Other National Flags

Australia’s current Coat of Arms was granted by King George V in September 1912 and is the second Commonwealth Coat of Arms. The first version appeared in 1908 and although similar, it did not include any specific references to the Australian States. Recommendations of the Commonwealth Government by King George V led to a number of changes which resulted in the design we see today.

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 shield in the centre of the coat of arms is a symbol for the federation of the states and it depicts the badges of the six Australian states enclosed by an ermine border. The shield is supported by two native Australian animals, the red kangaroo and the emu.

Above the shield is the seven pointed gold Commonwealth Star, six of the points represent each of the six states and the seventh represents the territories.

Australia has never adopted any official motto or faunal emblem. By popular tradition, however, the kangaroo and emu are widely accepted as such.

Australia's floral emblem, the golden wattle, frames the shield and supporters. A scroll contains the word ‘Australia’.

Australia's national colours

Australia's national colours, green and gold, were popular and loved by the Australians long before they were officially proclaimed by the Governor-General on 19 April 1984.

At international sporting events before Federation, and of course at many since it, the colours have been associated with the achievements of many great Australian sportsmen.

As well as instilling national pride on the field, spectators often also don the official colours and cheer their team waving green and gold boxing kangaroo flags. Back home in Australia, the green triangle and gold kangaroo of the Australian Made logo is the most recognized country of original symbol on Australian shop shelves.

Prior to its proclamation, Australia had no official colours and different combinations vied for the honour: red, white and blue; blue and gold; and green and gold. The colours red, white and blue were featured in the first Coat of Arms of the Commonwealth in 1908 and are the colours of the Australian National Flag. Blue and gold have heraldic significance, as the colours of the crest in the 1912 (present) Commonwealth Coat of Arms.

But it was the green and gold of Australia's landscape, principally of many species of wattle, which won the day. Green and gold are also represented on the Commonwealth Coat of Arms by the wattle which is an ornamental accessory to the shield.

Australia’s Floral Emblem

Golden Wattle

Australia’s national floral emblem is the golden wattle (Acacia pycnantha Benth.). It encapsulates the spirit of the Australian bush. The shrub or a small tree grows in the understorey of open forest, woodland and in open scrub in South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory.

Like all the emblems and symbols, the golden wattle captures an essence of Australia that brings the colours, smells and textures of the Australian bush alive.

The flower has long been recognized as Australia's premier floral symbol and was officially proclaimed in 1988. In 1912, on the recommendation of the Prime Minister Andrew Fisher, wattle was included as the decoration surrounding the Commonwealth Coat of Arms and it has also been used in the design of Australian stamps and many awards in the Australian honours system.

National Wattle Day is the first day of September and was introduced in 1913 by the association called the Wattle Day League and formally recognized on 23 June 1992. The Australians can celebrate Wattle Day by planting wattles and wearing the wattle blossom on September 1st.