We swear by the Southern Cross to stand truly by each other and fight to defend our rights and liberties

Now that is a national flag. Oh, if only we were a republic, and could remove the obscene Union Jack from our colours. The title of this post is the oath sworn by the diggers at Bakery Hill to the Eureka Flag when it was first flown on the 28th of November 1854. The Eureka Stockade stands for many things to many different people - independent free enterprise, labour against a ruling class, and republicanism, but it is undeniable that it stands for Democracy. In fact, the first resolution passed by the Ballarat Reform League (creators of the flag) was "that it is the inalienable right of every citizen to have a voice in making the laws he is called on to obey, that taxation without representation is tyranny".

God I love that flag. I gladly salute it.