National colours of New Zealand New Zealand (see above). In motorracing, New Zealand's national colours are green (based on British racing green) and white. National colours of New Zealand National colours of New Zealand orders include black, white or silver, and red ochre. The national flag of New Zealand is predominantly dark blue and represents the sea and sky. In the top left corner is the union flag with the colours red and white. The Union flag represents the settlement of New Zealand by mainly British people after New Zealand became a British colony in 1840. The four stars on the flag are red with
Flag of the Governor-General of New Zealand rather than a representative of the British government. The New Zealand badge was replaced by the Royal Crest. The words "Dominion of New Zealand" were displayed on a gold scroll beneath the badge. As neither Governor-General Lord Bledisloe nor his ministers were sympathetic to the change, the old flag was retained, and the new flag was not flown until after Lord Galway's arrival in 1937. Minor stylistic changes were made around 1953, including changing the scroll's text to simply "New Zealand", since New Zealand was no longer styled as a Dominion. On 2 June 2008 a new design was adopted,