| 1953–2008 | |||
| 2008–present | The shield of the New Zealand Coat of Arms surmounted by the Royal Crown. | ||
| 1979–present | Flag of theKing's Representative in the Cook Islands | Flag of the Cook Islands with a crown in the centre of the ring of stars |
| Flag | Date | Use | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1901–present | New Zealand Red Ensign | Ared ensign with four white stars representing the Southern Cross | |
| 1941–1968 | Royal New Zealand Navy Ensign | BritishWhite Ensign, previously used by theNew Zealand Division of the Royal Navy(1921–1941) It was replaced by theNew Zealand White Ensign. | |
| 1968–present | Awhite ensign with four red stars representing the Southern Cross | ||
| 1939–present | Ensign of the Royal New Zealand Air Force | A light blue field with theroundel of theRoyal Air Force defaced with the letters, "NZ". | |
| 16 November 1938 – present | New Zealand Civil Air Ensign | A blue cross with a wide border on a light blue field. The Union Flag is in the canton, with the Southern Cross in the fly. | |
| New Zealand Police Ensign | A blue flag with the New Zealand Flag in the canton, with the NZP emblem in the fly. | ||
| New Zealand Fire Service (Fire and Emergency Service) Ensign | A blue flag with the New Zealand Flag in the canton, with the Fire Service emblem in the fly. | ||
| 1966–present | New Zealand Customs Service Flag | A New Zealand Blue Ensign, with the letters "HMC" (for "Her Majesty's Customs" in the lower hoist was in use from 1966 to 1996. From 1996 the flag have the inspection "NZ CUSTOMS SERVICE" in the lower hoist. | |
| 1968–1998 | New Zealand Ministry of Transport Ensign | A sky blue flag with the New Zealand Ensign in the canton, with the NZMOT coat of arms within a blue disc in the fly. | |
| Ensign of theRoyal New Zealand Yacht Squadron | A white cross on a blue field, with the New Zealand Flag in the canton. |
| Flag | Date | Use | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979–present | Flag of the Cook Islands | A Blue Ensign defaced with 15 stars in a ring | |
| 1975–present | Flag of Niue | A yellow ensign, theUnion Flag has a blue disc with a yellow star in the middle and four yellow stars forming a diamond around it | |
| 2008–present | Flag of Tokelau | A blue flag with a stylized Polynesian canoe (vaka) in gold and a representation of the Southern Cross in the fly | |
| 1995–present | Proposed flag of the Ross Dependency | Flag of New Zealand with an azure blue, white outline of stars, and white stripe at bottom. |
| Flag | Date | Use | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980–2010 | Flag of Auckland City[7] | Abanner of arms ofAuckland City's coat of arms. Blue canton with cornucopia in top-hoist. Red canton with pick and shovel in top-fly. White lower half with ship and blue horizontal. | |
| 1993–present | Unofficial flag of the Chatham Islands | A blue flag with a depiction of the island superimposed on a rising sun. | |
| 1976–present | Flag ofChristchurch[8] | A banner of arms ofChristchurch's coat of arms. Chevron Gules a Mitre between a Fleece and a Garbe of the first in base two Bars wavy Azure on a Chief of the last four Lymphads sails furled, also of the first And for the Crest on a Wreath Or and Azure a Kiwi proper | |
| 1979–present | Flag ofDunedin[9] | A banner of arms ofDunedin's coat of arms. Argent a fessdancetty vert on which a sheep's headcaboshed between two wheat sheafs all proper. In chief a three-towered castle sable, mortared of the first and flagged gules on a rock proper. In base alymphad sable sailed and flagged azure. | |
| ?–present | Flag ofInvercargill[10][11][12] | Invercargill has two flags: one with the city's coat of arms on a white square on a maroon field, the other with the council's logo on a white field. | |
| 2020–present | Flag ofNapier[13][14] | Napier has two flags: one has the city's coat of arms on a blue field, and the other is a banner of arms of Napier's coat of arms. Three red roses from the coat of arms ofLord Napier and Ettrick (a direct descendant of SirCharles Napier after whom Napier was named). Blue wave bands symbolise status as a coastal city and the Golden Fleece is the heraldic symbol of the wool industry, which Napier was one of the largest wool centres in New Zealand. | |
| 1987–present | Flag of Nelson[15][16] | A banner of arms ofNelson's coat of arms. Blue top third with bishop'smitre. Blue and white waves beneath with black cross flory. | |
| 2004–present | Flag of Otago[17][18][better source needed] | Blue and gold, horizontally divided by a zigzag line ("dancetty", invexillological terms), with counterchanged eight-pointed stars. Used by the Otago Regional Council, and widely by the general public in the Otago region. | |
| c. 1990–present | Flag ofPalmerston North[19] | Plain white background with central coat of arms. 'City of Palmerston North, New Zealand' in black text above and below the coat of arms. | |
| 1998–present | Flag ofPorirua[20][21][22] | The flag uses green, blue, and white elements to symboliseWhitireia andthe harbour. It also incorporatesPorirua's coat of arms, though there is also a version without the coat of arms for less formal occasions. | |
| 1982–present | Flag ofUpper Hutt[23] | The flag consists of the shield of the city's coat of arms over a gold cross on a maroon field. | |
| 1962–present | Flag of Wellington[24][25][26] | Black symmetric cross on a yellow background with a central circular design of a ship with a dolphin on its sail. | |
| 2015–present | Flag ofWhanganui[27] | The flag consists of the council's coat of arms with the Māori and English names of the council beneath it in white, all on a blue field. |
| Flag | Date | Use | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1834–present | Original design of theflag of the United Tribes of New Zealand, widely used by Māori groups | Similar to the amended design used as thede facto national flag 1835–1840, but with eight-pointed stars and black fimbriation in the canton | |
| 1990–present | Flag ofTino rangatiratanga – OfficialNational Māori Flag, approved by the NZ Cabinet in 2010[28] | A white curling stripe on a red and black field | |
| -2007[29] | Standard ofDame Te Atairangikaahu | Adopted during the reign of Dame Te Atairangikaahu (reign from 1966 to 2006).[30] | |
| 2009[31]-2024 | Standard of KingTūheitia | On a blue field, thecrest of theKīngitanga coat of arms in black and white.[32] | |
| ?-present | The flag of theKīngitanga | On a red field, the crest of the Kīngitanga coat of arms with the mottoKO TE MANA MOTUHAKE beneath it, both in gold.[33] | |
| Kotahitanga flag – unofficial Māori flag, widely used by Māori groups | Three horizontal stripes of red, white and black, defaced with a circular emblem featuring amere crossed with a scroll representing theTreaty of Waitangi within a border ofkoru containing the word "Kotahitanga" (unity) | ||
| Example of a Māori Flag | Some Māori tribes use the Red Ensigndefaced with their tribal name | ||
| 1864 | Flag used in theBattle of Gate Pā[34] | A whiteGreek cross on its left upper canton, a four pointed white star (ascendingStar of Bethlehem) on its right lower canton, and downward white crescent (new moon) in the centre on a field of red. | |
| 1977 | Flag used at theBastion Point demonstration against theNew Zealand Crown's occupation of the land | Two horizontal stripes of red and black defaced with a mangopare (hammerhead shark) design, representing tenacity. |
| Flag | Date | Use | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1908–1912 | Flag of theAustralasian team at the1908 and1912 Olympic Games | A Blue Ensign defaced by a white circle containing the British Crown plus a shield containing the Southern Cross | |
| 1994–present | Flag of theNew Zealand Olympic Committee | A white flag with a depiction of thesilver fern superimposed on the five ringed emblem of theInternational Olympic Committee | |
| 1979–1994 | Flag of the New Zealand Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association | A black flag with a depiction (in white) of a silver fern on the Olympic rings. | |
| 1987 | Flag of theAll Blacks, New Zealand's national rugby team. | A black flag with a whitesilver fern. | |
| Burgee of theRoyal New Zealand Yacht Squadron | A blue triangular flag with a white cross, with the Southern Cross in the canton and a crown in the centre. | ||
| Team flag forAitutaki, Cook Islands at the Cook Islands Games[35] | |||
| Team flag forRarotonga, Cook Islands at the Cook Islands Games[35] | |||
| Team flag forAtiu, Cook Islands at the Cook Islands Games[35] | |||
| Team flag forMangaia, Cook Islands at the Cook Islands Games[35] | |||
| Team flag forMitiaro, Cook Islands at the Cook Islands Games[35] | |||
| Team flag forMauke, Cook Islands at the Cook Islands Games[35] | |||
| Team flag forPukapuka, Cook Islands at the Cook Islands Games[35] | |||
| Team flag forTongareva, Cook Islands at the Cook Islands Games[35] | |||
| Team flag forRakahanga, Cook Islands at the Cook Islands Games[35] | |||
| Team flag forManihiki, Cook Islands at the Cook Islands Games[35] | |||
| Team flag forPalmerston, Cook Islands at the Cook Islands Games[35] |
| Flag | Date | Use | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flag of the New Zealand Navy Board[36] | A fouled anchor with a red-blue background | ||
| 1970–2022 | Queen's Colour of the Royal New Zealand Navy | ||
| 1900–1987[37] | New Zealand Post flag | Blue field with the New Zealand Post Office emblem. | |
| Flag of theGrand Orange Lodge of New Zealand | An orange ensign with the Saint George's Cross in the canton, and in the fly an open book surmounted by a Saint Edward's Crown and surrounded by the four stars of the New Zealand Southern Cross. | ||
| Flag of theTaranaki Rifle Volunteers | |||
| 1910 | Flag of New Zealand taken to Antarctica | Presented by the pupils ofLyttelton District High School to the shipTerra Nova, as part of a fundraising drive forRobert Falcon Scott'sexpedition to the South Pole. It was flown from theTerra Nova's mast when the ship departed fromLyttelton on 26 November 1910.[38] |