Coat of arms of Sydney
Encyclopedia
The Coat of Arms of the City of Sydney was adopted by the City Council
in 1996. It includes simplified versions of parts of the previous arms.
The blue shield features a crown and anchor, symbols which have long been the working images for Sydney. The white anchor represents Sydney as a port city on Sydney Harbour
and the discovery of Australia
by a naval officer. The gold masoned mural crown
, common in many Commonwealth
municipal arms, denotes the power and authority of a city.
The upper division of the shield features simplified versions of the three emblems in the upper part of the previous coat of arms, which together represent the naming of Sydney, the British
contribution to Sydney's establishment and Sydney's emergence as a port city. The leftmost, with three white shells and a blue chevron on a gold background, is based on part of the arms of the man for whom the city was named, Thomas Townshend, 1st Viscount Sydney
. Townshend played an important role as Principal Under-Secretary of State when Sydney was founded in 1788.
The central emblem, a blue cross on white overlaid with a yellow circle, was originally the red cross of the flag of England
, which is also a significant feature of British Naval Flag
, acknowledging the contribution of Captain Arthur Phillip
. The yellow circle represents the globe which was a principal feature of the arms granted posthumously to Captain James Cook
, the naval officer who discovered the east coast of Australia.
The top right emblem, containing three white lion heads and a blue chevron with a curved upper edge, is based on the arms of the first Lord Mayor of Sydney, Thomas Hughes, who first suggested that the city obtain a grant of arms.
The shield is supported
by a serpent
and a coiled rope. The serpent, in blue with white and gold markings, represents the Rainbow Serpent
, a creator-being said to have formed the landscape in the Dreamtime
as it travelled through the country. Its markings are based on those used by the Eora
people, who lived in the area on which Sydney was founded. The rope continues the maritime imagery, and symbolises the diverse origins of the people of Sydney. The rope and serpent are intertwined, representing cultural harmony.
The crest
is a six-pointed star or "mullet
".
From 1857 until 1908, the City of Sydney used variations on a design for the city seal by draughtsman M. de St Remy. This design, for which the city never received an official grant of arms, featured a shield with a rising sun, a common symbol in early Australian heraldry representing the growth of the new colony, and a ship, representing Sydney's maritime heritage. The sun was later replaced with a beehive
, a traditional symbol of industry. The shield was supported by a British seaman and an Indigenous Australian and the design included the motto "I take but I surrender".
After the position of Mayor become Lord Mayor in 1902, the first Lord Mayor, Thomas Hughes, suggested that the council apply for a grant of arms from the College of Arms
in London
. The heraldic designer William F. Ward submitted a new design, which included the ship, supporters and motto from the earlier version, but also included elements of the arms of Thomas Townshend and Captain Cook, as well as the crown, anchor and six-pointed star as a crest. The ship was now on a gold over blue background, symbolising the "Golden South". When the arms were approved by the heralds on 30 July 1908, the arms of Thomas Hughes had been added, along with a helmet and mantling above the shield.
The new arms adopted in 1996 simplified many elements of the 1908 arms, although the ship and motto were completely removed. The sailor and indigenous person were replaced with the modern style serpent and coiled rope, with their symbolism extended by the intertwining. The City still uses a banner of the 1908 arms as the official flag.
City of Sydney
The City of Sydney is the Local Government Area covering the Sydney central business district and surrounding inner city suburbs of the greater metropolitan area of Sydney, Australia...
in 1996. It includes simplified versions of parts of the previous arms.
The blue shield features a crown and anchor, symbols which have long been the working images for Sydney. The white anchor represents Sydney as a port city on Sydney Harbour
Port Jackson
Port Jackson, containing Sydney Harbour, is the natural harbour of Sydney, Australia. It is known for its beauty, and in particular, as the location of the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge...
and the discovery of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
by a naval officer. The gold masoned mural crown
Mural crown
-Usage in ancient times:In Hellenistic culture, a mural crown identified the goddess Tyche, the embodiment of the fortune of a city, familiar to Romans as Fortuna...
, common in many Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
municipal arms, denotes the power and authority of a city.
The upper division of the shield features simplified versions of the three emblems in the upper part of the previous coat of arms, which together represent the naming of Sydney, the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
contribution to Sydney's establishment and Sydney's emergence as a port city. The leftmost, with three white shells and a blue chevron on a gold background, is based on part of the arms of the man for whom the city was named, Thomas Townshend, 1st Viscount Sydney
Thomas Townshend, 1st Viscount Sydney
Thomas Townshend, 1st Viscount Sydney PC , was a British politician who held several important Cabinet posts in the second half of the 18th century...
. Townshend played an important role as Principal Under-Secretary of State when Sydney was founded in 1788.
Flag of England
The Flag of England is the St George's Cross . The red cross appeared as an emblem of England during the Middle Ages and the Crusades and is one of the earliest known emblems representing England...
, which is also a significant feature of British Naval Flag
White Ensign
The White Ensign or St George's Ensign is an ensign flown on British Royal Navy ships and shore establishments. It consists of a red St George's Cross on a white field with the Union Flag in the upper canton....
, acknowledging the contribution of Captain Arthur Phillip
Arthur Phillip
Admiral Arthur Phillip RN was a British admiral and colonial administrator. Phillip was appointed Governor of New South Wales, the first European colony on the Australian continent, and was the founder of the settlement which is now the city of Sydney.-Early life and naval career:Arthur Phillip...
. The yellow circle represents the globe which was a principal feature of the arms granted posthumously to Captain James Cook
James Cook
Captain James Cook, FRS, RN was a British explorer, navigator and cartographer who ultimately rose to the rank of captain in the Royal Navy...
, the naval officer who discovered the east coast of Australia.
The top right emblem, containing three white lion heads and a blue chevron with a curved upper edge, is based on the arms of the first Lord Mayor of Sydney, Thomas Hughes, who first suggested that the city obtain a grant of arms.
The shield is supported
Supporters
In heraldry, supporters are figures usually placed on either side of the shield and depicted holding it up. These figures may be real or imaginary animals, human figures, and in rare cases plants or inanimate objects...
by a serpent
Snake
Snakes are elongate, legless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears. Like all squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales...
and a coiled rope. The serpent, in blue with white and gold markings, represents the Rainbow Serpent
Rainbow Serpent
The Rainbow Serpent is a common motif in the art and mythology of Aboriginal Australia. It is named for the snake-like meandering of water across a landscape and the colour spectrum caused when sunlight strikes water at an appropriate angle relative to the observer.The Rainbow Serpent is seen as...
, a creator-being said to have formed the landscape in the Dreamtime
Dreamtime
In the animist framework of Australian Aboriginal mythology, The Dreaming is a sacred era in which ancestral Totemic Spirit Beings formed The Creation.-The Dreaming of the Aboriginal times:...
as it travelled through the country. Its markings are based on those used by the Eora
Eora
The Eora are the Aboriginal people of the Sydney area, south to the Georges River, north to the Hawkesbury River, and west to Parramatta. The indigenous people used this word to describe where they came from to the British. "Eora" was then used by the British to refer to those Aboriginal people...
people, who lived in the area on which Sydney was founded. The rope continues the maritime imagery, and symbolises the diverse origins of the people of Sydney. The rope and serpent are intertwined, representing cultural harmony.
The crest
Crest (heraldry)
A crest is a component of an heraldic display, so called because it stands on top of a helmet, as the crest of a jay stands on the bird's head....
is a six-pointed star or "mullet
Mullet (heraldry)
In heraldry, the term star may refer to any star-shaped charge with any number of rays, which may appear straight or wavy, and may or may not be pierced...
".
History
Beehive
A beehive is a structure in which bees live and raise their young.Beehive may also refer to:Buildings and locations:* Bee Hive, Alabama, a neighborhood in Alabama* Beehive , a wing of the New Zealand Parliament Buildings...
, a traditional symbol of industry. The shield was supported by a British seaman and an Indigenous Australian and the design included the motto "I take but I surrender".
After the position of Mayor become Lord Mayor in 1902, the first Lord Mayor, Thomas Hughes, suggested that the council apply for a grant of arms from the College of Arms
College of Arms
The College of Arms, or Heralds’ College, is an office regulating heraldry and granting new armorial bearings for England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The heraldic designer William F. Ward submitted a new design, which included the ship, supporters and motto from the earlier version, but also included elements of the arms of Thomas Townshend and Captain Cook, as well as the crown, anchor and six-pointed star as a crest. The ship was now on a gold over blue background, symbolising the "Golden South". When the arms were approved by the heralds on 30 July 1908, the arms of Thomas Hughes had been added, along with a helmet and mantling above the shield.
The new arms adopted in 1996 simplified many elements of the 1908 arms, although the ship and motto were completely removed. The sailor and indigenous person were replaced with the modern style serpent and coiled rope, with their symbolism extended by the intertwining. The City still uses a banner of the 1908 arms as the official flag.
See also
- Coat of arms of New South WalesCoat of arms of New South WalesThe Coat of arms of New South Wales is the official coat of arms of the Australian state of New South Wales. It was granted by a Royal Warrant of His Majesty King Edward VII dated the 11 October 1906.-Description :...
- City of SydneyCity of SydneyThe City of Sydney is the Local Government Area covering the Sydney central business district and surrounding inner city suburbs of the greater metropolitan area of Sydney, Australia...
- SydneySydneySydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
(the wider metropolitan area)