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Flags and Emblems
FLAGS AND EMBLEMS
Emblems of New South Wales
People have used flags and other emblems since the beginning of civilisation as a rallying point and a source of pride.
A flag is an emblem which stands for its people, history and ideals. New South Wales has its own distinctive flag as well as its own coat of arms, crest, state flower, animal, bird and fish.
Australian National Flag
The Australian National Flag symbolises Australia's historical links with Britain (Union Jack) and Australia's location in the Southern Hemisphere (stars of the Southern Cross). The larger seven-pointed star represents the six original states and the Territories of the Commonwealth.
Other flags of Australia include the Aboriginal flag and the Torres Strait Islander flag
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New South Wales Flag
The New South Wales State flag has been in use since 1876. It includes the Union Jack and the NSW badge. The badge consists of the Cross of St George in red on a white disc with an eight-pointed gold star on each arm and a golden lion in the centre.
The badge was designed by James Barnet, the Colonial Architect, and Captain Francis Hixson, Royal Navy, who was president of the Marine Board.
Many organisations fly the NSW flag as a mark of respect. There are protocols for flying and storing the flag
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The national coat of arms includes all the state badges under the seven-pointed star, symbolising the unity of the states and Commonwealth. It is supported by the emu and kangaroo.
Usually the Arms are depicted with branches of wattle tied with ribbon, emblematic of Australia, and a scroll with the word 'Australia' at the base. These do not constitute part of the complete Armorial Achievement and are not mentioned in the Royal Warrant.
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New South Wales coat of arms
King Edward VII approved the New South Wales Arms in 1906.
- The central red cross is the Red Cross of St George, it is the old badge of the Colony. It is also the Navy flag badge and so recognises the contribution of naval officers such as Captain Cook and Governors Phillip, Hunter, King and Bligh.
- The four stars on the cross represent the Southern Cross, which was from earliest times a mariner's guide.
- The lion in the centre is the English lion from the British Arms.
- The golden fleece and the wheat sheaves in the corners represent NSW's primary industries.
- The rising sun crest continues the use of the earliest colonial crest and represents a newly rising country.
- The right-hand supporter, the lion, is a recognition of the British origin of the first settlers and the continuing connection between the two countries.
- The left-hand supporter, the kangaroo, is Australia's most distinctive animal. It is often used as an emblem of Australia.
The motto means "Newly risen, how brightly you shine".
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Crest of the New South Wales Parliament
The 'Belted Crest' of the Parliament of New South Wales incorporates the New South Wales Coat of Arms. The Crown is a reminder that the State Governor (the Monarch's representative), along with the two Houses of Parliament, is part of the Legislature.
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Mace
The Mace is a symbol of the authority of the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly. It is carried into the Chamber by the Serjeant-at-Arms and lies on the Table while the House is in session and the Speaker is in the Chair. Or it is placed on rungs below the Table while the House is in Committee of the Whole.
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The animal emblem of New South Wales is the Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus). It is one of two egg-laying mammals or monotremes only found in the Australasian region (the other is the echidna). It lives in rivers and streams and is well adapted to life in the water with its close fur, webbed feet and duck-like bill.
It feeds on freshwater yabbies, worms, insects and their larvae and snails, nosing in the gravel with its sensitive bill. The adult male has a poison spur on the heel of each hind foot.
Originally hunted for their fur, platypuses have been protected since the 1920s.
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The Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae) is the bird emblem of New South Wales. This great brown kingfisher is sometimes called a 'laughing jackass' because of its distinctive territorial laughing call. Meat eaters, they hunt snakes, lizards, fish and insects. They live at forest edges, in clearings and open woodland country and have adapted well to life in our towns and suburbs.
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The waratah (Telopea speciosissima) is the floral emblem of New South Wales. It is a stout, erect shrub which may grow to four metres. The flowers are grouped in rounded heads 7-10 cm in diameter surrounded by crimson bracts. It flowers from September to November.
The Waratah is fairly widespread on the central coast and adjoining mountains of New South Wales. It grows mainly in the shrub understorey in open forest and also now flourishes in gardens.
In Aboriginal myth, the Waratah was much loved by the hunter Warnili. When he was struck blind by lightning, the Kwinis, tiny bush spirits, made the Waratah more rigid so the blind hunter could distinguish it by touch.
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The Blue Groper (Achoerodus viridis) was proclaimed the State fish of New South Wales in 2002. Males are blue, females are reddish brown and juveniles are green. Adults can reach a length of 1.2m and weigh up to 50kg. They are found among the rocky reefs along the east coast of Australia, from southern Queensland to Wilson's promontory in Victoria and feed on molluscs and crustaceans.
An inquisitive fish, they are easily caught and have been extensively fished.
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