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Orange Free State (South Africa)

Oranje Vrijstaat (Suid Afrika)

by Herman de Wael, 24 Feb 1998

See also:

Orange Free State (1854- 1904)

The flag of the Orange Free State (OFS) was designed in 1856 by King William III of the Netherlands, on request of the OFS Volksraad (parliament). It is said to represent the bonds between the OFS and the Netherlands, and it's royal house (of Orange). Carr goes on to say that some claim the three orange stripes were a reference to William the Third of Orange being the designer. [p.82]
I think that the fact that the country was named after the Orange River (itself named after the Dutch royal house) must have had a bearing and that the canton and stripes design is likely a reference to the Stars and Stripes, which inspired other "new" nations' flags in this period (e.g. Greece, El Salvador)
Roy Stilling, 11 Oct 1996

This flag was registered with the South African Bureau of Heraldry as the flag of the Republic of Orange Free State for the Office of the Prime Minister, together with the flag of the South African Republic, on 30 April 1983 (application 8 January 1982, amendment 5 March 1982). Certificates were issued for both in Afrikaans on 14 October 1983.
The text in English for the flag Republic of Orange Free State reads as follows:
A rectangular flag proportions three by two, consisting of seven horizontal stripes of equal width alternately white and orange and a canton of three stripes, red, white and blue in the proportions four by three.
Source: "Some South African flags, 1940-1990" compiled by F.G. Brownell, the State Herald, June 1991. (SAVA Journal 1/92).
Mark Sensen, 8 Mar 1999

Orange River Colony (1904-1910)

by Mark Sensen

Were any British Ensigns in use in South Africa pre-1910? What were the flags of the Cape Colony and Natal? Did the Boer states retain their "native" flags under British control?
Josh Fruhlinger, 1 Oct 1996

Yes - SAVA published a Journal entitled "The Union Jack over Southern and Central Africa, 1795 - 1994" in 1994 [brl94] which covers all these flags (and those used in what is now Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Botswana, Malawi etc).
Orange River Colony flew a Blue Ensign with badge in the fly between 1904 - 1910.
Bruce Berry, 7 Oct 1996

Notes from the Public Records Office (Kew):
Regarding draft of Seal of the Orange River Colony (on which the flag badge was based) - A distinctive stripe does not appear on the flank of th