The Heraldry Council is part of the South African heraldic authority. It was established in Pretoria in June 1963, in terms of the Heraldry Act. It is the governing and policy-making body for the Bureau of Heraldry

Bureau of Heraldry (South Africa)

The Bureau of Heraldry is the South African heraldic authority, established in Pretoria on 1 June 1963. It is headed by a National Herald and its functions are to register arms, badges, flags and seals , to keep a public register, to issue registration certificates and, since 1980, to advise the...

 and consists of the National Herald ex officio as deputy chairman, and other members appointed by the Minister of Arts & Culture. As the list below shows, the Council is usually composed of heraldists, historians, state archivists, artists and, since the mid-1990s, African language specialists and writers. The current chairman is Professor Themba Msimang.

The Council's functions were originally defined as: advising the minister and provincial administrators on heraldic matters, approving applications for registration of arms, considering objections to applications, and hearing appeals against rejected applications. In 1969, approval of applications was transferred to the Bureau, and the Council's advisory function was changed to one of determining the policy for approving arms.

Policies adopted over the years include:

• the format of family association arms (1966),
• the orientation of helmets to face the same direction as the crests (1982),
• the discontinuation of the use of titles on registration certificates (1988), and
• a moratorium on the registration of crowns and supporters and other additaments relating to foreign titles or ranks (2002).

In the 1980s, the Council did the groundwork for the creation of the national orders, and recommended that the dark blue stripe of the then national flag be changed back to its original lighter shade. In 1999, it was consulted on the question of new national arms, but its proposals were turned down in 2000 in favour of a design from a commercial design studio.

The Heraldry Committee, made up of selected Council members and, since 1984, the National Herald ex officio, was originally set up to deal with matters referred to it from time to time. Since 1984, it has also been responsible for considering objections to applications for registration.

Chairmen and Members of the Council

A reasonably complete list:

Chairmen

• Hon Victor Hiemstra (1963–1984) – judge
• Lt Gen Heinrich du Toit (1984–1995) – retired army officer, heraldist
• Prof Deon Fourie (1995–1997) – political scientist, heraldist
• Prof Themba Msimang (1998- ) – writer, poet

Members

• Dr Barrie Biermann (1963–1984) – architect
• Dr Allen Kieser (1963–1975) – historian, state archivist
• Prof Jacobus Oberholster (1963–1975) – cultural historian
• Ivan Mitford-Barberton (1963–1972) – sculptor, heraldist
• Dr Cornelis Pama (1963–1989) – editor, publisher, heraldist, genealogist
• Dr Willem Punt (1963–1975) – cultural historian
• Maj Frank Waller (1972–1975) – heraldist
• Johann Preller (1975–1984 – state archivist
• Prof Hugh Smith (1975–1984) – economist, heraldist, vexillologist
• Dr Albert Werth (1975–1976) – art gallery director
• Dr Nico Roos (1976–1984) – [artist]
• Ernst de Jong (1984–1997) – artist
• Hon Christoffel 'Frikkie' Eloff (1984–1988- judge, arts association chairman
• Prof Benjamin Hendrickx (1984–1989) – professor in Greek and Latin
• Robert Laing (1984–1996) – heraldist
• Dr Johannes Snyman (1984–1993) – historian, archivist
• Hon Kees van Dijkhorst (1988–1997 – judge
• Prof Deon Fourie (1989–1997, 2003- )
• Prof Ockert Ferreira (1989–1997 – cultural historian
• Frank Nel (1993–1997) – state archivist
• Mrs Priscilla Broberg (1998- ) – defence force heraldic artist
• Prof Martin Legassick (1998- ) – historian
• Prof Bernard Magubane (1998- ) – historian
• Mrs Joan Merrington (1998- ) – heraldic artist
• Prof Mbulelo Mzamane (1998–2003 ) – writer, poet, university principal
• Miss Marie Olivier (1998–2000) – state archivist
• Dr M. Govender (2003- )
• W.F. Tabata (2003- )
• Ms C.N. Jikelo (2003- )
• P.M. Malaka (2003- )

See also

• Bureau of Heraldry
  Bureau of Heraldry (South Africa)
  The Bureau of Heraldry is the South African heraldic authority, established in Pretoria on 1 June 1963. It is headed by a National Herald and its functions are to register arms, badges, flags and seals , to keep a public register, to issue registration certificates and, since 1980, to advise the...
  
  
• South African Heraldry Website