Other icons evaluated and discarded:

The silver fern on a black ground has earned its place as the emblem of New Zealand sport and should retain this special, focused identity.

The kiwi will always be the affectionate mascot and nickname for New Zealanders but it has no place on a dignified national flag – in the same way the lion and the bald eagle do not appear on the British and American flags respectively.

The Southern Cross forms a key part of the Australian flag and the branding of many Australian companies. It locates us generally in the South Pacific but does not define New Zealand in the unique way the Koru does. There are over fifty national flags that contain stars in their designs.