British North Borneo 1881-1963 (Malaysia)

Last modified: 2002-11-23 by santiago dotor
Keywords: british north borneo | north borneo | state of north borneo | colony of north borneo | sabah | borneo | governor | blue ensign | red ensign | union flag | lion (red) | disc (yellow) |
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British North Borneo Chartered Company 1881-1937, State of North Borneo 1937-1946, Colony of North Borneo 1946-1963

1:2
by Juan Manuel Gabino
Flag adopted 5th January 1882, abolished 24th October 1949

• Presentation
• Introduction to North Borneo Flags
• State Flag and Ensign 1882-1948
• Civil Ensign 1882-1948
• Governor's Ensign and Naval Jack 1882-1948 (also Governor's Flag ca.1910-1948)
• Governor's Flag 1882-ca.1910
• Native Chiefs' Flag and Ensign 1882-1948
• Badge of the British North Borneo Company 1882-1948

See also:

• British Colony of Labuan 1912-1946
• Sabah (Malaysia)
• Malaysia

Other sites:

• Historical Coats-of-Arms and Flags at the Sabah Government Official Website

Roughly speaking, Sabah was previously known as (British) North Borneo (Company).

David Prothero, 6 March 1999

In 1878 Alfred Dent formed a British syndicate, and he persuaded the Sultan of Sulu to cede those parts of North Borneo which his ancestors had held for generations. Later a company was formed which took over the concession granted to the syndicate, and as the British North Borneo Company applied for and received a charter from Queen Victoria in 1881. The conditions laid down were that the company must remain British and that the religion and customs of the native inhabitants must be respected. Later on more concessions were added, granted by the Sultan of Brunei.

Because of possible complications with foreign powers, a British Protectorate was declared over the northern part of Borneo in 1888, which included Sarawak, Brunei and the state of North Borneo. The Crown took over external affairs, while the Chartered Company remained in control of internal administration of their territory, except that the Governor chosen by the directors of the company sitting in London to represent them in Borneo was to have the approval of the Colonial Secretary.

In 1938 the British North Borneo Company still continued to exercise its administrative powers. It did so under North Borneo's own flag, which consists of the Union Jack, with the Borneo badge —that is, a red lion on a yellow ground— in the centre. From: Cumberland Clark, The crown colonies and their history, London, 1939.

The British North Borneo Company continued its operations until the Japanese invasion in 1942. On 15 July 1946 the company's rights passed to the Crown. It then became the Colony of North Borneo and included the island of Labuan. Source: several.

Jarig Bakker, 2 January 2001

Eight different flags of British North Borneo were used, six based on the badge of the Chartered Company, "a Lion passant, guardant, Gules on a circular field Or" and two derived from the crest of the Arms of the Company granted in 1894, "two arms hold flag flowing to the sinister Or charged with lion guardant Gules".

Admiralty warrant of 5th January 1882 authorised defaced Union Flag, Blue Ensign and Red Ensign. The badge was to be 2' 8" (approx. 81cm) diameter on a 6' x 12' (approx. 183cm x 366cm) flag:

1. Union Flag defaced: principal representative when embarked.
2. Union Flag defaced: jack of armed vessels which are not traders.
3. Red Ensign defaced: for merchant and trading vessels.
4. Blue Ensign defaced: for armed vessels.

In the Admiralty Flag Book 1889 the lion faces the fly but is changed to face the hoist in a 1902 amendment. I think that this was probably to correct an error in the book and not a change in the design of the flag.

Governor's Yellow Flag. Company red lion badge on a yellow flag with a dark yellow border. I assume that it was the land equivalent of the defaced Union Flag that was only used afloat. "The flag for the Governor of Sabah not resembling in any way any flag in use in Her Majesty's Navy, My Lords have no objection to its being adopted as proposed." 5th January 1882.

23rd March 1923. In answer to an enquiry the Company Secretary wrote:

"Pale yellow flag is old flag of Governor of Sabah. Is no longer used. 'Governor of Sabah' was term originally used when territory first acquired from Sultans of Brunei and Sulu. Term long since fallen into disuse. Now designated "Governor and Commander in Chief, North Borneo."

"the pale yellow flag has not been in use for a great many years."

18th October 1937. Admiralty informed Colonial Office that a Dominion Office amendment to the Admiralty Flag Book [1930?] altered British North Borneo (Chartered) Company to State of North Borneo.

July 1946. "Following cession of State of North Borneo, HM King included it in his colonial empire."

30th January 1947. Suggestion that the Arms of the Colony should be based on the Arms of the Company and that the letter "T" should be included, being the flash of 9th Australian Division which had liberated the territory.

8th February 1949. Royal Warrant returned. 24th October 1949. Company liquidated.

New flag badge to be crest of Arms, on white ground on Blue Ensign, surrounded by garland on Union Flag. Now that North Borneo was a colony there was no need for a defaced Red Ensign.

2nd May 1952. "Under Chartered Company, Native Chiefs had a flag for use in boats as a sign of their official standing, namely, Company's red lion on yellow disc on blue flag. Practice has been continued but design changed due to altered status. Crown added above and touching top of disc. 14" x 32" (355mm x 812mm). Approved by Secretary of State".

Compiled from Public Record Office documents, ADM 1/21259, ADM 1/24010, ADM 116/213, ADM 116/300, ADM 116/898B, CO 874/204 and CO 874/778.

David Prothero, 4 January 2001

British ensigns are officially prescribed to be Post Office Red and Roundel Blue, whose nearest browser-safe equivalents are respectively RGB 204-0-0 and RGB 0-0-102, much darker than in Juan Manuel Gabino's images.

António Martins, 28 January 2001

1:2
by Juan Manuel Gabino
Flag adopted 5th January 1882, abolished 24th October 1949

1:2
by Juan Manuel Gabino
Flag adopted 5th January 1882, abolished 24th October 1949

Also Governor's Flag ca.1910-1948

1:2
by Juan Manuel Gabino
Flag adopted 5th January 1882, abolished 24th October 1949

According to Flaggenbuch 1939, the Governor's flag was also the national flag of the territory known as (British) North Borneo (Company). Flaggenbuch 1939 adds (Priv.) — does this mean that the territory was a private property of the British North Borneo Company?

Ivan Sache, 2 January 2001

~1:2
by Juan Manuel Gabino and Santiago Dotor
Flag adopted 5th January 1882, abandoned ca.1910

Governor's Yellow Flag. Company red lion badge on a yellow flag with a dark yellow border. I assume that it was the land equivalent of the defaced Union Flag that was only used afloat. "The flag for the Governor of Sabah not resembling in any way any flag in use in Her Majesty's Navy, My Lords have no objection to its being adopted as proposed." 5th January 1882.

23rd March 1923. In answer to an enquiry the Company Secretary wrote:

"Pale yellow flag is old flag of Governor of Sabah. Is no longer used. 'Governor of Sabah' was term originally used when territory first acquired from Sultans of Brunei and Sulu. Term long since fallen into disuse. Now designated "Governor and Commander in Chief, North Borneo."

"the pale yellow flag has not been in use for a great many years."

David Prothero, 4 January 2001

Using Juan Manuel Gabino's British North Borneo Company badge, I have made an image of the Governor's Yellow Flag, assuming proportions of 1:2 and a border as wide as 1/12th of the hoist, as shown in David Prothero's scan of Flags of Maritime Nations 1914. A beautiful flag in my humble opinion, and remarkably oriental rather than British in design.

Santiago Dotor, 17-18 July 2001

~1:2
by Juan Manuel Gabino and Santiago Dotor
Flag adopted 5th January 1882, abandoned ca.1910

Answering an enquiry on 16th August 1928 the [Company] Secretary (...) also referred to the Chief's Flag, a blue flag with the Company badge in the centre for Chiefs on the establishment, afloat and ashore. On 2nd May 1952:

"Under Chartered Company, Native Chiefs had a flag for use in boats as a sign of their official standing, namely, Company's red lion on yellow disc on blue flag. Practice has been continued but design changed due to altered status. Crown added above and touching top of disc. 14" x 32" (355mm x 812mm). Approved by Secretary of State."

David Prothero, 4 January 2001

Using Juan Manuel Gabino's British North Borneo Company badge, I have made an image of the Native Chiefs' flag, assuming a ratio of 1:2 and a disc of the same size as on the blue ensign (diameter 5/9ths hoist), centred on the flag.

Santiago Dotor, 17 July 2001

by Juan Manuel Gabino

Lion on a yellow disc until 1948 when the badge was changed to the crest from the coat-of-arms (granted 13 September 1948), which (according to Carr 1953) was displayed on a white disc, presumably until 1963.

David Prothero, 6 March 1999

In Kannik 1959 is a coloured image [of the 1948-1963 badge], and in Carr 1961 a description (including colours) and a black and white image.

Jarig Bakker, 2 January 2001