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The flag of the
The flag of the Natalia Republic
The Natalia Republic was a short-lived Boer republic founded in 1839 after a Voortrekker victory against the Zulus at the Battle of Blood River. The area was previously named ''Natália'' by Portuguese sailors, due to its discovery on Christm ...
was the official flag of this short-lived South African state, which existed from 1839 to 1843.
History
Emigrant Boers ('voortrekkers') from theCape Colony
The Cape Colony (), also known as the Cape of Good Hope, was a British Empire, British colony in present-day South Africa named after the Cape of Good Hope. It existed from 1795 to 1802, and again from 1806 to 1910, when it united with three ...
established an independent state in 1839, on territory conquered from the Zulus. They named it 'Natalia'. It is uncertain what flag – if any – they flew at first, but on 24 December 1839 they raised a new flag at Port Natal (now Durban
Durban ( ; , from meaning "bay, lagoon") is the third-most populous city in South Africa, after Johannesburg and Cape Town, and the largest city in the Provinces of South Africa, province of KwaZulu-Natal.
Situated on the east coast of South ...
. The same flag was raised in the capital, Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg (; ) is the capital and second-largest city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa after Durban. It was named in 1838 and is currently governed by the Msunduzi Local Municipality. The town was named in Zulu after King ...
, in January 1840.
British forces invaded the republic in May 1842 and occupied Pietermaritzburg two months later. The flag was probably discontinued at that time or shortly afterwards. After three years of military occupation, the United Kingdom formally annexed Natalia, as 'Natal
NATAL or Natal may refer to:
Places
* Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, a city in Brazil
* Natal, South Africa (disambiguation), a region in South Africa
** Natalia Republic, a former country (1839–1843)
** Colony of Natal, a former British colony ( ...
', in May 1844.
Andries Pretorius
Andries Wilhelmus Jacobus Pretorius (27 November 179823 July 1853) was a leader of the Boers who was instrumental in the creation of the South African Republic, as well as the earlier but short-lived Natalia Republic, in present-day South Africa ...
, former Prime Minister of the Natalia Republic, and his followers, arrived in Potchefstroom
Potchefstroom ( ; ), colloquially known as Potch, is an college town, academic city in the North West (South African province), North West Province of South Africa. It hosts the Potchefstroom Campus of the North-West University. Potchefstro ...
after the annexation of Natal to the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
and brought with him the flag which saw continued use in Potchefstroom until it was relinquished in 1858.
Description
The flag and its design passed into obscurity. They returned to public notice only after the South African Archives acquired the papers of Professor Ulrich Lauts in 1925. Back in 1847, Lauts had published a book (in the Netherlands) in which he described the flag as being in the colours of the Dutch flag (i.e. red, white and blue) and in the same order. "The white, however, stretches from a point in the middle of the hoist to the full width of the cloth at the end of the flag".Lauts, U.G. (1847). ''Die Kaapsche Landverhuizers''.Brownell, F.G. (1987). 'Heraldry in Natal' in ''Natalia'' (December 1987). An article in a popular magazine in 1928 brought this description of the flag to the public's attention.Blommaert. W. (1928) 'Die vlag van die eerste Voortrekkers' in ''Die Huisgenoot'' (25 May 1928). Illustrations based on it have been published in many articles and books since then. The Voortrekkers youth organisation, founded in 1931, adopted the Natalia flag as its own.Dalebout, J.A. (1934). ''Eerste Handboekie vir die Voortrekkers''. TheVoortrekker Monument
The Voortrekker Monument is located just south of Pretoria in South Africa. The granite structure is located on a hilltop, and was raised to commemorate the Voortrekkers who left the Cape Colony between 1835 and 1854. It was designed by the ar ...
used the Natalia flag in its Cenotaph Hall.
The flag is generally made and depicted as rectangular, in the proportions 2:3. However, a contemporary painting of the flag, on a document dated 1842, which was found in the Algemene Rijksarchief in the Netherlands in 1953, shows a square flag.De Kock, W.J. (1966). 'Die wortels van ons republiek' in ''Huisgenoot'' (27 May 1966).Schoeman, J.M. (1967). 'Die vlag van die Republiek Natalia' in ''Archives News'' (February 1967).
References
Sources
* Brownell, F.G. (1993). ''National and Provincial Symbols''. * Burgers, A.P. (1997). ''Sovereign Flags over Southern Africa''. * Burgers, A.P. (2008). ''The South African Flag Book''. * Pama, C. (1965). ''Lions and Virgins''.See also
*Coat of arms of Natal
The coat of arms of Natal was the official heraldic symbol of Natal as a British colony from 1907 to 1910, and as a province of South Africa from 1910 to 1994. It is now obsolete.
History
As a British colony, Natal's first official symbol was a P ...
* List of South African flags
This article lists the flags of the various colonies and states that have existed in South Africa since 1652, as well as other flags pertaining to South Africa, including governmental, military, police and provincial flags.
Overview
The followi ...
* Flag of the Cape Colony
The flag of Cape Colony was the official flag of the Cape Colony from 1876 to 1910. It formed part of a system of colonial flags that was used throughout the British Empire.
History
In a series of decisions made in 1864, 1865, and 1869, the UK's ...
* Flag of Goshen
The flag of Goshen was the official flag of the short-lived South African territory of State of Goshen, Goshen from 1883 to 1885. It is currently used in the Cenotaph Hall of the Voortrekker Monument.
History
The state of Goshen arose from a war ...
* Flag of Natal
The flag of Natal was the official flag of the South African colony of Natal from 1870 to 1910. It formed part of a system of colonial flags that were used throughout the British Empire.
History
In a series of decisions made in 1864, 1865, and ...
* Flag of the Nieuwe Republiek
The flag of the Nieuwe Republiek was the official flag of this short-lived South African state from 1884 to 1888.
History
The Nieuwe Republiek ('New Republic') was established in north-western Zululand by a few hundred Boer farmers in August 18 ...
* Flag of the Orange River Colony
A flag is a piece of fabric (most often rectangular) with distinctive colours and design. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term ''flag'' is also used to refer to the graphic design employed, and flags have e ...
* Flag of South Africa
The national flag of South Africa was designed in March 1994 and adopted on 27 April 1994, during South Africa's South African general election, 1994, 1994 general election, to replace the Flag of South Africa (1928–1994), previous flag used ...
* Flag of the South African Republic
The South African Republic, which existed from 1852 to 1877, 1881 to 1902, and 1914 to 1915, used two flags: (1) the so-called 'Vierkleur' () from 1857 to 1874, and again from 1875 to 1877 and 1881 to 1902, and (2) the so-called 'Burgers Flag ...
* Flag of Stellaland
The flag of Stellaland was the official flag of the short-lived southern African Republic of Stellaland, which existed from 1883 to 1885.
History
Stellaland arose from a war in Bechuanaland in 1881–82. It was established by a group of merc ...
* Flag of Transvaal
The Flag of Transvaal was the official flag of the Transvaal Colony, Transvaal colony in South Africa from ''circa'' 1903 to 1910. It formed part of a system of colonial flags that was used throughout the British Empire. It was superseded by the ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Natalia Republic, Flag of the
1839 introductions
Flags of South Africa
South African heraldry
Natalia Republic
The Natalia Republic was a short-lived Boer republic founded in 1839 after a Voortrekker victory against the Zulus at the Battle of Blood River. The area was previously named ''Natália'' by Portuguese sailors, due to its discovery on Christm ...