Sporting facilities, schools, business, government buildings, museums and places of worship, flagpoles stand tall all around Australia. How much do you know about flagpoles? Do you know your terminology?

Harness your inner vexillologist, and discover key flagpole and flag components with our Intrack terminology list.

Flag and flagpole terminology

Cleat- The device used to secure the bottom of a flagpole halyard (rope).

Colour Fastness- The ability of a material to resist fading and colour migration.

Double Seal- A flag which reads correctly from both sides because a portion of the flag has another design sewn to the back side.

Flash Collar- Decorative cover used at the base of an outdoor flagpole.

Fly End- The free flying end of a flag, usually opposite the heading.

Fringed- A flag with decorative fringe around all or part of its perimeter.

Front- The surface seen when a flag is in its normal flying position with the hoist to the viewer’s left. (The “Back” is the reverse).

Grommets– Brass rings or eyelets (normally in the heading) for mounting outdoor flags.

Halyard- Rope for an outdoor flagpole used to raise and lower the flag.

Heading- The heavy canvas or other reinforcing material at the side or end from which the flag or banner will be supported.

Hoist- The side of a flag next to the pole.

Joint- The device used to hold a 2-piece pole together.

Outdoor Flags– Flags constructed primarily for use on an outdoor pole- with heading and grommets or rope.

Roped- A flag with a rope passing through the heading and looped and secured at each end. The halyard of the flagpole is then attached to the loops. Normally used only on large outdoor flags.

Single/Reverse- A flag which reads correctly from the front and reverse from the rear.

Snap Hook- A device used to attach a flag to the halyard (rope) on a flagpole..

Field- The predominant colour of a flag.

Finial- The ornament at the end of a flagstaff or flagpole.

Flag Hoist- Signal flags in a group attached to the same halyard and hoisted as a unit.

Fly- The free end of a flag, farthest from the staff. The term is also used for the horizontal length of the flag.

Grommet- A metal ring placed along the hoist of a flag to attach the halyard. Two piece metal grommets were first used in the U.S. about the time of the Civil War or just after.

Halyard- Rope used to hoist and lower a flag.

Header- A heavy cloth strip, usually canvas, sewn to the hoist edge of a flag and often grommeted for hoisting.

Hoist- The part of the flag closest to the staff. The term is also used for the vertical width of a flag.

Outrigger Pole- A flagpole coming off the side of a building at an angle.

Ratio- The relationship of a flag’s width to it’s length, e.g. France is 2:3; Germany is 3:5, Russia is 1:2.

Reeve- This means to pull the halyard through the truck, raising or lowering a flag.

Staff- This is a pole the flag hangs on.

Swallowtail- This flag which comes to two or three points at the fly end.

Truck- This is the wooden or metal block at the top of a flagpole below the finial (staff ornament). It includes a pulley or holes for halyard.

Vexillology– This is the study of flag history and symbolism. The name comes from the Latin Word vexillum, which means flag.

Looking for a flagpole? Contact Intrack for more information. 

(Information Source: American Made Flag Store)

Strong and flexible: an Intrack flagpole with rotating arm

Team Intrack can engineer and install a flagpole for your specific needs. This image shows one of our 100mm x 8.0mtr rotating arm flagpole on a hinge base.

Rotating arms, or rota arms, on a flagpole, extend the life of the flag being flown by allowing the flag to rotate in the wind rather than stay static.

The Intrack rotating arm flagpole is usually supported by a hinged base. With a hinge base, you can lower your flagpole to the ground without completely removing it from its footing. With rotating flagpoles, ropes aren’t used to raise and lower flags. The hinge base allows ensures easy flag/banner changeover and repair or maintenance without the need for use of reach trucks.

The Intrack Intrapole: now on display at the Hellenic Museum

Greg Harte recently stood a few Intrapole banner poles at the Hellenic Museum at 280 William Street, Melbourne.

Perfectly proportioned and engineered for excellence, these top of the range poles are in perfect keeping with the idealised beauty and precision of Hellenistic era artwork.

Extend the life of your flagpole with maintenance

Flagpole inspection and maintenance is important for keeping your flagpole looking good and your flag flying high. It’s even more important to ensure the integrity of the flagpole remains and it presents no safety risk.

The Intrack team completes routine maintenance for many of our corporate flagpole and council customers. However, as we have many residential and small business customers, we’re often asked for self-managed flagpole maintenance tips.

To maintain your flagpole, every six to 12 months:

Routine maintenance can prevent severe damage and breakdown of neglected flag poles.

• Inspect the foundation and base
• Check the pole for signs of bending, fatigue, wear or weakness
• Check halyards for signs of fraying, abrasion or weakness
• Check the fittings
• Lower and clean the finials to remove all dust and dirt build up
• Check the rotating arms
• Take down flags in wind exceeding 65 km/h

A word on flags

We don’t sell flags, but since we do engineer, fabricate, install flagpoles, we do know a few things about flags. For example, we know flags need maintenance, too.

• Lower your flag when high wind is forecasted. Weather events, particularly wind events, impact your flag.
• Lower your flags at night. You don’t have to worry about watching for weather changes.
• Watch the corners for wear and fraying. Repair as soon as you notice it to prevent further damage.
• Ensure your flag flies freely without contact to tree branches, buildings or other objects.
• Routinely wash your flag in warm water.
• Always dry your flag completely before storing.

Kew flagpoles

A recent article in the Leader community newspaper highlighted the new Intrack flagpoles in Kew. Give it a read.

Burwood Heights Shopping Centre flagpoles

Team Intrack wrapped up a project installing 100mm untapered internal halyard flagpoles at the Burwood Heights Shopping Centre.

They look so good, you almost don’t even see the abandoned shopping trolley nestled between them (pictured right).

Our 100mm untapered internal halyard flagpoles are very cost effective and can be fabricated to 7.0 or 8.0 metres tall.

For more information about raising the profile of your business with a corporate flagpole, contact Intrack.

Happy Australia Day from Intrack!

Welcome to the working year 2014. What better opportunity to celebrate and fly the Australian National Flag! Australia Day lets us show our Aussie spirit and we here at Intrack Systems Australia are proud to be Australian – manufacturing and installing flagpoles, sporting posts and banner display systems to the government, business sector and residential market.

We celebrate, you save

To celebrate our national day of pride, Intrack is offering up to 40 per cent off our full range of fiberglass flagpoles from now until the end of February.

For more information call 03 9798 4433 or email Janelle at info@intrack.com.au.

Visit the It’s an Honour website for flag flying protocols.

Don’t forget …

Intrack has all your flagpole and sporting post needs covered. And more:

• We maintain existing flagpoles.
• We have a cherry picker.
• We sell flagpole parts.
• We offer free expert advice.

… and, Footy season is just around the corner, Yay!

Christmas flags fly high from Intrack flagpoles

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in Dandenong. The Intrack team completed flagpole maintenance and flag change-over earlier this week for the Council.

It’s got us got us humming Christmas songs while visions of sugar plums dance in our heads.

Seasonal flags flown from Intrack’s high quality flagpoles keep your brand message fresh. Talk to us today. 

Intrack Systems Australia Celebrates National Flag Day 3rd September 2013

To all the owners of a flagpole, here is your opportunity to show your national pride and fly the Aussie Flag Tuesday, 3rd September to mark the day of our flag’s birthday.

September 3, 1996

The announcement that the Governor General had officially proclaimed 3 September as Australian National Flag Day was made at a special ceremony held at Martin Place, Sydney.  (read more)

Our Aussie Flag

The Australian National Flag was officially flown “aloft and free” for the first time at the Royal Exhibition Buildings, Melbourne on 3 September 1901 in the presence of Australia’s first Prime Minister Edmund Barton.

The design was the product of a public design competition held to find a national flag for the new Australian nation. At that time, following Federation, the sentiment freely expressed across the new states was of “One people, one nation, one flag”.

That same sentiment is equally relevant today. (read more about Flag Day)

Australian Flag fact sheet

The publication Australian flags is available free of charge from the electorate offices of Federal Members of Parliament and Senators. (visit itsanhonour.gov.au) 

Intrack raises Frankston’s EastLink profile

Frankston City Council at Carrum Downs receives 125mm x 10.0mtr Stepped Flagpoles.

Intrack Systems Australia won the tender to supply and install flagpoles on the EastLink Freeway on behalf of Frankston City Council.

The initial tender was for 8.0mtr flagpoles, however Intrack recommended a larger flagpole be used to have the capability to take a larger flag and therefore keep all flag sizes the same throughout Council.

Gumbuya Park sports flash new Rota Arm Flagpoles

Greg from Intrack noticed the existing flagpoles at Gumbuya Park were not rotating and therefore their flags always kept on ripping. Intrack approached Gumbuya Park and advised them of the situation.  As a result Gumbuya Park ordered Intrack’s 60mm x 6.0mtr Rota Arm Flagpoles and, you can see for yourself, the results are eye catching!

“Thanks Janelle. I am so glad you called us and yes they do look great. Very Pleased. Thanking you guys” Deb Kluske. Gumbuya Park.

Do you know Intrack?

– We are based in Dandenong South
– We have been in operation for 17 years
– We are all Australian Made
Our services include:
– Planning
– Installation
– Goal post & Flagpole maintenance
– Flag scheduling and storing
– Traffic management
– Boom and operator for hire

Team Intrack is super excited to announce the launch of our new website and blog.

We invest our energy and efforts where it matters most, taking care of our customers. In our spare time, we built a new site with the intention of it being a resource for our customers and others with flagpole and goal post questions.

From the flagpole

Along with the new intrack.com.au, we have a shiny new blog. Our plan is to address frequently asked questions about flagpoles, introduce new product lines and inject more of our team’s personality into Intrack’s digital profile.

Thanks for stopping by and we look forward to helping you.