Flag (small) - Australian Red Ensign

Australian Red Ensign flag (also known as the "Merchant Flag").

The donor states:
"The usual flag (a 'defaced' blue ensign) was officially recognised in 1954 by Flags Act 1953 as the Australian National Flag. This Act also recognised the red ensign as the merchant navy flag, and at least up to WW2 this red flag was commonly used as the national flag."

Flag Design:
The Australian Red Ensign is a red version of the National flag, featuring three main elements on a red background:
the Union Jack in the canton (upper left corner), the white seven-pointed Commonwealth Star beneath it, and the Southern Cross constellation on the fly (right-hand side) in white.
The Southern Cross consists of five stars: four seven-pointed stars and one five-pointed star, mirroring the design of the National flag but set against a red field instead of blue. The red color follows the British Red Ensign tradition, historically denoting merchant shipping.