There are six stars on the Australian flag.
The flag contains one large Commonwealth Star beneath the Union Jack and five stars representing the Southern Cross constellation. Together, these make six stars. The Commonwealth Star originally had six points, symbolising Australia’s six states, but it was changed to seven points in 1908. The extra point represents Australia’s territories and any future states.
The five Southern Cross stars are positioned on the half of the flag farther from the flagpole. Four are larger seven-pointed stars, while the smallest star has five points. The constellation is a prominent feature of the southern sky and helps distinguish Australia’s flag from several other national flags based on the British Blue Ensign.
A common mistake is to answer five by counting only the Southern Cross. Another is to confuse the current seven-pointed Commonwealth Star with the total number of stars. The first Australian flag was flown publicly in Melbourne on 3 September 1901, now observed as Australian National Flag Day.