Flag Of The Orange River Colony
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The Flag of the Orange River Colony was the official flag of the
Orange River Colony The Orange River Colony was the British colony created after Britain first occupied (1900) and then annexed (1902) the independent Orange Free State in the Second Boer War. The colony ceased to exist in 1910, when it was absorbed into the Unio ...
in South Africa from 1904 to 1910. It formed part of a system of colonial flags that was used throughout the
British Empire The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts esta ...
. It was superseded by the
Flag of the Union of South Africa A flag is a piece of fabric (most often rectangular or quadrilateral) with a distinctive design and colours. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term ''flag'' is also used to refer to the graphic design empl ...
.


History

In a series of decisions made in 1864, 1865, and 1869, the British government decided that every colony should have a distinctive badge, to be displayed on flags at sea. The governor was to display the badge in the centre of the
Union Jack The Union Jack, or Union Flag, is the ''de facto'' national flag of the United Kingdom. Although no law has been passed making the Union Flag the official national flag of the United Kingdom, it has effectively become such through precedent. ...
when travelling by sea; vessels owned by the colony's government were to display it in the fly of the
Blue Ensign The Blue Ensign is a flag, one of several British ensigns, used by certain organisations or territories associated or formerly associated with the United Kingdom. It is used either plain or Defacement (flag), defaced with a Heraldic badge, ...
; and, with
Admiralty Admiralty most often refers to: *Admiralty, Hong Kong *Admiralty (United Kingdom), military department in command of the Royal Navy from 1707 to 1964 *The rank of admiral *Admiralty law Admiralty can also refer to: Buildings * Admiralty, Traf ...
permission, privately owned ships registered in the colony could display the badge in the fly of the Red Ensign. This system is still in operation in the remaining British overseas territories.Weekes, N. (2008). ''Colonial Flag Badges : A Chronology''. A flag badge was duly approved for the Orange River Colony (formerly the
Orange Free State The Orange Free State ( nl, Oranje Vrijstaat; af, Oranje-Vrystaat;) was an independent Boer sovereign republic under British suzerainty in Southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century, which ceased to exist after it was defeat ...
republic), shortly after it had been annexed to the British Empire in 1902. It is unclear whether the landlocked colony actually used the defaced Blue Ensign.Burgers, A.P. (2008). ''The South African Flag Book''.


Description

The badge was circular, and showed a springbok standing on a grassy base. It was evidently derived from the colony's new Public Seal, which depicted the British royal arms and a landscape scene showing three springboks standing in the veld.Brownell, F.G. (1993). ''National and Provincial Symbols''.


References


Sources

* Brownell, F.G. (1993). ''National and Provincial Symbols''. * Burgers, A.P. (1997). ''Sovereign Flags over Southern Africa''. * Burgers, A.P. (2008). ''The South African Flag Book''. * Pama, C. (1965). ''Lions and Virgins''. * Weekes, N. (2008). ''Colonial Flag Badges : A Chronology''.


See also

*
List of South African flags This article lists the flags of the various colonies and states that have existed in South Africa since 1652, as well as other flags pertaining to South Africa, including governmental, military, police and provincial flags. Overview The followi ...
*
Flag of the Cape Colony The flag of Cape Colony was the official flag of the Cape Colony from 1876 to 1910. It formed part of a system of colonial flags that was used throughout the British Empire. History In a series of decisions made in 1864, 1865, and 1869, the UK's ...
*
Flag of Goshen A flag is a piece of fabric (most often rectangular or quadrilateral) with a distinctive design and colours. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term ''flag'' is also used to refer to the graphic design employ ...
*
Flag of Natal The flag of Natal was the official flag of the South African colony of Natal from 1870 to 1910. It formed part of a system of colonial flags that were used throughout the British Empire. History In a series of decisions made in 1864, 1865, and 18 ...
*
Flag of the Natalia Republic The flag of the Natalia Republic was the official flag of this short-lived South African state, which existed from 1839 to 1843. History Emigrant Boers ('voortrekkers') from the Cape Colony established an independent state in 1839, on territory c ...
*
Flag of the Nieuwe Republiek The flag of the Nieuwe Republiek was the official flag of this short-lived South African state from 1884 to 1888. History The Nieuwe Republiek ('New Republic') was established in north-western Zululand by a few hundred Boer farmers in August 18 ...
* Flag of the Orange Free State *
Flag of South Africa The flag of South Africa was designed in March 1994 and adopted on 27 April 1994, at the beginning of South Africa's South African general election, 1994, 1994 general election, to replace the flag that had been used since 1928. The flag has ...
*
Flag of the South African Republic Two flags were used as the flag of the South African Republic, which existed from 1852 to 1877, 1881 to 1902, and 1914-15: (1) the so-called 'Vierkleur' ( en, Four-colour) from 1857 to 1874, and again from 1875 to 1877 and 1881 to 1902, and (2 ...
*
Flag of Stellaland The flag of Stellaland was the official flag of the short-lived southern African Republic of Stellaland, which existed from 1883 to 1885. History Stellaland arose from a war in Bechuanaland in 1881–82. It was established by a group of mercena ...
*
Flag of Transvaal The Flag of Transvaal was the official flag of the Transvaal colony in South Africa from ''circa'' 1903 to 1910. It formed part of a system of colonial flags that was used throughout the British Empire. It was superseded by the flag of the Union ...
Flags introduced in 1903 Flags of South Africa South African heraldry Blue Ensigns
Orange River The Orange River (from Afrikaans/Dutch: ''Oranjerivier'') is a river in Southern Africa. It is the longest river in South Africa. With a total length of , the Orange River Basin extends from Lesotho into South Africa and Namibia to the north ...
Flags displaying animals {{africa-flag-stub