Commonwealth Star

The Commonwealth Star (also known as the Federation Star, the Seven Point Star, or the Star of Federation) is a seven-pointed star symbolising the Federation of Australia which came into force on 1 January 1901.

Six points of the Star represent the six original states of the Commonwealth of Australia, while the seventh point represents the territories and any other future states of Australia. The original star had only six points; however, the proclamation in 1905 of the Territory of Papua led to the addition of the seventh point in 1909 to represent it and future territories.^[1]

The Commonwealth Star is one of the elements of the Australian flag and also features on the Australian coat of arms.

Usage

The Commonwealth Star is found on both the flag of Australia and the coat of arms of Australia. On the Australian flag the Star appears in the lower hoist quarter, beneath the Union flag. In the coat of arms, the Star forms the crest, atop a blue and gold wreath. The Star also appears on the badges of the Australian Defence Force and Australian Federal Police.

The Star is also used on numerous Australian medals, including the National Police Service Medal, the Defence Force Service Medal, the civilian Star of Courage, the Public Service Medal, the Ambulance Service Medal and the Australian Police Medal.

The coat of arms of Queen Mary Donaldson, spouse of King Frederik X of Denmark, includes two Commonwealth Stars, to symbolise the Queen's Australian heritage.^[2]