Governor-General Presents Ulu-o-Tokelau A New Flag

GOVERNMENT HOUSE
New Zealand

7 September 2009
Tokelau was presented with its first official flag by the Governor-General, Hon Sir Anand Satyanand, this afternoon (Monday) at Government House Vogel in Lower Hutt.

The flag was presented to the current Ulu-o-Tokelau Foua Toloa, and is expected to be officially launched in Tokelau in October.

The flag was approved by Tokelau’s General Fono in February this year and is based on the winning design in a competition to design a flag for Tokelau back in 2007.

As a territory of New Zealand, and therefore part of the Commonwealth, the Queen has to approve the official flag or coat of arms for Tokelau.

The flag has a blue background with a yellow canoe in full sail under the four mullets (heraldic stars) representing the constellation of the Southern Cross.

Tokelau’s three Faipule, the elected leader of each of the territory’s three atolls, are in New Zealand as part of annual talks with the New Zealand Government, including the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The Faipule will also meet with members of the almost 7000 strong Tokelauan community while in New Zealand.

ENDS

Background:

Tokelau is one of the world’s smallest non-self governing territories and the only non-self governing territory of New Zealand. Tokelauans are New Zealand citizens by birth and have free right of movement between the three atolls, situated around 500km north of Samoa, and New Zealand.

Description of flag: the design is a blue flag with a yellow canoe in full sail in the centre. To the left of the canoe are four mullets (heraldic stars) representing the constellation of the Southern Cross.

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