Coat of Arms
The present coat of arms was granted by King George V in 1912. It consists of a shield depicting the badges of the six Australian states, enclosed by an ermine border. The shield is a symbol for the federation of the states, which took place in 1901.
The Australian coat of arms is commonly but incorrectly referred to as the ‘Commonwealth Crest’. Strictly speaking, the crest is the device above the shield and helmet on a coat of arms. The Australian crest is a seven-pointed gold star on a blue and gold wreath. Six of the points represent each of the states of the Commonwealth; the seventh point represents Australia’s territories.
The supporters are native Australian animals: the red kangaroo (Macropus rufus) and the emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae). It is thought the kangaroo and emu were chosen to symbolise a nation moving forward, reflecting a common belief that neither animal can move backwards easily.
The first official coat of arms of Australia was granted by a Royal Warrant of King Edward VII in 1908. This coat of arms was used on some Australian coins even after it was superseded in 1912, and last appeared on the sixpenny piece in 1966.
Usually the arms is depicted on a background of sprays of golden wattle with a scroll beneath it containing the word ‘Australia’. The wattle and scroll, however, are not part of the armorial design and are not mentioned in the Royal Warrant.
The Australian Government uses the coat of arms to authenticate documents and for other official purposes. Its uses range from embellishing the Australian passport to forming part of all Australian government departmental insignias. The use of the coat of arms by private citizens or organisations is rarely permitted by the Australian Government, and doing so would contravene laws relating to misrepresentation, forgery or trademark infringement.
Australia has never adopted any official motto or faunal emblem. By popular tradition, however, the kangaroo and emu are widely accepted as such. The golden wattle (Acacia pycnantha) was proclaimed the official national floral emblem in August 1988.
For many years, the motto ‘Advance Australia’ appeared on unofficial coats of arms, even before the federation of the states in 1901. It was included in the 1908 arms, and was popularly accepted in association with the 19th century song ‘Advance Australia Fair’. A revised version of this song officially became Australia’s national anthem in 1984 (see fact sheet on the Australian national anthem). On that same day, Australia also officially adopted green and gold as its national colours. Until then, the nation had no official national colours, although the use of green and gold by Australia’s international sporting teams had become a tradition and had been associated with its Olympic teams since the 1920s.
The Australian coat of arms consists of the badges of the six states of the Commonwealth arranged on a shield in two rows of three columns:
- New South Wales—Golden lion passant (right to left) on a red St George’s Cross on a silver background (usually depicted white), with an eight-pointed star on each extremity of the cross.
- Victoria—White Southern Cross (one star of eight points, two of seven points, one of six points and one of five points), beneath an Imperial Crown, on a blue background.
- Queensland—light blue Maltese cross with an Imperial Crown at its centre, on a white background.
- South Australia—the white-backed magpie, erect, wings outstretched, on a yellow background.
- Western Australia—Black swan swimming, left to right, on a yellow background.
- Tasmania—Red lion passant (right to left) on a white background.
State and territory coats of arms
Australian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory has no coat of arms. However, a
coat of arms for the city of Canberra, the national capital of
Australia, was granted by King George V in 1928. The motto
embodied in the coat of arms is ‘For the Queen, the Law
and the People’. The supporters are a black swan and
white swan, symbolising the Aboriginal and European races.
New South Wales
King Edward VII granted a coat of arms to the State of New South
Wales in 1906. The description of the arms embodies the motto Orta Recens Quam Pura Nites (Newly Risen, How Bright Thou
Shinest).
Northern Territory
Until the Northern Territory was granted self-government on 1 July
1978, it was administered by the federal government and used the
national coat of arms. The territory’s own coat of arms was
granted in 1978. The shield contains Aboriginal motifs associated
with Arnhem Land. The supporters are two red kangaroos and the
crest is a wedge-tailed eagle.
Queensland
Queen Victoria granted a coat of arms to the then colony of
Queensland in 1893. The supporters, a red deer (Cervus
elaphus) and a brolga (Grus rubicunda), were assigned in
1977 by Queen Elizabeth II. The motto of Queensland, Audax at
Fidelis (Bold but Faithful), is embodied in the description of
the coat of arms.
South Australia
The state’s coat of arms was granted by Queen Elizabeth II
on 19 April 1984. The shield contains the state badge, comprising
the white-backed magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen leuconota), standing on
a staff of gum tree, against a gold orb representing the sun.
The crest is the state’s floral emblem, Sturt’s
desert pea (swainsona formosus), above a collar of the
state’s colours: red, blue and gold. The present coat of arms
replaced the arms granted by King Edward VIII in 1936.
Tasmania
The coat of arms of the island state was granted by
King George V in 1917 and the description of the arms is
the motto, Ubertas et Fidelitas (Fertility and Faithfulness). The
supporters of the shield in the arms are two Tasmanian tigers
(Thylacinus cynocephalus), which in modern times have been found
only in Tasmania and are now presumed extinct.
Victoria
In 1910 King George V granted a coat of arms to the state of
Victoria, which was named after his grandmother. In 1973
certain additions were made to the coat of arms and a Royal
Warrant was issued by Queen Elizabeth II. The description of the
arms is the motto ‘Peace and Prosperity’.
Western Australia
Western Australia’s coat of arms had its origins in 1829
when British settlers established the Swan River colony. Their
successors adopted an unofficial emblem which featured the black
swan and the motto, a Latin pun, Cygnis Insignis (Distinguished for
Swans). The coat of arms, which now carries no motto, was given
official sanction when Queen Elizabeth II granted arms to the state
in 1969.
Key Facts
- The coat of arms consists of a shield depicting the badges of the six Australian states.
- It was granted by King George V of the United Kingdom in 1912.
- It is supported by two native Australian animals: the red kangaroo and the emu.
- The uses of the coat of arms range from authenticating official documents such as passports to embellishing the helmet of the Australian cricket team
Further information
- It’s an honour—Australia celebrating Australians
This fact sheet is also available to download ( PDF)
last updated January 2008