Does this flag say Wellington?
You can’t beat Wellington on a good day: the galleon cutting through the harbour, the dragon-like fish leaping high, the English flag fluttering in the breeze.
Chances are that’s not the Wellington most of us recognise, but it’s how the city’s British-designed flag sees us.
The flag has been around since the early 1960s – not that most Wellingtonians would know. It hangs behind the mayor’s seat in the Town Hall council chamber, and has occasionally fluttered from flagpoles in Civic Square, but its rather outdated symbols have seen it fall out of favour.
Now, Massey design graduate Thomas Le Bas is proposing a competition to design a new one.
‘‘The current flag has a very UK-centric design and misrepresents Wellington,’’ he said. ‘‘Perhaps something better could be designed that could provide a positive element to Wellington’s identity.’’
Wellington Mayor Justin Lester agreed the flag was a bit ridiculous and a relic of the past, but was cautious about a competition for a new one.
That would need to be driven by the community, and if there was an overwhelming will from Wellingtonians, then it would be something the council would support, he said.
Wellington City Council spokesman Richard MacLean said the council wondered whether Wellingtonians were even aware of the existing flag, and it was too early to say whether it would fund a competition. ‘‘New Zealand has had a recent unhappy history in regard to flag redesigns. We wonder if there’s an appetite for ratepayers’ money to be spent on an exercise that’s likely to generate images of various local luminaries with green laser beams shooting from their eyes.’’
Rongotai MP and former deputy mayor Paul Eagle questioned whether the city even needed a flag. The reality was the Absolutely Positively Wellington brand was powerful, and the envy of many councils, he said.
‘‘What would a flag even be used for? I’d rather the time and money was spent on other things.’’
If there was a new flag, it would have to have Ma¯ori and cultural significance, he said.
Wellington broadcaster Keith Quinn thought he could vaguely remember seeing the flag before, but was also a critic. ‘‘It’s got a bit too much English in it. That is three too many [St George’s crosses].’’
Le Bas was a Massey student during the NZ Flag Consideration Project and was behind the 2015 Flagpost website, which was a public discussion forum and part of his design masters project.