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New Zealand Naval Flags

Royal New Zealand Navy
Command Flags
Queen's Colour
New Zealand Naval Board
Fishery Inspection Ensign

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Royal New Zealand Navy

Royal New Zealand Navy

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image by Sam Lockton, 31 August 2002

The New Zealand naval ensign was adopted in 1968, replacing the British naval ensign previously used.
Sam Lockton, 15 October 2002

At http://www.rnzncomms.net.nz/HTMLfolder/ensignday.html is a page about the first hoisting of the NZ White Ensign, somewhat tongue-in-cheek. The date was 20 June 1968 and the location, Navy Office HMNZS Wakefield, Wellington.
Jan Mertens, 20 May 2005

According to the 'New Zealand White Ensign Regulations 1968':

"The ensign shall comply with the description of the New Zealand Ensign, as set out in the notice by the Minister of Marine published in the Gazette on the 24th day of June 1902..., save that the lower canton of the hoist and the fly thereof shall be white and the Southern Cross on the fly shall be represented by red stars as in the New Zealand ensign increased by the width of the white borders to the stars in that ensign."

While this description only applies to the white ensign, it is suspected that the same description of the stars also applies to the red ensign.
Ailsa Cain, 11 October 2002

Command flags

The command flags of the (New Zealand) navy are the same as those of the UK.
David Prothero, 11 March 1999, quoting [bcr78]

Queen's Colour of the RNZN

image by Herman FMY, using components from images by Sam Lockton and Martin Grieve, 20 February 2007

Browsing through the collection of photographs at the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) website, I came across the following photograph. It shows what I believe to be the Queen's Colour of the RNZN. The flag was not fully unfurled in the photograph, but certain deductions can be generally made with regards to its design.

The photograph in question can be seen at:
http://www.navy.mil.nz/images/Parades%20and%20Events/Fleet%20Divisions%202002/handing%20across%20the%20Queens%20colours.jpg

The canton is visibly the Union Flag while the fly should be the red Southern Cross stars as per the NZ Naval Ensign. The gold cords are also clearly visible in the photograph. There isn't the red St. George's cross on the Colour. On the left hand of the lady officer on closer inspection, one might notice something similar to the Royal Garter in its proper colours (red field, blue garter and yellow inscription), unlike the one on the Queen's Colours of the Royal Australian Navy should a comparison be made.

Other than this very general assumption on the design of the Queen's Colour, I do not know if there are any other Queen's Colours for the RNZN, or when or if it was presented/replaced. A website does however mention that 'On 24 December [1953] the Queen visited the Devonport Naval Base and presented the first Queen's Colour to the Royal New Zealand Navy.' [http://www.rnzncomms.net.nz/NZNBHistoryFolder/1953.html].
Herman FMY, 26 March 2005

New Zealand Naval Board

image by Martin Grieve, 28 August 2002

According to Christian Fogd Pedersen's Flaggor i färg, 1973 [ped73], the flag of the New Zealand Naval Board is red/blue (upper half/lower half) with a large yellow anchor (the top of it pointing left).
Marcus Wendel, 15 September 1999

Fishery inspection ensign

image by Ivan Sache, 4 January 2000

Ensign hoisted by the New Zealand vessels of fishery protection. Source: [pie90], recapitulative edition (1995).
Ivan Sache, 4 January 2000