Flying the flag for Ex-POWs

FRESH flags are flying at the Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial by Lake Wendouree.

Late last month, Member for Ballarat Catherine King met with memorial trustee Bill Bahr to hand over a brand new set of the flags that fly on the Carlton Street site; the Australian Red Ensign, Royal Australian Airforce Ensign, Royal Australia Navy Ensign, and Australian flag.

These flags fly under strict protocols, are illuminated at night, and it had been requested that two ensigns be replaced.

The memorial’s original official government flag approval was given in 2004 by the Chief of the Air Force and Chief of the Navy, but the memorial recently needed a new approval in the form of a signed letter from the Minister for Defence and deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles.

“It’s great to have the flags to discuss with students when they come along and visit the memorial,” Mr Bahr said.

“None of them usually know about the Red Ensign, and that that was our flag until ’53. The flags get the kids asking questions, and it’s a bit of history for them.

“Having them all here is great… but they do deteriorate over time.

“We get great winds, and the fly end gets ripped on the edge. The two in the middle last about six months, the others about nine months.

“The Navy flag and the RAAF flag tend to wear the most.”

Since 2004, Ms King has bought the flags from a Melbourne supplier on behalf of the trustees.