13 Jul 1948
The Air Board decided to adopt a distinctive new national Ensign for the Air Force, replacing the RAF device which most British dominion air forces had been using since the 1920s. The Chief of the Air Staff (George Jones) decided that the Air Force should adopt a new design which ‘exemplified the Australian national character’. A flag featuring the Union Jack in the top left-hand corner, with a seven-pointed Federation Star representing the Commonwealth in the bottom left-hand corner, the Southern Cross constellation in the centre and the Air Force roundel in the bottom right-hand corner—all set against a light blue background. It was formally approved by King George VI in January 1949 and remained in use until a further redesign in 1981