The Secret History Behind New Zealand's Flag

New Zealand's flag points to the sky.

In the corner, the Union Jack marks the country's historic ties to Britain. But the rest of the flag looks somewhere else entirely: four red stars, outlined in white, tracing the Southern Cross — a constellation visible only from below the equator, and invisible from almost anywhere in the northern hemisphere. It's a flag that locates itself in the sky before it locates itself on any map.

It flew for the first time over the new Dominion of New Zealand starting September 26, 1907, the day the country's nationhood was formally recognized — the date printed on every New Zealand design in our catalog.

A flag that looks up to find its place in the world — and finds it in a constellation the rest of the world can't even see.

Shop the New Zealand collection → — or explore the story behind any other country's flag on our free Flag Story Cards page.