Nearly 10,300 were submitted by members of the public to a government website for consideration by the government-appointed panel of 16 people.

 

The process attracted international attention for its more off-the-wall entries, including memorably¹ a kiwi with lasers for eyes, a crude line drawing of a man on a bicycle, a QR code, and the 10-year-old Pepe the Frog meme.

 

Unsurprisingly, but nonetheless somewhat disappointingly, the panel went for a more refined approach in the longlist of 40 designs it published on Monday, with variations on the silver fern, the Southern Cross constellation² and the koru (unfurling fern frond) featuring prominently.

 

In an open letter jointly³ signed by all 12 members, the panel said its decision was guided by the input⁴ of "thousands of Kiwis across a range of communities told us when they shared what is special to them about New Zealand".

 

The panel is now faced with the task of whittling⁵ down the longlist of 40 to four designs that will be put to a public vote in a binding⁶ referendum in November or December.

 

A second referendum, to be held in March 2016, will be a run-off between the current flag and the preferred alternative design.

 

New Zealand's current flag, a pairing of the Union Jack⁷ with the Southern Cross constellation that closely resembles Australia's, was formally adopted in 1902.

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