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Transvaal (South Africa)

1857 : Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek
1877 : first British Colony
1880 : Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek restablished
1900 : second British Colony
Battle of Paardeberg
The Vierkleur
This flag in the old SA one
Use of Transvaal flag by Boer movements

Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek

by Antonio Martins

Republic in the Transvaal, formed between 1857 and 1864.

Horizontally red-white-blue with a vertical green stripe at the hoist (the "Vierkleur") 1857-1902, except for 1874-75 when the Voortrekker flag, but with the saltire fimbriated white, was restored [car61, p.83]
Roy Stilling - 1996-10-08

The ZAR's flag of 1874/75 was also called "Burgers flag", referring to President Burgers who implemented it.
Carsten Linke - 1996-10-11

First British Colony

The South African Republic was annexed by Britain in 1877, and became the Crown Colony of the Transvaal.

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

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).
For the Zuid-Afrikaanse Republiek (Transvaal) under British Administration (1877 - 1881), a Colonial badge was prepared but a flag was never taken into use.
Bruce Berry - 1996-10-07

Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek restablished

In december 1880 rebellious Boers again declared a South African Republic, which used the "Vierkleur" as well as :

by Antonio Martins

This is the war flag of the former South African Republic (Transvaal), used during the Boer War.
carsten linke - 1996-06-14

Second British Colony

by Mark Sensen

The Boer republic was conquered in 1900 and again renamed Crown Colony of Transvaal.

Transvaal Colony - Blue ensign with lion couchant badge (1902 -1910)
Bruce Berry - 1996-10-07

Battle of Paardeberg

(ed.note: I have not been able to find a reference to when this battle took place)

by Jaume Olle

Flag used by boers in the Battle of Paardeberg (British Boer War)
Jaume Olle - 22 September 1997

The Vierkleur

The "vierkleur" (4 colour) design was first used by the Boer Republic of Land Goshen (Republiek van Land Goshen) between 1881-84 where the vertical stripe was green and the horizontal stripes were black, white and red.
This was followed by the New Republic (Nieuwe Republiek) between 1884-88 whose flag had a blue vertical stripe and red, white and green horizontal stripes. The Suid-Afrikaanse Republiek (SAR/Transvaal) flew the now traditional "vierkleur" of a green vertical stripe and red, white and blue horizontal stripes between 1858-1902. The Combined Republican Flag of the Anglo Boer War has an orange stripe added under the entire "vierkleur" (the so called "vyfkleur" - 5 colours).
bruce berry - 1996-06-14

The green in the flag stands for hope and youthfulness.
mark sensen - 1995-10-03

Thank you very much for the reaction. But actually I want to know something about the meaning of the flags and its colours? E.g. why three orange stripes at the OFS flag etc.?
Carsten Linke - 1996-10-11

The use of red, white and blue, and indeed of the unadulterated Dutch tricolour Boer flags needs no explanation, surely?
On specifics, Carr says the green stripe in the Transvaal vierkleur is supposed to represent "Young Holland" [p.83] (whether there was an actual movement by this name in 19th century South African and/or the Netherlands, or whether it was simply a referrence to the nationalist ideal of groups like "Young Italy", I don't know)
Roy Stilling - 1996-10-11

I received from an Afrikaner a message in which he said that the green band on the flag should represent how fruitful Transvaal is. It was designed that way by a certain Dominee (Reverend) Dirk van der Hoff. The flag was hoisted for the first time at Potchefstroom.
Filip Van Laenen - 1996-10-15

Transvaal flag in the old SA one

This flag was one of the three inserted in the white strip in South Africa's old flag. It is sometimes used by pro-apartheid white movements.
giuseppe bottasini

Use of Transvaal flag by Boer movements

Transvaal flag (or Vierkleur) is used by the Afrikaner Volksfront (Afrikaner People's Movement, AVF) as their Vryheidsflag (Freedom's flag), with an orange stripe replacing the red one.
filip van laenen - 1995-10-03

The "vierkleur" design has also been adopted by the Boerestaatparty - another Afrikaner organisation seeking an indpendent "volkstaat" - with the vertical stripe in green and the horizontal stripes, black, white and blue.
bruce berry - 1996-06-14

The vierkleur in different coloured variations seems to be indeed a very popular symbol of Boer movements. There are not so many national flags of this type in the world, I think only the one of the United Arab Emirates.
carsten linke - 1996-06-14