Australian heraldry is the style and tradition of using armorial achievements, sometimes known as coats of arms, and other heraldic bearings and insignia in Australia. It largely follows the Gallo-British tradition of heraldry also followed in England, Scotland, Ireland, Canada and New Zealand.
Heraldic authority Australia does not have its own heraldic authority which grants or records arms, though the College of Arms in London claims to be "the official heraldic authority" for Australia and much of the Commonwealth. They have issued arms in the name of the Australian monarch. Additionally, the College's Garter Principal King of Arms is mentioned in the ordinances of the Order of Australia. However, the College's authority is disputed by the Australian Heraldry Society.
The Australian Heraldry Society argues that the heraldic authority for Australia is vested in the King of Australia, who can delegate that authority to whomever they choose. In response to questions submitted by the Society, on 7 February 2018 prime minister Malcolm Turnbull stated:
Grants of heraldic arms to Australian residents or institutions may be made, depending on their eligibility, by the English College of Arms, Scottish Court of the Lord Lyon, Chief Herald of Ireland, Chief Herald of Canada, State Herald of South Africa or the various authorities in Spain, Belgium, Russia or other places.
Coats of arms The heraldry of Australia has added indigenous Australian animals to the existing heraldic bestiary, along with native plants and occasionally traditional motifs of Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders.
National arms
The first official arms of the Commonwealth of Australia were granted by King George V via royal warrant on 7 May 1908.
The official blazon for the 1908 arms was:
As the 1908 arms did not make any reference to the states, on 19 September 1912 King George V issued another royal warrant granting a new coat of arms to the Commonwealth which incorporated the badges of the six states. These are the current arms.
The official blazon for the 1912 arms is:
Although not an official part of the arms, they are typically depicted as framed by stylized branches of golden wattle and with a scroll with the motto "Australia" beneath the shield.
Arms of states and territories ArmigerImageDate adoptedHeraldic authorityBlazon / DescriptionNew South Wales1906Royal warrantEscutcheon: Azure a cross argent voided gules charged in the centre chief point with a lion passant guardant, and on each member with a mullet of eight points or between in the first and fourth quarters a fleece or banded argent and in the second and third quarters a garb also or
Crest: On a wreath of the colours a rising sun each ray tagged with a flame of fire proper
Supporters: On the dexter side a lion rampant guardant: And on the sinister side a kangaroo both or
Motto: ("Newly risen, how brightly you shine")Victoria1910Royal warrantEscutcheon: Azure, five stars argent representing the constellation of the Southern Cross.
Crest: On a wreath of the colours a demi-kangaroo proper holding in the paws an imperial crown or.
Supporters: On the dexter side a female figure (representing peace) proper vested argent cloaked azure wreathed round the temples with a chaplet and holding in the exterior hand a branch of olive also proper – and on the sinister side a like figure (representing prosperity) vested argent cloaked gules wreathed round the temples with a chaplet of corn and supporting with the exterior hand a cornucopia proper.
Motto: Peace and ProsperityQueensland1893/1977Royal warrantEscutcheon: Per fesse the chief or, the base per pale sable and gules, in chief a bull’s head caboshed in profile muzzled a merino ram’s head respecting each other proper, the dexter base charged with a garb of the first and the sinister base on a mount a pile of quartz, issuant therefrom a gold pyramid, in front of the mount a spade surmounted by a pick saltirewise all proper.
Crest: On a wreath of the colours, a mount thereon a Maltese cross azure surmounted with a royal crown between two sugar-canes proper.
Supporters: On the dexter side a red deer and on the sinister side a brolga wings elevated and addorsed both proper
Motto: ("Bold but Faithful")South Australia1984Royal warrantEscutcheon: Azure on the rising sun depicted as a roundel or an Australian piping shrike displayed and standing on the staff of a gum tree proper
Crest: On a wreath or azure and gules four sprigs of Sturt's desert pea proper
Compartment: A grassy mount and in front two vines growing from therefrom each entwining their stakes proper, on either side thereof stalks of wheat and barley and the dexter side scattered with citrus fruits and lying on the sinister side two cog wheels with between them a miner's pick also proper
Motto: South AustraliaWestern Australia1969Royal warrantEscutcheon: Argent on a base wavy azure charged with a barrulet wavy argent a black swan naiant proper.
Crest: On a wreath or and sable the royal crown between two kangaroo paw (Anigozanthos manglesii) flowers slipped proper.
Supporters: On either side a kangaroo holding in the exterior fore-paw a boomerang proper.Tasmania1917Royal warrantEscutcheon: Quarterly gules and barry wavy argent and azure a fesse of the second charged with a ram statant proper between in chief a garb and a thunderbolt and in base four apples and a branch of hops all or
Crest: On a wreath argent a gules: a lion statant gules resting the dexter fore paw on a shovel and a pick-axe in saltire proper
Supporters: On either side a Tasmanian tiger proper
Motto: ("Fertility and Faithfulness")ACT / City of Canberra1928Royal warrantEscutcheon: A triple-towered castle between in chief a sword of justice point upwards to the sinister surmounted by a parliamentary mace head upwards to the dexter in saltire charged at their point of intersection with a representation of the imperial crown and in base a rose barbed and seeded (being the badge of York)
Crest: In front of a gum tree issuant from a mount a portcullis ensigned with the imperial crown
Supporters: On the dexter side a swan sable beaked gules and on the sinister side a white swan proper
Motto: For the King, the Law and the PeopleNorthern Territory1978Royal warrantEscutcheon: Tenny, representations in the Australian Aboriginal manner of an Arnhem Land rock painting of a woman with stylised internal anatomy between in dexter chief and base two symbolic representations of campsites joined by journey or path markings in the manner of the Central Australian Aboriginals and in sinister chief and base the like, all argent
Crest: Upon a wreath of the colours a wedge-tailed eagle (Aquila audax) wings elevated grasping with its talons an Australian Aboriginal stone Tjurunga proper
Supporters: On either side a red kangaroo (Megaleia rufa) guardant that to the dexter holding in the dexter fore-paw a Chiragra spider conch (Lambis chiragra) and similarly that to the sinister in its sinister fore-paw a true heart cockle (Corculum cardissa) growing from [the compartment].
Compartment: A grassy sandy mound Sturt's desert roses (Gossypium sturtianum).Norfolk Island1980Royal warrantEscutcheon: Per chevron azure and argent in chief two mullets of the last and in base issuant from a rocky mount charged with a book expanded proper edged or leathered gules a Norfolk Island pine proper
Crest: Out of a naval crown azure a demi-lion or gorged with a laurel wreath proper and holding a covered cup or
Supporters: On the dexter side a lion and on the sinister side a kangaroo proper each resting the exterior foreleg on an anchor erect azure
Motto: Inasmuch
Civic arms The following is a non-exhaustive list of civic heraldry in Australia: ArmigerImageDate adoptedHeraldic authorityBlazon / DescriptionCity of Sydney1908–1996College of ArmsEscutcheon: Per fesse or and azure, a three-masted ship in full sail argent, on a chief between the arms of Townshend (viz., gules, a chevron ermine between three escallops argent, and a crescent or for difference) and the arms of Hughes (viz., gules, a chevron between three lions rampant or, on a chief arched argent two roses of the field, a crescent or for difference) a pale argent charged with a cross gules, thereon a globe proper between two estoiles of the first in pale.
Crest: On a wreath of the colours an anchor erect ensigned by a mullet of six points gules and enfiled by a civic crown or.
Supporters: On the dexter side an aboriginal of Australia holding in the exterior hand a native spear and on the sinister a sailor of the 18th century armed with a cutlass and a brace of pistols in his belt holding in the exterior hand a boat hook all proper.
Motto: I take but I surrender1996AssumedThe coat of arms as adopted by the city of Sydney in 1996 borrows elements from the 1908 arms.
The shield of the arms is blue, charged with a white anchor enfiled by a golden mural crown and with, in chief, a stylized version of the chief from the 1908 arms in gold, white and blue.
For the crest it has a golden six-pointed star. For the supporters, on the left it has a blue snake covered with gold and white markings in the style of the Eora, representing the Rainbow Serpent, and on the right it has a coiled rope, both entwined beneath the shield.
Motto: City of SydneyCity of Melbourne1970College of ArmsEscutcheon: Argent, on a cross cotised gules, between in the first quarter a fleece proper banded azure ringed gules, in the second quarter on a mount a black bull statant, in the third quarter on waves of the sea a whale naiant spouting, and in the fourth quarter on waves of the sea a three-masted ship in full sail, a representation of the royal crown all also proper.
Crest: On a wreath of the colours, out of a mural crown or, a demi kangaroo to the sinister regardant proper.
Supporters: On either side a lion rampant or crowned with a mural crown sable and gorged with a collar gules charged with two mullets argent attached thereto a chain reflexed over the back also gules.
Motto: ("We gather strength as we go")City of Brisbane1948College of ArmsEscutcheon: Barry wavy of six argent and azure a caduceus or on a chief nebuly of the second a Stafford knot of the third between two mullets of the first.
Crest: On a wreath or and azure out of mural crown gules a leopard's head couped or between two palm branches slipped vert.
Supporters: On either side a gryphon proper charged on the neck with a bar wavy azure.
Motto: ("We aim for the best")City of Adelaide1929College of ArmsEscutcheon: Azure, a cross or surmounted by another gules between in the first quarter a three-masted ship in full sail proper, in the second quarter a golden fleece, in the third quarter a bull's head caboshed also proper, and in the fourth quarter a garb also or, the shield ensigned by a mural crown gold.
Crest: On a wreath of the colours a dexter arm embowed proper sleeved above the elbow argent, and grasping in the hand a miner's pick point upwards also proper.
Supporters: On the dexter side a lion guardant or, and on the sinister side a kangaroo gules.
Motto: ("United for the common good")City of Perth1926Escutcheon: Argent a cross gules, in the first quarter a swan sable upon water proper, and in the fourth quarter on an escutcheon gules within a double tressure counter flory a holy lamb passant reguardant, staff and cross argent with the banner of St Andrew proper
Crest: A mural crown or
Supporters: On either side a swan wings elevated sable, beaked and legged gules, and gorged round the neck with a mural crown or
Motto: ("Flourish")City of Hobart1953Escutcheon: Azure an estoile or on a chief argent a lion passant gules.
Crest: On a wreath argent and azure a three masted sailing ship (representing the Flying Childers) in full sail or, mantled azure doubled or.