Victoria, 1877

In early 1877 Victoria's flag was a British Blue Ensign with on the fly a colonial badge, the Southern Cross on a blue shield, placed on a white disc. On 30 November 1877 the white disk was dropped, making the blue shield disappear in the blue background, resulting in a smaller version of the original Southern Cross flag of 1870, now with 5,6,7,7 and 8 points and surmounted by an Imperial Crown. Over time one point of each star pointed towards the top of the flag rather than the bottom; and the crown changed with heraldic fashion and the wishes of the monarch of the time. The present flag dates from 1953 when Queen Elizabeth II adopted the St. Edward's Crown upon her Coronation in 1952.