All Royal Australian Navy (RAN) commissioned ships and shore establishments wear a suit of colours that comprises the Australian national flag, the Australian white ensign and a commissioning pennant.
On a warship, the national flag is flown from a ‘jackstaff’ (a short pole mast) on the bow of the ship. The white ensign is flown from an ensign staff on the quarterdeck or at the aft end of the flight deck. A commissioning pennant is flown from the masthead throughout a commission. A ship wearing this suit of colours is referred to as a ‘private’ ship.
The commissioning pennant is replaced with a personal flag or pennant when a senior naval officer is onboard in an official capacity. A warship wearing this suit of colours is referred to as a ‘flagship’.
The practice of hoisting and lowering the national flag and white ensign is conducted in ceremonies known as morning ‘Colours’ or evening ‘Sunset’. The ceremonies are conducted in commissioned shore establishments, in ships in harbour and by those moored to a buoy or at anchor. Ships at sea do not observe the custom. Instead, they continuously fly the white ensign from a gaff on the mainmast.
Colours
In Australia, the ceremony of ‘Colours’ takes place at 08:00 daily and involves the raising and lowering of the national flag and white ensign by designated duty personnel.
Five minutes before 08:00, a pennant known as the preparative, is hoisted on the foremast to indicate ‘five minutes to 8 o’clock’. A report is made to the officer-of-the-day (OOD).
At one minute before 08:00, the preparative pennant is shaken to alert those involved in the ceremony to come to attention. At 08:00, the preparative pennant is dipped and the report ‘8 o’clock Sir/Ma’am!’ is made to the OOD, who responds with the order ‘Make it so!’
The ship’s bell is rung eight times in a cadence of four groups of two strikes, and the ‘still’ piped on a boatswain’s call. The flags are raised before the ‘carry on’ is piped and the ceremony completed.
Sunset
The time of ‘sunset’ is determined by the setting of the sun as published in the Nautical Almanac. The ceremony is similar to that of ‘colours’, although the ship’s bell does not feature in these proceedings.
Five minutes before ‘sunset’, the preparative pennant is hoisted on the foremast to indicate ‘five minutes to sunset’. A report to that effect is made to the OOD. At one minute before sunset, the preparative pennant is shaken to alert those involved in the ceremony to come to attention. At sunset the preparative pennant is dipped and the report ‘Sunset Sir/Ma’am!’ is made to the OOD who responds with the order ‘Pipe the still!’ The ‘still’ is piped on a boatswain’s call and the national flag and white ensign lowered. On completion of the ceremony, the ‘carry on’ is piped and duty personnel dismissed.