A united West Indies needs a few things, one of which is a symbol of that unity. In 1957 that was a flag. A sort of tender was sent out for the members of the federation to create a flag and wouldn’t you know it, representing the Jamaican ideal of what a flag representing the Federation would like was Fabian Edwards, an employee of The Gleaner.

Published Saturday, September 28, 1957

Federal flag competition:

Design by Gleaner employee wins

Gleaner Staff Reporter

Mr FABIAN EDWARDS, a Gleaner employee, was presented last night with a cheque for fifty pounds by the Hon. Norman Manley, chief Minister, for his winning design in the federal flag competition sponsored by the Government of Jamaica recently. The presentation took place in the Chief Minister’s office and was attend by the Hon. P.M. Sherlock, C.B.E. Mr. T.E. Sealy, C.B.E. three of the five judges of the competition as well as by the Hon. E.R. Richardson, Financial Secretary and Mr. V.H. McFarlane, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Development.

Mr Edwards’ design for the Federal Flag consist of a gold disc representing the sun in the centre of the Flag, with four while parallel undulating lines running horizontally across the Flag against a blue background representing the sea. The theme of the design is “the sun and the sea”.

Congratulations

The Chief Minister, congratulating Mr. Edwards, related that the Jamaica delegation at the last meeting of the standing Federation Committee in Trinidad, without being unduly critical of designs submitted up to then, felt that the people of the West Indies should have a chance to express their own opinions on the design of their Flag and the agreement of the committee was obtained to have designs sent in from all the islands of the Federation.

Said Mr. Manley: “The flag will become a significant emblem and symbol of the Nation for it cannot be lightly discarded.”

The Chief Minister hoped that the winning design, in its basic substance, would win favor in Trinidad this time and he said he would do everything to see that the name of Fabian Edward went down in history as the designer of The West Indies National Flag.

Reporting for the judges prior to the presentation, Mr. Sealy said that they considered that minor but significant modifications would need to be made in the winning Jamaica design before it was referred to the Pre-Federal authorities.

A total of 270 designs from 130 persons were submitted for the Competition. The other two judges were Mrs. Edna Manley and Miss Doris Campbell.

Mr. Manley will take the winning design with some suggested modifications along with him to Trinidad today.

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