Displaying the Aboriginal Flag with the Australian National Flag: No Legal Requirement

There is no law or formal protocol requiring the Australian Aboriginal Flag to be flown alongside the Australian National Flag.

Current Protocols

• Australian National Flag: Sole official national flag under the Flags Act 1953. Takes precedence in all official contexts. Protocols governed by Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C).
• Aboriginal Flag: Proclaimed a "Flag of Australia" under s5 of the Flags Act 1953 (1995). Recognized symbol of Aboriginal peoples. No mandatory display rules.
• Torres Strait Islander Flag: Similarly proclaimed 1995; same status.

Common Practice (Voluntary)

Many government buildings, schools, councils, and organizations choose to fly all three flags together (National, Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander) on separate poles of equal height — especially during:

• National Reconciliation Week (27 May – 3 Jun)
• NAIDOC Week (first week of July)
• Sorry Day (26 May)
• Major events (citizenship ceremonies, openings).

Copyright Note (Resolved 2022)

Until 2022, the Aboriginal Flag design was privately copyrighted (Harold Thomas), restricting reproduction. The Commonwealth purchased the copyright ($20M) — now freely usable by all Australians.

Bottom Line

Not required. The National Flag is mandatory on certain Commonwealth buildings/days. The Aboriginal Flag is a powerful voluntary gesture of recognition and respect — increasingly standard in civic life, but not compelled by statute.