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The Niue Flag Act 1975 provided for the islands flag as
follows :
"The Niue National Flag shall be a
golden yellow Flag, bearing in the upper canton of the hoist thereof the
Union Flag, commonly known as the Union Jack, displaying two five-pointed
yellow stars on the vertical line and on the horizontal line thereof
separated by a blue disc containing a larger yellow star."
And it shall mean:
"Golden yellow" represents the
bright sunshine of Niue and the warm feelings of the Niuean people towards
New Zealand and her people.
"The Union Flag, commonly known as the Union Jack" represents
that Niue was a British Protectorate, proclaimed on 19 October 1900 after
petitioning by the Kings and Chiefs of Niue to Great Britain for the Union
Flag to be flown in Niue as the symbol of protection.
"The four small stars" represent the Southern Cross and New Zealand
under whose administration Niue was placed by
Great Britain in 1901 and as well the continuing close relationship between
Niue and New Zealand.
"The larger star within the blue disc" represents the
self-governing status of Niue, standing alone within the deep blue sea.
This is a very
unusual flag. The Union Flag in the hoist is defaced by the superimposition
of symbols representing the Cook Islands. It is not normally regarded as
correct to deface a national flag by superimposing writing or symbols, since
this implies inferiority.
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