Half-mast
flag flying below the summit of a ship mast, a pole on land, or a pole on a building
Half-mast or half-staff (American English) is the placement of a flag below the summit of a ship mast, a pole on land, or a pole on a building. In many countries this is seen as a symbol of respect, mourning, distress, or, in some cases, a salute.
The tradition of flying the flag at half-mast began in the 17th century. According to some sources, the flag is lowered to make room for an "invisible flag of death" flying above. It is often recommended that a flag at half-mast be lowered only as much as the hoist, or width, of the flag.
It is common for the phrase to be taken literally and for a flag to be flown only halfway up a flagpole, although some authorities deprecate that practice.
When hoisting a flag that is to be displayed at half-mast, it should be raised to the finial of the pole for an instant, then lowered to half-mast. Likewise, when the flag is lowered at the end of the day, it should be hoisted to the finial for an instant, and then lowered.
Half-mast in countries, regions and institutions
Australia
The flag of Australia is flown half-mast in Australia:
On the death of the sovereign – from the time of announcement of the death up to and including the funeral. On the day the accession of the new sovereign is proclaimed, it is customary to raise the flag to the peak from 11 a.m.;
On the death of a member of a royal family;
On the death of the governor-general or a former governor-general;
On the death of the head of state of another country with which Australia has diplomatic relations – the flag would be flown on the day of the funeral;
On ANZAC day the flag is flown half-mast until noon;
On Remembrance Day flags are flown at peak until 10:30 am, at half-mast from 10:30 am to 11:03 am, then at peak the remainder of the day;
On the death of a distinguished Australian citizen.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Half-mast” is flag flying below the summit of a ship mast, a pole on land, or a pole on a building. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Half-mast, flag and flying, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “flag flying below the summit of a ship mast, a pole on land, or a pole on a building” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
The strongest evidence will usually combine a dated visual record with documents produced by the authority responsible for the place. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 20, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q1053885. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference.
Architectural summaries often privilege surviving fabric and can understate demolished phases, contested use or displaced communities. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
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Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Half-mast”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Half-mast primary sources, Half-mast archive and Half-mast research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Half-mast”?
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- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Half-mast” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.