Coat of arms of Western Australia
Encyclopedia
The Coat of arms of Western Australia is the official coat of arms
of the Australian State of Western Australia
. It was granted by a Royal Warrant
of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
dated 17 March 1969.
in its natural colours swims on the upper blue ripple.
The crest
is the Royal Crown
in its proper colours on a wreath or torse
of black (sable) and gold (or) between two Kangaroo paw
flowers in their natural colours of red and green.
The supporters
are a Red Kangaroo
on the dexter and sinister
(the viewer's right and left) holding up the shield. They are each depicted 'proper', or in natural colours. Each Kangaroo holds in their forepaw a boomerang
without any marks or symbols on it, and they stand upon a grassy compartment.
There is no motto
with the coat of arms.
The official blazon
, or heraldic description is contained in the Royal Warrant, and reads: For Arms: Argent on a base wavy Azure charged with a barrulet wavy Argent a Black Swan naiant proper. And for Crest: On a Wreath Or and Sable The Royal Crown between two Kangaroo Paw (Anigosanthos Manglesii) flowers slipped proper. And for Supporters: On either side a Kangaroo holding in the exterior fore-paw a Boomerang proper.
The illustration in the Royal Warrant apparently shows the Arms with helmet and mantling, but the Western Australian Government has been advised that "With the consent of the Garter Principal King of Arms, the Arms will be produced, for the use in Western Australia, in abbreviated form without the helmet and mantling. A helmet and mantling is depicted in correct heraldic form in the Warrant to conform to heraldic principles, but omission thereof for general usage is in line with the usage of the Commonwealth of Australia and of other Australian States".
sailed into and named the 'Swaanerivier' after the birds. In 1826 the British explorer Captain James Stirling
recorded seeing some 500 black swans flying over the Swan River
. The British colony in Western Australia was popularly known as the Swan River Colony
from its foundation in 1829 until the beginning of the convict era in 1850.
The black swan is the official bird emblem of Western Australia, although only formally adopted in 1973. It also as appears on the State Badge as a black swan silhouetted against a yellow disk. The badge is shown in the fly of the State Flag
that was adopted in 1870, and revised in 1953. At the time of the badge's adoption, the colonial Governor, Frederick Weld
, wrote that "This Colony at its commencement was usually known as the Swan River Settlement, and the Black Swan is represented upon its seal, and has always been considered as its special badge, or cognizance." The swan sits on a rippled blue and white base to depict it in its natural state, swimming on an estuary or lake.
The Crown
is representative of the monarchy in Australia
, and the black and gold torse supporting the Crown shows the colours of the State. A torse usually shows the principle colour and metal of the shield (blue and white), but in this case, the black and gold colours that have historically been associated with Western Australia since the adoption of the Colonial Badge in the 1870 are shown.
The Kangaroo paw
(Anigozanthos manglesii) flower is the official floral emblem of Western Australia, adopted in 1960, and together with the black and gold torse framing the Crown indicates the honour bestowed upon the State by the grant of Arms, and emphasises the sovereignty and independence of Western Australia.
The Red Kangaroo (Macropus rufus) is the largest kangaroo species, living in the State's inland and arid regions. Its natural habitat, combined with that of the Black Swan, covers almost the whole State and symbolically reflect the jurisdiction of the coat of arms. The Red Kangaroo is the species usually shown in Australian heraldry, for example the Australian
and Northern Territory
Arms, although the New South Wales
Arms has a mythical Gold Kangaroo as a supporter.
The lack of any designs or emblems on the boomerangs held by the kangaroos indicates their role in representing all of the Aboriginal peoples
of Western Australia.
Although no motto was granted as part of the Coat of Arms, earlier heraldic-like emblems of Western Australia sometimes used a motto of "Cygnis insignis", which means "distinguished for swans", being a Latin pun on the swan emblem (cygnis being Latin for swan). 'Insignis' can also mean remarkable, outstanding or conspicuous – all adjectives pointing to the long-standing association between Western Australia and the emblematic black swan. An early 20th century magazine devoted to Westralian poetry named Cygnet was published between 1913 and 1915; and the Western Australian essayist Sir Walter Murdoch
wrote in 1930, quoting an un-named poet:
included in his 1831 ballad So Western Australia for me the lines:
D. H. Lawrence
wrote nearly a century later in his 1925 story The Heritage:
The potency of the image of the black swan as a signifier of Westralian nationalism can be seen in this passage from Randolph Stow
's Merry-go-Round in the Sea, published in 1965:
The Royal Warrant granting the Arms states that they are "...to be borne for Our said State on Seals, Shields, Banners, Flags, or Otherwise ... according to the Laws of Arms", and are "...to be used on seals, shields, banners or otherwise according to the Laws of Arms
." These laws are derived from medieval English civil law
, and relate to the authority to grant Arms, and the regulation of their use, although the enforcability of these laws in Western Australia is unclear.
In 1979, the Western Australian Parliament
passed the Armorial Bearings Protection Act 1979, which patriated
the Law of Arms to some degree regarding the Western Australian State Arms, although rather obliquely. The main purpose of the Act is to prohit the unauthorised reproduction of images of the Arms.
The Armorial Bearings Protection Act only applies to "...the Royal Arms or the Arms of any part of Her Majesty’s Dominions
..." (Section 3 of the Act). It has not patriated the Laws of Arms for personal, civic or corporate Arms. Western Australian residents and corporate bodies wishing to obtain a grant of Arms must continue to obtain such grants, and any protection for those grants, from foreign authorities.
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
of the Australian State of Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
. It was granted by a Royal Warrant
Warrant (law)
Most often, the term warrant refers to a specific type of authorization; a writ issued by a competent officer, usually a judge or magistrate, which permits an otherwise illegal act that would violate individual rights and affords the person executing the writ protection from damages if the act is...
of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
dated 17 March 1969.
Description
The shield has a silver (argent) field, with a rippled blue (azure) and silver (argent) base. A black swanBlack Swan
The Black Swan is a large waterbird, a species of swan, which breeds mainly in the southeast and southwest regions of Australia. The species was hunted to extinction in New Zealand, but later reintroduced. Within Australia they are nomadic, with erratic migration patterns dependent upon climatic...
in its natural colours swims on the upper blue ripple.
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 the Royal Crown
Crown (headgear)
A crown is the traditional symbolic form of headgear worn by a monarch or by a deity, for whom the crown traditionally represents power, legitimacy, immortality, righteousness, victory, triumph, resurrection, honour and glory of life after death. In art, the crown may be shown being offered to...
in its proper colours on a wreath or torse
Torse
In heraldry, a torse or wreath is a twisted roll of fabric laid about the top of the helm and the base of the crest, from which the mantling hangs....
of black (sable) and gold (or) between two Kangaroo paw
Kangaroo paw
Kangaroo paw is a common name for a number of species, in two genera of the family Haemodoraceae, that are endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. These perennial plants are noted for their unique bird attracting flowers...
flowers in their natural colours of red and green.
The supporters
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...
are a Red Kangaroo
Kangaroo
A kangaroo is a marsupial from the family Macropodidae . In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, especially those of the genus Macropus, Red Kangaroo, Antilopine Kangaroo, Eastern Grey Kangaroo and Western Grey Kangaroo. Kangaroos are endemic to the country...
on the dexter and sinister
Dexter and sinister
Dexter and sinister are terms used in heraldry to refer to specific locations in an escutcheon bearing a coat of arms and by extension also to a crest. "Dexter" means to the right from the viewpoint of the bearer of the arms, to the left of that of the viewer...
(the viewer's right and left) holding up the shield. They are each depicted 'proper', or in natural colours. Each Kangaroo holds in their forepaw a boomerang
Boomerang
A boomerang is a flying tool with a curved shape used as a weapon or for sport.-Description:A boomerang is usually thought of as a wooden device, although historically boomerang-like devices have also been made from bones. Modern boomerangs used for sport are often made from carbon fibre-reinforced...
without any marks or symbols on it, and they stand upon a grassy compartment.
There is no motto
Motto
A motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottoes of governments...
with the coat of arms.
The official blazon
Blazon
In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image...
, or heraldic description is contained in the Royal Warrant, and reads: For Arms: Argent on a base wavy Azure charged with a barrulet wavy Argent a Black Swan naiant proper. And for Crest: On a Wreath Or and Sable The Royal Crown between two Kangaroo Paw (Anigosanthos Manglesii) flowers slipped proper. And for Supporters: On either side a Kangaroo holding in the exterior fore-paw a Boomerang proper.
The illustration in the Royal Warrant apparently shows the Arms with helmet and mantling, but the Western Australian Government has been advised that "With the consent of the Garter Principal King of Arms, the Arms will be produced, for the use in Western Australia, in abbreviated form without the helmet and mantling. A helmet and mantling is depicted in correct heraldic form in the Warrant to conform to heraldic principles, but omission thereof for general usage is in line with the usage of the Commonwealth of Australia and of other Australian States".
Symbolism
The black swan was noted by all of the early European maritime explorers who sailed along the Western Australian coast. In 1697 the Dutch explorer Willem de VlaminghWillem de Vlamingh
Willem Hesselsz de Vlamingh was a Dutch sea-captain who explored the central west coast of Australia in the late 17th century.- Vlamingh and the VOC :...
sailed into and named the 'Swaanerivier' after the birds. In 1826 the British explorer Captain James Stirling
James Stirling (Australian governor)
Admiral Sir James Stirling RN was a British naval officer and colonial administrator. His enthusiasm and persistence persuaded the British Government to establish the Swan River Colony and he became the first Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Western Australia...
recorded seeing some 500 black swans flying over the Swan River
Swan River (Western Australia)
The Swan River estuary flows through the city of Perth, in the south west of Western Australia. Its lower reaches are relatively wide and deep, with few constrictions, while the upper reaches are usually quite narrow and shallow....
. The British colony in Western Australia was popularly known as the Swan River Colony
Swan River Colony
The Swan River Colony was a British settlement established in 1829 on the Swan River, in Western Australia. The name was a pars pro toto for Western Australia. In 1832, the colony was officially renamed Western Australia, when the colony's founding Lieutenant-Governor, Captain James Stirling,...
from its foundation in 1829 until the beginning of the convict era in 1850.
The black swan is the official bird emblem of Western Australia, although only formally adopted in 1973. It also as appears on the State Badge as a black swan silhouetted against a yellow disk. The badge is shown in the fly of the State Flag
Flag of Western Australia
The current state flag of Western Australia was officially adopted by the government of Western Australia in 1953.The flag is based on the defaced British Blue Ensign with the state badge located in the fly. The badge is a gold disc with a native Black Swan, the swan is facing towards the hoist...
that was adopted in 1870, and revised in 1953. At the time of the badge's adoption, the colonial Governor, Frederick Weld
Frederick Weld
Sir Frederick Aloysius Weld, GCMG , was a New Zealand politician and a governor of various British colonies. He was the sixth Premier of New Zealand, and later served as Governor of Western Australia, Governor of Tasmania, and Governor of the Straits Settlements.-Early life:Weld was born near...
, wrote that "This Colony at its commencement was usually known as the Swan River Settlement, and the Black Swan is represented upon its seal, and has always been considered as its special badge, or cognizance." The swan sits on a rippled blue and white base to depict it in its natural state, swimming on an estuary or lake.
The Crown
The Crown
The Crown is a corporation sole that in the Commonwealth realms and any provincial or state sub-divisions thereof represents the legal embodiment of governance, whether executive, legislative, or judicial...
is representative of the monarchy in Australia
Monarchy in Australia
The Monarchy of Australia is a form of government in which a hereditary monarch is the sovereign of Australia. The monarchy is a constitutional one modelled on the Westminster style of parliamentary government, incorporating features unique to the Constitution of Australia.The present monarch is...
, and the black and gold torse supporting the Crown shows the colours of the State. A torse usually shows the principle colour and metal of the shield (blue and white), but in this case, the black and gold colours that have historically been associated with Western Australia since the adoption of the Colonial Badge in the 1870 are shown.
The Kangaroo paw
Kangaroo paw
Kangaroo paw is a common name for a number of species, in two genera of the family Haemodoraceae, that are endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. These perennial plants are noted for their unique bird attracting flowers...
(Anigozanthos manglesii) flower is the official floral emblem of Western Australia, adopted in 1960, and together with the black and gold torse framing the Crown indicates the honour bestowed upon the State by the grant of Arms, and emphasises the sovereignty and independence of Western Australia.
The Red Kangaroo (Macropus rufus) is the largest kangaroo species, living in the State's inland and arid regions. Its natural habitat, combined with that of the Black Swan, covers almost the whole State and symbolically reflect the jurisdiction of the coat of arms. The Red Kangaroo is the species usually shown in Australian heraldry, for example the Australian
Coat of arms of Australia
The coat of arms of Australia is the official symbol of Australia. The initial coat of arms was granted by King Edward VII on 7 May 1908, and the current version was granted by King George V on 19 September 1912, although the 1908 version continued to be used in some contexts, notably appearing on...
and Northern Territory
Coat of arms of the Northern Territory
The coat of arms of the Northern Territory is the official symbol of the Australian territory. They were officially granted by HM The Queen on 11 September 1978...
Arms, although the New South Wales
Coat of arms of New South Wales
The 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 :...
Arms has a mythical Gold Kangaroo as a supporter.
The lack of any designs or emblems on the boomerangs held by the kangaroos indicates their role in representing all of the Aboriginal peoples
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
of Western Australia.
Walter Murdoch
Emeritus Professor Sir Walter Murdoch, KCMG was a prominent Australian academic and essayist famous for his intelligence, wit, and humanity. He was a Founding Professor of English and former Chancellor of University of Western Australia in Perth. Murdoch University, also in Perth is named after him...
wrote in 1930, quoting an un-named poet:
Hail to Westralia!
Hail to its bigness!
Hail to its motto
"Cygnis insignis."
The symbolic black swan
'Westralia' is a contraction of 'Western Australia' often used self-referentially. Black swans have featured in much Westralian (or Western Australian) literature and art. The early colonist George Fletcher MooreGeorge Fletcher Moore
George Fletcher Moore was a prominent early settler in colonial Western Australia, and "one [of] the key figures in early Western Australia's ruling elite"...
included in his 1831 ballad So Western Australia for me the lines:
No lions or tigers are we dread to meet,
Our innocent quadrupeds hop on two feet;
No tithes and no taxes, we here have to pay,
And our geese are all swans, as some witty folk say.
D. H. Lawrence
D. H. Lawrence
David Herbert Richards Lawrence was an English novelist, poet, playwright, essayist, literary critic and painter who published as D. H. Lawrence. His collected works represent an extended reflection upon the dehumanising effects of modernity and industrialisation...
wrote nearly a century later in his 1925 story The Heritage:
Jack looked out at the road, but was much more enchanted by the full, soft river of heavenly blue water, on whose surface he looked eagerly for the black swans. He didn't see any.
"Oh yes! Oh, yes! You'll find em wild in their native state a little way up," said Mr Swallow.
The potency of the image of the black swan as a signifier of Westralian nationalism can be seen in this passage from Randolph Stow
Randolph Stow
Julian Randolph Stow was an Australian writer.-Life:Born in Geraldton, Western Australia, Randolph Stow attended Guildford Grammar School and the University of Western Australia. He lectured in English Literature at the University of Adelaide, the University of Western Australia and the...
's Merry-go-Round in the Sea, published in 1965:
Perth was ancient ... And it was a very special city, cut off from other cities by sea and desert, so that there was not another city for two thousand miles. Among all Australian cities it had proved itself the most special, by a romantic act called the SecessionSecessionism in Western AustraliaSecessionism has been a recurring feature of Western Australia's political landscape since shortly after European settlement in 1829. The idea of self governance or secession has often been discussed through local newspaper articles and editorials and on a number of occasions has surfaced as very...
, which the other cities had stuffily ignored.
Cinderella State, he thought, feeling indignant. That was the reason for the Secession. Because they had ignored his poor Cinderella State, all one million square miles of it.
Maybe after this war there'd be another war. Western Australia against the world, Black Swan flying.
'We shouldn't have gone to Parliament House,' his mother had remarked, 'it seems to have made you political.' ...
'When will Western Australia be free?' he wondered.
'I don't know,' said his mother. 'Perhaps when Bonnie Prince Charlie comes over.'
'Aww.' He grew disgusted at her flipancy.
Designer
The original heraldic artist who devised the Arms is not known, although of the elements in the design have a long tradition of being used as symbols of the State, indicating some knowledge by the designer of Western Australian history and symbolism.Legal status
The Western Australian Coat of arms are Arms of Dominion and Sovereignty. The Arms are included in the description in section 3 of the Armorial Bearings Protection Act 1979 (see below) as "Arms of any part of Her Majesty's Dominions". Arms of Dominion and Sovereignty are the symbols of intangible public authority which belong to independent states and are used by their representatives (such as government agencies) and leadersThe Royal Warrant granting the Arms states that they are "...to be borne for Our said State on Seals, Shields, Banners, Flags, or Otherwise ... according to the Laws of Arms", and are "...to be used on seals, shields, banners or otherwise according to the Laws of Arms
Law of Arms
The law of heraldic arms governs the "bearing of arms", that is, the possession, use or display of arms, also called coats of arms, coat armour or armorial bearings. Although it is believed that the original function of coats of arms was to enable knights to identify each other on the battlefield,...
." These laws are derived from medieval English civil law
Civil law (common law)
Civil law, as opposed to criminal law, is the branch of law dealing with disputes between individuals or organizations, in which compensation may be awarded to the victim...
, and relate to the authority to grant Arms, and the regulation of their use, although the enforcability of these laws in Western Australia is unclear.
In 1979, the Western Australian Parliament
Parliament of Western Australia
The Parliament of Western Australia consists of the Legislative Council and the Legislative Assembly . The Parliament sits at Parliament House in Harvest Terrace, Perth....
passed the Armorial Bearings Protection Act 1979, which patriated
Patriation
Patriation is a non-legal term used in Canada to describe a process of constitutional change also known as "homecoming" of the constitution. Up until 1982, Canada was governed by a constitution that was a British law and could be changed only by an Act of the British Parliament...
the Law of Arms to some degree regarding the Western Australian State Arms, although rather obliquely. The main purpose of the Act is to prohit the unauthorised reproduction of images of the Arms.
The Armorial Bearings Protection Act only applies to "...the Royal Arms or the Arms of any part of Her Majesty’s Dominions
Commonwealth Realm
A Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state within the Commonwealth of Nations that has Elizabeth II as its monarch and head of state. The sixteen current realms have a combined land area of 18.8 million km² , and a population of 134 million, of which all, except about two million, live in the six...
..." (Section 3 of the Act). It has not patriated the Laws of Arms for personal, civic or corporate Arms. Western Australian residents and corporate bodies wishing to obtain a grant of Arms must continue to obtain such grants, and any protection for those grants, from foreign authorities.
See also
- Black Swan emblems and popular culture
- Government of Western AustraliaGovernment of Western AustraliaThe formation of the Government of Western Australia is prescribed in its Constitution, which dates from 1890, although it has been amended many times since then...
- HeraldryHeraldryHeraldry is the profession, study, or art of creating, granting, and blazoning arms and ruling on questions of rank or protocol, as exercised by an officer of arms. Heraldry comes from Anglo-Norman herald, from the Germanic compound harja-waldaz, "army commander"...