Bondi waves its own flag

By James Wilkinson

Wentworth Courier
Wednesday, August 5, 1998, p.16.

The closest Bondi beach has come to having a flag is the yellow and red, placed as a marker of where to show you the safest places for swimming.
Now, Australia’s most famous beach really does have its own flag.
Waverley Council has approved a proposal for a flag from George Poulos, who said it was a humbling experience knowing a dream had finally come true. His idea started a year and a half ago - now it is reality and flags have started production.
Already there have been several purchases of the flag, which will be seen this Sunday when tens of thousands of people converge on Bondi for the annual City to Surf.
"I have always felt that we have never had a visual sense of identity for the beach. The beach culture has contributed to that sense of identity more than most people realise," Mr Poulos said.
When he designed the flag, Mr Poulos was hoping to accomplish several things.First to supply the correct canton, and in this case, it is the sun in the corner of the flag.
Mr Poulos said he wanted to represent the sun from original surf lifesaving banners, the Waverley crest, and the rising sun emblem of the military forces.
"We earned our freedom as a nation on another beach — at a place called Gallipoli in 1915. That was in my mind when I was designing the flag".
“It really is a flag for all of the beaches. This flag can also represent 80 per cent of us who lie on the yellow periphery represented by my flag.”
Anyone interested in buying a flag can email here