Coolnwynpin State School students get up close with the 12.8m by 6.4m Australian flag that will fly above Parliament House.
Coolnwynpin State School students were given a treat recently when the Australian flag, which will soon be erected 81 metres above Parliament House in Canberra, made a pit stop at their school.
Flag Masters, the manufacturer of the 12.8m by 6.4m flag, is based at Capalaba and offered to showcase this national symbol to its neighbouring school before sending it to the ACT.
The 20kg Australian flag flies above the Parliament House building 24 hours a day, seven days a week and is made from a range of materials including durable polyester designed to catch the wind and withstand harsh weather conditions.
Cathy Jukes, a seamstress at Flag Masters, has been sewing these flags since the opening of New Parliament House in 1988.
"After receiving the order on Tuesday, a total of 20 hours' labour was put into the creation of this flag for it to be completed by Friday," she said.
"How long it will last depends on the weather conditions - in January, one of our flags only lasted two weeks because of gale-force winds.
"It's great for the local school kids to see this important part of Australian culture," Ms Jukes said.
Ebony Matheson, one of the school captains at Coolnwynpin, said it was an honour that the flag came to their school
"It's such a great experience for all the students. Now when I see it on the news I can say 'I've stood next to that flag!'
"I knew it was going to be big, but seeing the flag up close - it really is gigantic!"
"We will never get to see another one this close," Ebony said.
After arriving at Parliament House, the flag will be stored in the wardrobe which maintains 22 flags that are rotated every two to three weeks so the flags wear evenly.
