Last modified: 2002-11-09 by jarig bakker
Keywords: namibia | herero | baster | upingtonia | damara | rehoboth |
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In 1864 a flag was designed by a British artist, Thomas Baines. It was
a red cross on a blue field with a large 4 pointed white star appearing
behind it. Although there is no evidence that the flag was officially adopted,
it would have looked much like the British Union Flag in practise.
from an article 'Other Flags of Namibia', by W. Smith in The
Flag Bulletin No 145 of January April 1992
Stuart Notholt, 4 Sept 1996
From A.P. Burgers: Sovereign flags of South
Africa (1997):
"The Damara did indeed have a flag for a while. In 1864 Charles John
Andersson, an Anglo-Swedish explorer, was elected Chief of the Damara.
The flag they adopted at this time was probably, in part, inspired by the
British Union Jack. This flag was designed for the Damara by Thomas Baines,
the well-known Africana artist, explorer and traveller of the XIX th century,
who was then painting in Damaraland. The flag was physically in use on
6 June 1864, when the Damara forces set out under Andersson's command to
do battle with their southern neighbours, the Nama. It is also known that
it was flown by them during the battle which took place between the two
forces south of Windhoek on 22 June 1864. Andersson was seriously wounded,
bringing his chieftainship to an end. There is no evidence that the flag
was ever used after that date."
Ivan Sache, 20 November 1998
As for the "Herero" flag: this was a flag designed by Thomas Baines
for Charles John Andersson in 1864 to use during the short war against
Namaqua (another tribe of Bantu origin living in Namibia south of Damara
land). Damara and Namaqua were in continuos friction each others. When
relations between Damara and Namaqa brought to a war in 1864, the Damara
people found that the Herero (the main tribe in the Damara territory) chief
Maharero was not enough popular to lead Damara. So they offered chieftainship
to Charles John Anderson, one of the traders living in Otjimingue, where
a Rhenish mi ssion station nad been founded in 1849.
Andersson wrote in his diary (11 May 1864); "Baines suggested a National
Flag. Thought of the same thing, only did not broach the subject as it
seems almost premature... Sketch 3 or 4 different coloured flags. We must
have an eye more to effect than prettiness, as a flag, as a rule, is rarely
exposed full to view, the wind generally causing it more or less to fold,
and consequently details are lost. We tried yellow but neither creates
effect nor is it clearly visible at any distance. A red cross on a blue
field, with a large star appearing just behind the cross, looks well and
effective.
My wife must make a silken standard, if I become the chief of this
country. In the meantime we ought to have something for use."
Damara won the war but with great damages and Andersson too was seriously
wounded. The "disastrous victory" ended Andersson's rule as chief of the
Damara confederation and no evidence shows his flag having been used after
22 June 1864.
It seems appropriate that the flag, incorrectly attributed to the Hereros
in an article on Baines in the SWA Yearbook of 1972, be attributed to the
Damara confederation.
Source: F.G. Brownell, "The Damara Flag of 1864" in The
Flag Bulletin XXXIV:5/166
Mario Fabretto, 19 November 1998
The Basters ('Bastards') are a distinctive people who speak Afrikaans
and are descended from the liaisons between Dutch speaking whites in the
Cape Colony and African women. In 1868 they trekked to their current homeland
south of Windhoek. In 1872 a national flag of German influence was adopted:
it was black over white over red. Another, more distinctive variant comprised
concentric squares of, from the inside, white, red, black. This flag continued
in semi-official use until Namibian independence in 1990 - quite possibly
it is still used. Until 29 July 1989 the Basters had their own autonomous
government and some limited pressure for autonomy still continues.
from an article 'Other Flags of Namibia', by W. Smith in The
Flag Bulletin No 145 of January April 1992
Stuart Notholt, 4 Sept 1996
Upingtonia/Lijdensrust - 1886 - Jun 1887?
20 Oct 1885 - "Republic Upingtonia" settler polity founded.
1886 - Name changed to Lijdensrust; accepts German protection.
Jun 1887 - Republic dissolved.
President: 20 Oct 1885 - Jun 1887 George Diederik P. Prinsloo
Source: this
site.
Jarig Bakker, 23 Aug 2001
From a series of Cigarette Silks Iron-on Transfers, the subject of which
is: Nation Animals & Flags, the fancyful flag of German West Africa,
accompanied by a zebra.
(source this
site)
Olivier Touzeau, 28 Oct 2002
The deviser of the cards made a double boo-boo with "German West Africa"
since there was no such colony - West Africa included the German colonies
of Togo and Kamerun - but the country intended was no doubt German South
West Africa (Deutsch-Südwestafrika, now Namibia), since various kinds
of zebra are indigenous there. The colours of the flag are certainly German
imperial, but it's not authentic.
Mike Oettle, 15 Oct 2002
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