New Zealand heraldry refers to the cultural tradition of the use of coats of arms and other heraldic devices within the country. New Zealand largely follows the Gallo-British tradition, a result of the colonisation of the country by the British. Māori cultural elements and native New Zealand flora and fauna are commonly used in New Zealand heraldry.
New Zealand does not have its own heraldic authority, and instead primarily uses the extant British heraldic authorities, namely the English College of Arms and Scottish Lord Lyon King of Arms. A New Zealand-based officer of arms affiliated with the College of Arms does exist, titled the New Zealand Herald of Arms Extraordinary. Phillip O'Shea has been said officer since the creation of the title in 1978.
Heraldic authority New Zealand does not presently have its own independent heraldic authority which grants or records arms, though the College of Arms in London claims to be "the official heraldic authority for...New Zealand". According to the guidelines of the Cabinet Manual, the College has been delegated these responsibilities by the Sovereign of New Zealand in their capacity as the "Fount of all Honour". However, the legal basis for this "official" status for the College of Arms is disputed.
On 6 February 1978 Queen Elizabeth II established the New Zealand Herald of Arms Extraordinary as the officer of arms responsible for advising the Crown, New Zealand government and New Zealand Defence Force on heraldic matters, and for liaising between New Zealand and the English College of Arms. Although affiliated with the College of Arms, the New Zealand Herald of Arms Extraordinary lives and works in New Zealand, and is not a member of the College Chapter. The current New Zealand Herald of Arms Extraordinary is Phillip Patrick O’Shea.
Coats of arms The heraldry of New Zealand has added indigenous animals (mostly birds) to the existing heraldic bestiary, along with native flora and traditional Māori motifs.
National arms
New Zealand was first granted arms by King George V via royal warrant on 26 August 1911, following a design competition in 1908 which had been won by James McDonald, a draughtsman in the Department of Tourist and Health Resorts. The warrant was published in the New Zealand Gazette of 11 January 1912.
The official blazon for the 1911 arms was:
In 1956, a revised version of the arms was approved by Queen Elizabeth II. The new arms depicted the supporters facing each other rather than facing the viewer, replaced the crest with St Edward's Crown, replaced the scrolls in the compartment with fern branches, and replaced the motto "Onward" with the words "New Zealand". However, the central shield remained unaltered from the 1911 arms.
Civic arms Some, but not all, local authorities in New Zealand use heraldic arms. The arms of the capital, Wellington, combines elements from the arms of Aurthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington with elements from the national coat of arms. The coat of arms of Christchurch also has charges from the national arms.
Some councils have been granted arms by the College of Arms or the Court of the Lord Lyon, while others have adopted their own arms. While several councils had used similar devices earlier, Auckland City Council was the first council in New Zealand to be granted an "official" coat of arms by the College of Arms in 1911.
Coats of arms are often seen as old-fashioned and are rarely used by councils, who prefer to use brand logos. Auckland Council, representing the largest city in New Zealand, does not currently use any arms. Some local coats of arms, such as those of Hamilton and Palmerston North, have been accused of not accurately or inappropriately reflecting their areas' history and diversity, with suggestions that they should be changed.
The unauthorised use of the coat of arms of a local authority can be an offense.
Current +Arms of local authorities in New Zealand (non-exhaustive)Local authorityImageDate adoptedHeraldic authorityBlazon / DescriptionWhangarei District Council1967College of ArmsEscutcheon: Or on a pale azure between a kauri tree couped and a Jersey cow's head cabossed proper an obelisk argent representing the Whangarei and District War Memorial on a chief embattled barry wavy of four azure and argent a lymphad sail set pennon and flags flying or.
Crest: On a wreath of the colours in front of a demi sun or a striped marlin leaping to the dexter proper.
Supporters: On the dexter side a Māori in native dress supporting with the dexter hand a taiaha and on the sinister side a figure representing the Reverend Samuel Marsden the early nineteenth century Anglican missionary all proper.
Motto: ("Not to ourselves alone")Hamilton City Council1946assumedEscutcheon: Barry-wavy of eight argent and azure; on a bend verte, 3 oxen heads erased, or.
Crest: A mural crown.
Supporters: A pūkeko, on either side, rampant proper.Tauranga City CouncilLink to file1963assumedThe Tauranga coat of arms comprises brown wool bales on a royal blue background in the top left, a gold sheaf of wheat on a red background in the top right, and a grey ship on a blue background at the bottom of the shield, with a rising sun as the crest.
Motto: AdvanceKawerau District Council1985College of ArmsOriginally granted to the Kawerau Borough Council.
Escutcheon: Per pale indented (an allusion to the teeth of a saw and possibly also to Māori legends associated with Pūtauaki) and per chevron (an allusion to Pūtauaki) or and vert counterchanged in chief a pine-tree couped proper (representing the local forestry industry) and a kō (digging-stick) or and in base barry wavy of three azure and argent (representing the Tarawera River).
Crest: Upon a helm with a wreath or and vert a representation of a koruru Māori carved head proper (representing the Māori history of the area)
Motto: KawerauRotorua Lakes Council1963College of ArmsEscutcheon: Azure on a chevron or a rainbow trout leaping proper between in chief a pine tree and a sprig of kōwhai leaved slipped and flowered and a geyser issuing from rock in base all also proper.
Crest: On a wreath of the colours a male huia bird standing in a brake of New Zealand fern proper.
Supporters: On the dexter side a figure representing a farm settler of the nineteenth century, at his feet a cattle dog sejant and on the sinister side a figure representing a Māori chieftain all proper.
Motto: ("We together")Gisborne District Council1968College of ArmsEscutcheon: Argent a pall reversed azure (representing the Taruheru and Waimata rivers combining into the Tūranganui River) between in chief two bulls' heads erased gules (representing agriculture) and in base a mitre and on a chief wavy azure (representing the sea) a representation of HM Bark "Endeavour" (of the 18th century) in full sail proper.
Crest: On a wreath of the colours in front of a sun rising or a mountain peak azure representing Mount Hikurangi issuing from clouds proper.
Supporters: On the dexter side a lion queue fourche ermines collared dovetailed or and on the sinister side a lion or collared dovetailed sable (taken from the coat of arms of William Gisborne) standing upon [the compartment].
Compartment: The prow and forepart and the afterpart and stern of the Māori war canoes Tākitimu and Horouta, respectively, and joined amidships by a carved Māori koruru head affrontly (taken from the original Tūranga wharenui).
Motto: EndeavourNapier City Council1951College of ArmsEscutcheon: Barry wavy of six azure and argent a fleece or (representing the wool industry) on a chief of the second three roses gules barbed and seeded proper. (from the arms of Francis Napier, 6th Lord Napier)
Crest: A hawk's leg couped and reversed (from the arms of Edward Hawke, 1st Baron Hawke) grasping with the claw a bone club called wahaika proper.
Supporters: On the dexter side a lion and the sinister side a kiwi both or.
Motto: Faith and CourageHastings District Council1993assumedEscutcheon: Per pale vert and argent, in dexter a cross-crosslet fitchy or (for Havelock North Borough Council); in sinister, on a cross carved with a Māori pattern gules, a sun in splendour or (for Hawke's Bay County Council); on a chief party per pale argent and vert, a lion passant guardant, armed and langued gules within an orle of fern leaves all counterchanged (for Hastings City Council). An inescutcheon Or charged with a manche Gules (for Warren Hastings).
Crest: On a wreath of the colours, clouds argent, rays or, a sunburst supporting a toothed wheel, perforated of six, centred and rimmed argent, gules.
Supporters: Dexter, a ram, tail couped, horned and hoofed or, proper, supporting on a staff proper palewise flying to the dexter an ensign sable, two bars argent edged and charged with a hawk rising or (for Hawke's Bay and Lord Hawke).
Sinister, a bull, armed and hoofed or, supporting a staff proper palewise flying to the sinister, edged or, a New Zealand ensign; all supported by a profusion of apples, pears, peaches, grapes and miro berries with their leaves, surmounting a Māori style carved panel representing Rongomatane and Haumia-tiketike, all proper.
Motto: ("Town and Country in Harmony")Central Hawke's Bay District CouncilassumedEscutcheon: Vert. On a fess argent, two bars wavy azure (representing the Waipawa and Tukituki rivers). In chief, a sun in splendour between in dexter a garb banded gules, and in sinister a fleece banded gules, and in base a lymphad, sail furled, flags and pennant flying and oars in action gules, all or.Whanganui District Council1955Escutcheon: Gules on a Bend wavy argent cotised wavy or between two escallops of the second three lymphads each fesswise that in the centre sable the others of the first all with sails furled and pennons flying on a chief also of the second a ram's head caboshed proper between two open books proper bound gules edged gold.
Crest: On a wreath of the colours on a mount vert a representation of the Rutland Blockhouse proper.
Supporters: On the dexter side a lion guardant azure charged on the shoulder with four mullets one two and one gules fimbriated argent and on the sinister side a tuatara lizard upon a rock proper.
Motto: ("Without God Nothing")
The shells are taken from the arms of William Petre, 11th Baron Petre, the lymphads are taken from the arms of William Hogg Watt, while the bend is intended to represent the Whanganui River.Manawatū District CouncilLink to fileassumedThe shield of the coat of arms of Manawatū District is green with three huia feathers in the base, taken from the badge of the Feilding Agricultural High School and in the chief a ram's head on the left and cogwheels on the right. On a fess there are two silver bars, representing the Pohangina and Oroua rivers, separated by five golden lozenges, representing Feilding, Kairanga, Kiwitea, Oroua and Pohangina and inspired by the arms of the Earl of Denbigh and the Duke of Manchester.
The crest is a tūī with a small flowering flax branch.Palmerston North City Council1989College of ArmsThe arms of Palmerston North contain several visual puns on the name of the city.
Escutcheon: Per pale or and azure dexter an eagle displayed azure (inspired by the arms of Lord Palmerston) crowned or sinister a tower also or all within a bordure per pale azure and gold.
Crest: Within a mural crown or a mount of native sedge grass proper thereon between two fronds of New Zealand fern also proper a lion passant gules holding in the dexter fore paw an escallop gold (taken from the badge of a palmer).
Supporters: On the dexter side a Māori chief (modelled on Te Peeti Te Aweawe and representing ) and on the sinister side a european woman in early-to-mid-19th century domestic working dress (representing the European settlers), both proper.
Compartment: A mount of native sedge grass also proper.