The Australian Flag was flown for the first time on 3 September 1901, the day on which the then Prime Minister Sir Edmund Barton announced the 5 joint competition winners.
It was flown over the dome of the Exhibition Building in Melbourne, which was the then seat of the federal government, where all the designs were on display. The Australian National Flag as we know it today is based on this design. In this original design, the stars of the Southern Cross had different numbers of points to signify their varying brightness.
To commemorate the day on which the Australian National Flag was first flown, 3 September of each year is officially recognised as Australian National Flag Day.
