After forty designs were reduced to four for the first referendum, there is a little ruffle in paradise after a negative response to the choices and with pressure mounting for a popular fifth design – not featuring a fern – to be included, as well as a campaign to boycott the referendum altogether. There has been no response from the New Zealand Government as yet but we already see some signs of the continuing issues with referendums and popular votes to add more options and/or split the vote. For WfaAR’s part, we were surprised that all the designs chosen by the panel featured either black, white, blue or red and not one of the striking green/teal designs made the shortlist.
Woman for an Australian Republic, Adelaide Ironside, republican poet and artist 1831-1867
Self portrait 1855, Newcastle Art Gallery NSW
