Flag of Rhodesia - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Flag of Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...

) changed many times as a result of political changes in the country.

Prior to 1953, the then Southern Rhodesia

Southern Rhodesia

Southern Rhodesia was the name of the British colony situated north of the Limpopo River and the Union of South Africa. From its independence in 1965 until its extinction in 1980, it was known as Rhodesia...

followed British colonial practice, by using a Blue Ensign

Blue Ensign

The Blue Ensign is a flag, one of several British ensigns, used by certain organisations or territories associated with the United Kingdom. It is used either plain, or defaced with a badge or other emblem....

with the Union Flag

Union Flag

The Union Flag, also known as the Union Jack, is the flag of the United Kingdom. It retains an official or semi-official status in some Commonwealth Realms; for example, it is known as the Royal Union Flag in Canada. It is also used as an official flag in some of the smaller British overseas...

in the canton and the shield from the colony's coat of arms in the fly.

In 1953, Southern Rhodesia federated with Northern Rhodesia

Northern Rhodesia

Northern Rhodesia was a territory in south central Africa, formed in 1911. It became independent in 1964 as Zambia.It was initially administered under charter by the British South Africa Company and formed by it in 1911 by amalgamating North-Western Rhodesia and North-Eastern Rhodesia...

and Nyasaland

Nyasaland

Nyasaland or the Nyasaland Protectorate, was a British protectorate located in Africa, which was established in 1907 when the former British Central Africa Protectorate changed its name. Since 1964, it has been known as Malawi....

as the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland

Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland

The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, also known as the Central African Federation , was a semi-independent state in southern Africa that existed from 1953 to the end of 1963, comprising the former self-governing colony of Southern Rhodesia and the British protectorates of Northern Rhodesia,...

. The flag of that federation was used

Flag of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland

The Flag of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland was a modified British Blue Ensign. Centered in the fly of the flag was a depiction of the shield from the Federation's Coat of Arms...

until 31 December 1963 when the federation was dissolved. Less than a year after the break-up of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland became independent as Zambia

Zambia

Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....

and Malawi

Malawi

The Republic of Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west. The country is separated from Tanzania and Mozambique by Lake Malawi. Its size...

. Southern Rhodesia became known simply as Rhodesia

Rhodesia

Rhodesia , officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state located in southern Africa that existed between 1965 and 1979 following its Unilateral Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965...

. In April 1964 Rhodesia adopted a light air force

Air force

An air force, also known in some countries as an air army, is in the broadest sense, the national military organization that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army, navy or...

ensign with the shield from the coat of arms of Rhodesia

Coat of arms of Rhodesia

The coat of arms of Rhodesia was first used for the self-governing British colony of Southern Rhodesia in 1923, known simply as Rhodesia after 1964.Official authorisation by Royal Warrant for the Coat of Arms was granted on 11 August 1924....

in the fly. This was the first time the lighter shade of blue ensign was used by a British colony, although Fiji

Flag of Fiji

Prior to ceding the country to British rule in 1874, the government of Fiji adopted a national flag featuring blue and white vertical stripes, with in the centre a red shield depicting a white dove. This flag ceased to be used when the colonial era began and Fiji relinquished its independence...

and Tuvalu

Flag of Tuvalu

The current flag of Tuvalu was instated when the country became independent in 1978, after the separation from the Gilbert Islands in 1976.-Features:...

both adopted the colour after independence.

Following the Unilateral Declaration of Independence

Unilateral Declaration of Independence (Rhodesia)

The Unilateral Declaration of Independence of Rhodesia from the United Kingdom was signed on November 11, 1965, by the administration of Ian Smith, whose Rhodesian Front party opposed black majority rule in the then British colony. Although it declared independence from the United Kingdom it...

(UDI) on November 11, 1965, the flag was retained, but three years later on the anniversary of UDI it was replaced by a green and white flag (similar to that of Nigeria

Flag of Nigeria

The Flag of Nigeria was designed in 1959 and first officially hoisted on October 1, 1960.The two unique sea-green bands represent the forests and abundant natural wealth of Nigeria while the white band represents peace....

) with the full coat of arms

Coat of arms of Rhodesia

in the centre. On March 2, 1970, the country was declared a republic

Republic

A republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of...

. Throughout this time, Britain refused to recognise Rhodesia's independence and maintained that the light-blue ensign was the official flag of the country.

In 1979, the country became known as Zimbabwe-Rhodesia and a new flag was adopted on September 2 that year featuring the pan-African colours of red, black, yellow and green, and the Zimbabwe Bird

Zimbabwe Bird

The stone-carved Zimbabwe Bird is a national emblem of Zimbabwe, appearing on the national flags and coats of arms of both Zimbabwe and Rhodesia, as well as on banknotes and coins...

. However, under the terms of the Lancaster House Agreement

Lancaster House Agreement

The negotiations which led to the Lancaster House Agreement brought independence to Rhodesia following Ian Smith’s Unilateral Declaration of Independence in 1965. The Agreement covered the Independence Constitution, pre-independence arrangements, and a ceasefire...

, the country briefly returned to British rule under the Union Jack from December 12, 1979 although the new flag remained de facto in use. Thus it was the British Union Flag that was lowered during the ceremony on April 18, 1980 marking the country's attainment of independence as the Republic of Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe

Official description

The following was published as a supplement to the Government Gazette issued on Friday 9 August 1968.

1968 Flag of Rhodesia No. 40 / p. 285

Rhodesia Act

To provide for the adoption of a national flag for Rhodesia; to provide for the making of regulations to restrict or control the application to any goods of a reproduction of such flag; to amend section 16 of the Merchandise Marks Act, 1957, and to provide for matters incidental to the foregoing.

BE IT ENACTED by His Excellency the Officer Administering Government as representative of the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Parliament of Rhodesia

Parliament of Zimbabwe

The Parliament of Zimbabwe consists of two chambers:*The Senate *The House of Assembly...

, as follows: -

1. This Act may be cited as the Flag of Rhodesia Act, 1968.

2. The Flag of Rhodesia shall be a flag consisting of three vertical stripes of equal width, green, white and green, on which there appears in the centre of the white stripe the coat of arms of Rhodesia, with -

(a) the length of the flag equal to twice the width of the flag; and

(b) the coat of arms of Rhodesia equal in height to three-fifths of the heights of the flag.

3. The Minister of Justice shall cause a copy of the Flag of Rhodesia to be prepared and deposited in the National Archives of Rhodesia established in terms of the National Archives Act, 1963 (No. 76 of 1963).

4. (1) Where, in the opinion of the Officer Administering the Government, it is necessary to regulate and control the use of the Flag of Rhodesia in order that it is not used for purposes which, in his opinion, are improper he may make such regulations restricting, regulating or controlling the application to any goods or the importation into Rhodesia of any goods to which there has been applied a reproduction of the Flag of Rhodesia or of a flag which resembles or is intended to resemble the Flag of Rhodesia as he may consider to be necessary or expedient for the purpose.

(2) Regulations made in terms of subsection (1) may provide for penalties for any contravention thereof, including provision for the forfeiture of any goods to which a reproduction of the Flag of Rhodesia or of a flag which resembles or is intended to resemble the Flag of Rhodesia has been applied or which have been imported in contravention of such regulations:
Provided that no such penalty shall exceed a fine of five hundred pounds or imprisonment for period of two years, excluding the value of any goods forfeited.

5. Any person who burns, mutilates or otherwise insults the Flag of Rhodesia or a flag which resembles or is intended to resemble the Flag of Rhodesia or any reproduction thereof in circumstances which are calculated or likely to show disrespect for the Flag of Rhodesia or to bring the Flag of Rhodesia into disrepute shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine not exceeding five hundred pounds or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding two years.

6. Section 16 of the Merchandise Marks Act, 1957 is amended, in subsection (1), by repeal of subparagraph (iii) of paragraph (b).

Coloured sheet

Flag of the Governor of Southern Rhodesia

The flag used by the Governor of Southern Rhodesia followed the usual pattern for representatives of the British Crown. It consisted of a defaced Union Flag

Union Flag

(Union Jack) with a white disc in the center of the flag. Within the center of the disc was the shield from the Southern Rhodesia

Southern Rhodesia

n Coat of Arms. This flag was not used during the Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI)

Unilateral Declaration of Independence (Rhodesia)

years and became obsolete when the post of Governor disappeared after the independent Republic of Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe

came into being in 1980.

In most of the British colonies the flags used by the Sovereign's representative usually followed the same general design. In Southern Rhodesia, the Governor was appointed by the Crown and acted as the local head of state, receiving instructions from the British Government. The Governor was also Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces and as such, in theory at least, exercised considerable influence over the running of the colony and its government. In practice, however, the Governor's main function was to maintain a satisfactory relationship between the British and Southern Rhodesian Governments and acted in an advisory capacity most of the time.

In Southern Rhodesia, the Governor initially flew a Union Flag with a white roundel in the centre charged with the shield from the colony's arms granted on 11 August 1924. Unique among the flags of the Governors of British Colonies, this shield of Arms was not surrounded by the customary wreath. Southern Rhodesia became a British Colony on 12 September 1923. This flag was put into use on 1 October 1924 and was flown until 30 July 1951.

On 31 July 1951, a new flag was put into use for the Governor of Southern Rhodesia. This was dark blue and charged in the centre with a Royal Crown, its height being four-sevenths of the hoist. Initially the Tudor Crown would have been used, but after her accession to the throne in 1952, Queen Elizabeth II indicated her preference for St Edward's Crown and this version would have been used thereafter. Like its predecessor, this flag did not conform to the usual pattern of the flags used by British Colonial Governors which was to have dark blue flag charged in the centre with the Royal Crest above a Crown, with the name of the Colony or Dominion written in a yellow scroll below. The reason for Southern Rhodesia not conforming to this pattern is probably explained by the unique Constitutional Status of the colony, having attained 'Responsible Government' in 1923, but not being a fully fledged Dominion.

Official description

Flag of the Governor of Southern Rhodesia

See also