The Bundanoon District Tartan The Bundanoon District Tartan was officially granted in 2000. The tartan has colours which represent: green - from the meaning of 'Bundanoon', which is deep green gullies; yellow - for the wattle which grows in the gullies; white - for the mists of the Southern Highlands; red - for the waratah, emblem of the Wingecarribee Shire; and blue - for the Australian sky. The Australian National Tartan In 2007 the Chieftain of the Day will officially launch the new Australian National Tartan at Brigadoon. AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL TARTAN It is with great pleasure that the President and members of the Bundanoon Highland Gathering committee announce that the new National Australian Tartan will be launched by the Chieftain of the Day, The British High Commissioner the Rt. Hon. Helen Liddell. This new tartan was the brainchild of Mrs. Betty Johnston of Canberra who saw the need for Australia to have it's own official, accredited and recognised National Tartan. Mrs. Johnston consulted with and had the total cooperation of Mr. Kerry Morcombe from the Protocol department of the Federal Government in Canberra Mr Morcombe stated that "European settlers to Australia looked for symbols to represent the spirit and attitudes of their new land and its colonial settlements. They desired new symbols as a way to bury their dark convict past and replace it with the promise of a bright future". Mrs Johnston can be contacted on (02) 6226 8123. Mrs. Johnston has compiled some facts and brief history about the Australian National Tartan and hopefully it will be of interest to you. Mission Concept: To Design and produce an Australian Nation Tartan. Mrs. Johnston chose the colour spectrum to best symbolize Australia As the tartan is still seen as one of the most enduring symbols of kinship, which gave every clan a sense of belonging, so the concept of the Australian National Tartan was initiated. What better way than to embrace a symbol that has existed for hundreds of years- "The Tartan". The colours chosen and reasons for them were done with considerable thought to the finished product. Colours that depict our country mixed with history and ones that would be accepted by the Protocol Department of the Federal Government as in the final analysis the Government would have the say in accepting this as the official Australian National Tartan. Colours: Red, White, Blue, Green, Gold, and Black. - Red, White and Blue- these colours stem from our National flag and from the time that Captain James Cook first raised the flag (Union Jack) on Australian soil. - The six white stripes represent the Southern Cross constellation, which is unique to this hemisphere. This also includes our Federation or Commonwealth Star. - Red and White stripes represent the Red Cross of St George (England) on a white background. - White Diagonal cross represents St Andrews (Scotland) on a dark blue background. - Red Diagonal cross represents St Patrick (Ireland). - Green and gold were formally proclaimed by the Australian Government as National colours in 1984 after many requests were made to have traditional sporting colours. - The Black stripes in the tartan represent Australian's early beginnings as a convict settlement- a dark area of our history. These are the reasons for the colours chosen, the proportion of colours the sett in the pattern that has been designed are:- - The blue and green colours have the greater proportion within the sett. This concept was taken from nature. - As Australians look out we see mostly blue skies and green trees, so it is these two colours chosen for the background of the tartan. Registered 2742 Scottish Tartans World Register Ref: The Complete Book of Tartans by lain Zaczek and Charles Phillips-ISBN 1-84477-347-7 SITE MAP HOME PAGE | A Day in Brigadoon | Directions | Program | Chieftain | Ceilidh | Highlights | The Tartan | Scottish Anthem | Sponsors | FAQs | Contact us | Links