Orange Free State (South Africa)

Oranje Vrijstaat (Suid Afrika)

Last modified: 2000-01-21 by ole andersen
Keywords: south africa | orange free state | orange river colony |
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by herman de wael - 1998-02-24

• Orange Free State (1854-1877 and 1880-1904)
• first British Colony (1877-1880)
• Orange River Colony (1904-1910)

See also:

• South Africa
• Orange Free State (Province) (1910-1994)

Orange Free State (1854 - 1877 and 1880 - 1904)

by herman de wael - 1998-02-24

The OFS flag was designed in 1856 by King William III of the Netherlands, on request of the OFS Volksraad. It is said to represent the bonds between the OFS and the Netherlands, and it's royal house (of Orange). Carr goes on to say that some claim the three orange stripes were a reference to William the Third of Orange being the designer. [p.82]
For what it's worth, my feelings are that the fact the country was named after the Orange River (itself named after the Dutch royal house) must have had a bearing and that the canton and stripes design is likely a reference to the Stars and Stripes, which inspired other "new" nations' flags in this period (e.g. Greece, El Salvador)
Roy Stilling - 1996-10-11

First British Colony (1877-1880)

I don't know the flags Transvaal and the Orange River Colony used during their first period as British colony (1877-1880).
Mark Sensen - 1996-10-02

Orange River Colony (1904-1910)

by Mark Sensen

Were any British Ensigns in use in South Africa pre-1910? What were the flags of the Cape Colony and Natal? Did the Boer states retain their "native" flags under British control?
Josh Fruhlinger - 1996-10-01

Yes - SAVA published a Journal entitled "The Union Jack over Southern and Central Africa, 1795 - 1994" in1994 which covers all these flags (and those used in what is now Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Botswana, Malawi etc).
Orange River Colony - Blue Ensign with badge (1904 - 1910)
Bruce Berry - 1996-10-07