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 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 center of the
Union Jack when travelling by sea; vessels owned by the colony's government were to display it in the fly of the
Blue Ensign; 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, Tr ...
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''.]
The Cape government was initially not in favor of the system but eventually complied with British government requests to adopt a flag badge. The Molteno ministry decided to introduce a
coat of arms, which would also serve as the flag badge.
[Brownell, F.G. (1993). ''National and Provincial Symbols''.] The coat of arms was first displayed on a flag at the laying of the foundation stone of the Houses of Parliament on 12 May 1875.
[Pama, C. (1965). ''Lions and Virgins''.] It was formally granted by Queen Victoria on 29 May 1876, and made its official appearance as a flag badge shortly afterwards. It was used until the colony was incorporated into the
Union of South Africa on 31 May 1910.
Description
The flag badge consisted of the
Cape Colony coat of arms on a white disc. The coat of arms consisted of a red shield displaying a golden lion between three golden rings, below a silver horizontal strip ('chief') containing three golden fleurs de lis on blue discs. The figure of Hope formed the crest, and the shield was supported by a wildebeest and a gemsbok. The motto 'Spes Bona' ('Good Hope') was displayed below the shield.
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
*
Coat of arms of Cape Colony
The coat of arms of the Cape Colony was the official heraldic symbol of the Cape Colony as a British colony from 1875 to 1910, and as a province of South Africa from 1910 to 1994.
History
The adoption of the arms was a belated response to a Britis ...
*
List of South African flags
*
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 the Orange River Colony
The Flag of the Orange River Colony was the official flag of the Orange River Colony in South Africa from 1904 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 th ...
*
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 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 ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cape Colony, Flag of the
1876 introductions
Flags of South Africa
South African heraldry
Blue Ensigns
Cape
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 ...
Cape Colony
Flags displaying animals
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