Silver Fern
(Black & White)
Designed by Alofi Kanter
Official Description
The dominant feature of this flag is a black
and white fern frond. The fern frond sweeps
diagonally up from the bottom left corner to the
top right corner of the flag. The leaves and the
stem on the top side of the fern are black on a
white background. The leaves and the stem on
the bottom side are white on a black background.
Designer’s Description
The fern has been a distinctive symbol of
New Zealand for the past 100 years. Strong and
simple, it represents our uniqueness as Aotearoa
New Zealand and the black and white colours
show our ‘yin and yang’, with the softly curved
spine of the frond binding us all together as a
young, independent and proud nation. Credit for
the fern goes to The New Zealand Way Limited.

Authorised by the Flag Consideration Panel

 Silver Fern (Red,
White and Blue)
Designed by: Kyle Lockwood
Official Description
The dominant feature of this flag is a white fern
frond that sweeps up diagonally from the bottom
left corner to the right of the top centre. The left
side of the fern is sitting on a red background.
To the right of the fern there are four stars in the
formation of the Southern Cross constellation,
sitting on a blue background. Each star is red
with a white border, and has five points.
Designer’s Description
The silver fern: A New Zealand icon for over
160 years, worn proudly by many generations.
The fern is an element of indigenous flora
representing the growth of our nation.
The multiple points of the fern leaf represent
Aotearoa’s peaceful multicultural society, a single
fern spreading upwards represents that we are
all one people growing onward into the future.
The red represents our heritage and sacrifices
made. Blue represents our clear atmosphere and
the Pacific Ocean, over which all New Zealanders,
or their ancestors, crossed to get here.
The Southern Cross represents our geographic
location in the antipodes. It has been used
as a navigational aid for centuries and it
helped guide early settlers to our islands.

Authorised by the Flag Consideration Panel

 Koru
Designed by Andrew Fyfe
Official Description
The right half of this flag is black. At the halfway
point of the flag the black forms a koru on a
white background. The black koru spirals down
and to the left from the top of the flag.
Designer’s Description
As our flag unfurls, so too does its koru.
The koru represents the fern frond, but is
also reminiscent of a wave, a cloud, and a
ram’s horn. In Māori kowhaiwhai patterns
the koru represent new life, growth, strength
and peace, and for this reason has taken a
special place in Aotearoa’s visual language.

Authorised by the Flag Consideration Panel

 Silver Fern (Black,
White and Blue)
Designed by: Kyle Lockwood
Official Description
The dominant feature of this flag is a white fern
frond that sweeps up diagonally from the bottom
left corner to the right of the top centre. The left
side of the fern is sitting on a black background.
To the right of the fern there are four stars in the
formation of the Southern Cross constellation,
sitting on a blue background. Each star is red
with a white border, and has five points.
Designer’s Description
The silver fern: A New Zealand icon for over
160 years, worn proudly by many generations.
The fern is an element of indigenous flora
representing the growth of our nation.
The multiple points of the fern leaf represent
Aotearoa’s peaceful multicultural society,
a single fern spreading upwards represents
that we are all one people growing onward into
the future. The bright blue represents our clear
atmosphere and the Pacific Ocean, over which
all New Zealanders, or their ancestors, crossed
to get here. The Southern Cross represents our
geographic location in the antipodes. It has
been used as a navigational aid for centuries
and it helped guide early settlers to our islands.

Authorised by the Flag Consideration Panel