Editing Union Jack (section)

===Australia===
[[File:SLNSW 6429 First Australianborn Governor General Sir Isaac Isaccs takes the salute from the steps of the then new Parliament House his AidedeCamp Captain Bracegirdle on left the press photographer is Alec Bell.jpg|thumb|The [[Flag of Australia|Australian ensign]] and Union Jack hung vertically from Australia's [[Old Parliament House, Canberra|Parliament House]], 1931]]
The Union Flag was used formally as the Australian national flag until 1953, having official precedence over the [[Flag of Australia|Australian Blue Ensign]], though the latter was used by government and informally.{{sfn|Kwan|2006|p=10}} Schools were encouraged to fly the Union Jack to encourage patriotism for the British Empire, with South Australia requiring students from 1911 to 1956 to fly the Union Jack for the "national salute".{{sfn|Kwan|2006|p=8}}

Over time, the blue ensign came to be used and embraced as the national flag, officially being designated as the ''Australian National Flag'' in 1953 with the passage of the ''[[Flags Act 1953|Flags Act]].{{sfn|Kwan|2006|p=8}}'' Due to the sensitivity of those who still considered the Union Jack the national flag, the act specified that it did "not affect the right or privilege of a person to fly the Union Jack".{{sfn|Kwan|2006|p=106}} Additionally, Australian prime minister [[Robert Menzies]] told Australians that the Union Flag would be flown together with the Australian national flag "on notable occasions".{{sfn|Kwan|2006|p=8}} The Union Jack continued to see informal use as a flag of Australia for a period thereafter, although by the 1980s, the majority of Australians viewed the Australian blue ensign as the national flag as opposed to the Union Jack.{{sfn|Kwan|2006|p=6}}