Last modified: 2002-10-26 by sam lockton
Keywords: new zealand | otago | saltire (yellow) | rugby | bicolour |
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Otago is the second largest province of the South Island, both in
population and area. Its capital is Dunedin, and its other major towns are
Oamaru and Queenstown (Queenstown is sometimes regarded as part of another
province, Southland, for some administrative
purposes). It is roungly
triangular in shape, with a long East coast stretching from the Waitaki
river to the southernmost point of the mainland (Slope Point), and running
inland along the Waitaki river in the north, and from Slope point up to the
shores of Lake Wakatipu.
James Dignan, 26 August 1997
I noticed recently that the Dunedin municipal
chambers has taken to flying the quartered Otago
flag (ratio 1:2, blue in 1st and 4th quarters,
yellow in 2nd and 3rd) alongside the
national flag and
Dunedin city flag.
Although this doesn’t mean it has official status,
it does give some indication of its popularity as
a flag!
James Dignan, 4 October 1999
Since last October, when Otago won the national
provincial rugby championship, a lot of local businesses
have taken to flying flags in the Otago colours. Most
of them use a flag patterned the
Ukrainian flag (but with
a blue and gold similar to those on the
Rumanian flag), but the local
newspaper offices have consistently flown a huge flag
that is quartered in the same two colours, with the
blue at honour point.
James Dignan, 21 March 1999
The quartered flag is most often seen 1:2.
James Dignan, 9 May 1999
There are no standardised designs for provincial flags, but I
have heard of one suggestion for an Otago flag — a gold
saltire on blue. This design is already used as part of the arms of
several Otago places and corporations and in the arms of Otago
University, and represents the fact that the province was founded by
settlers from Scotland, and gained its first wealth from the goldrush
of 1861.
James Dignan, 12 September 1996
In Otago, a flag very similar
to the Ukraininan one,
but with the gold above
the blue, is most common in the national rugby
union competition (The National
Provincial Championship), waved by fans at the
grounds.
James Dignan, 12 September 1996
Otago’s sports flag is a fairly standard
horizontal gold over blue, usually in a format
that is closer to square than the normal 1:2 or
2:3 (this image made in 3:4).
James Dignan, 26 August 1999
I have seen the blue over gold (or gold over
blue) Otago flags in anything from about 3:4
through to 1:2, although the longer ones seem
to be the most common.
James Dignan, 5 April 1999
I have seen the Otago one in 1:2, but it’s more commonly seen shorter than
that.
James Dignan, 9 May 1999
by James Dignan, 27 October 2000
Otago University has recently adopted a flag based on the colours of the province
and the university's shield.
James Dignan, 27 October 2000
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