Chinese flag : Sergeant Major B Blyth, New South Wales Naval Contingent

A triangular cream cotton flag with a single dark blue cotton Chinese character 'ling', meaning a command or an order, appliqued to the centre of each side. The two free sides of the flag are edged with a series of red cotton rhomboids attached to each other half way down each side only so that the free ends can flutter in the wind. The top of the flag has a red cotton streamer attached to the hoist at an angle so that it follows the line of the traingle. The hoist is made of cream cotton and has a drawstring at the lower end to secure it to a pole.

This flag was brought back to Australia by Sergeant Major Bert Blyth, of B Company of the NSW Marine Detachment who served in China with the New South Wales Contingent to the Boxer Uprising. Blyth, who was born at Christchurch, New Zealand, was 32 when he served in China and described himself as a soldier 'adventurer'. He embarked on SS Salamis on 8 August 1900 and returned to Australia aboard SS Chingtuon on 25 April 1901.