^{This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website}

United Kingdom: Colonial Flags

Colonial flags: an overview
Colonial ensigns
Flags of governors general
Discs on colonial flags
List of colonial badge types
"British Arctic Territory" flag hoax

See also:

Colonial flags: an overview

The official flag of a colony was the Union Jack. The governor flew the Union Jack with the badge of the colony in a laurel wreath in the centre of the St George's cross. Vessels employed by the government of the colony flew a Blue Ensign bearing the badge in the centre of the fly. A few colonies, usually self-governing ones, had a Red Ensign for their merchant marine. That privilege was not extended to all colonies, most of which had to use the plain Red Ensign. A couple of dominions - Canada until 1964 and South Africa until 1926 - in effect used Red Ensigns as their national flags.

The colonial badges could be the whole arms (e.g. Hong Kong), shield of arms (e.g. the Falkland Islands), crest (e.g. British North Borneo), an adaptation of the arms (e.g. New South Wales), the colonial seal (e.g. Barbados), or none of the above (e.g. the Leeward Islands, which had a very poorly-designed badge involving ships and pineapples at wildly varying scales).
Roy Stilling, 6 February 1996

Foreign civilian ships visiting any British overseas territory should fly, as a courtesy flag, the territory's own Red Ensign if the territory has one and the ship happens to carry one. The undefaced British Red Ensign is always an acceptable alternative. If the ship is a Foreign government vessel they should fly the territory's Blue Ensign. Basically the British rule is that you may use either the appropriate Red, Blue or White ensign (depending upon your own status) or the land flag, except that you cannot use the Union Flag at all.
Graham Bartram, 1 April 1999

Colonial ensigns

Regulations of 1865 required all colonial governments to adopt a defaced Blue Ensign for their ships, but a defaced Red Ensign for colonial merchantmen required a warrant from the Admiralty.
Roy Stilling, April 1997

The red ensigns which were authorized by an Admiralty warrant were those of overseas territories. Flagmaster lists the following:

Territory Date of permission to use a defaced Red Ensign
North Borneo (modern Sabah) 5 January 1882

East Africa (Kenya) 6 March 1890

Canada 2 February 1892

New Zealand 7 February 1899

British South Africa Company 11 November 1902

Australia 4 June 1903

South Africa 28 December 1910

Cyprus 31 August 1922

Newfoundland</

Territory	Date of permission to use a defaced Red Ensign
North Borneo (modern Sabah)	5 January 1882
East Africa (Kenya)	6 March 1890
Canada	2 February 1892
New Zealand	7 February 1899
British South Africa Company	11 November 1902
Australia	4 June 1903
South Africa	28 December 1910
Cyprus	31 August 1922
Newfoundland</