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Tokelau’s flag is raised for the first time at Government House
Tokelau received its first official flag from the Governor-General, Hon Sir Anand Satyanand, at Government House on 7 September.
The flag was presented to the current Ulu-o-Tokelau Foua Toloa. It will be officially launched in Tokelau and among Tokelauan communities elsewhere from late October.
As a territory of New Zealand, and therefore part of the Commonwealth, the Queen’s approval is required before a flag or coat of arms for Tokelau can be made official. Approval was granted in August.
Tokelau’s three Faipule, the elected leader of each of the territory’s three atolls, were in New Zealand last week as part of annual talks with the New Zealand Government, including the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The Faipule also met with members of the almost 7,000 strong Tokelauan community while in New Zealand.
The official blazon (technical description in heraldic terminology) of the flag is:
Azure a Tokelau Canoe Or in the hoist a constellation of the Southern Cross composed of four Mullets Argent.
[Azure = blue; Or = gold or yellow; Argent = silver, but normally shown as white]
In lay terms the description is:
On a blue flag a stylised Tokelauan canoe (in full sail) in yellow and in the hoist (position nearest the pole) four white Mullets (heraldic stars).
For more information contact Megan Birnie 439 8592
