Where's the flag?

The Australian flag is just a rag but it reminds us of the debt we owe to those who have served to make Australia a good place to live.

It reminds us of where we came from and where we want to go.

The patriotism of Gosford Council might be judged by its failure to adequately fly the flag on Australia Day.

Fine sunny weather attracted good crowds to the surf at Ocean Beach and Umina on January 26.

Ocean Beach surf club building was plastered with 33 commercial logos for Coca Cola and beer but flew no Australian flag.

The expensive lifesavers surveillance tower was unmanned.

Umina surf club was plastered with 55 similar logos but no Australian flag.

Thanks only to the initiative of young lifesaver, Nathan Ellison; a large Australian flag was proudly attached to the lifesavers tent on the beach.

Woy Woy War Memorial swimming pool, before it was sadly bulldozed, did not fly the flag but council's pool attendants wore coca cola logos on their backs.

Gosford swimming pool locked the public out on Australia Day four hours before sunset but it locked in safely the 30 Coca Cola logos permanently located there.

No Australian flag here, the flagpole was removed about 10 years ago.

Council's library at Woy Woy and the Woy Woy post office each have flag poles but no flags to fly on them.

Can we still call Australia home while Gosford Council saturates open public space with commercial advertising but will not fly our flag on Australia Day?

John Collins, Woy Woy