28:
42:
284:, 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 1870 are shown.
274:, wrote: "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.
230:
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
307:) 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
349:
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
231:
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."
434:
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
460:
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.
477:
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
473:
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 leaders.
299:
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.
225:
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
344:
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
501:
the Law of Arms to some degree regarding the Western Australian state arms, although rather obliquely. The main purpose of the act is to prohibit the unauthorised reproduction of images of the
377:'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
334:
266:
of Western Australia, although only formally adopted in 1973. It also appears on the state badge as a black swan silhouetted against a yellow disk. The badge is shown in the fly of the
416:
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.
441:
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.
677:
713:
486:, and relate to the authority to grant arms, and the regulation of their use, although the enforceability of these laws in Western Australia is unclear.
239:
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
804:
743:
199:(the viewer's right and left) holding up the shield. They are each depicted proper (in natural colours). Each kangaroo holds in their forepaw a
469:
The Western Australian coats of arms are arms of dominion and sovereignty. The arms are included in the description in section 3 of the
562:
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The lack of any designs or emblems on the boomerangs held by the kangaroos indicates their role in representing all of the
244:
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436:
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The potency of the image of the black swan as a signifier of Westralian nationalism can be seen in this passage from
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519:
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445:'We shouldn't have gone to Parliament House,' his mother had remarked, 'it seems to have made you political.' ...
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that was adopted in 1870, and revised in 1953. At the time of the badge's adoption, the colonial governor,
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338:
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Maybe after this war there'd be another war. Western Australia against the world, Black Swan flying.
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768:
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418:"Oh yes! Oh, yes! You'll find em wild in their native state a little way up," said Mr Swallow.
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Argent on a base wavy azure charged with a barrulet wavy argent a black swan naiant proper.
8:
308:
196:
114:
69:
The royal crown between two kangaroo paw (Anigosanthos Manglesii) flowers slipped proper.
243:
sailed into and named the 'Swaanerivier' after the birds. In 1826 the British explorer
240:
221:
For Arms: Argent on a base wavy Azure charged with a barrulet wavy Argent a Black Swan
252:
161:
has a silver (argent) field, with a rippled blue (azure) and silver (argent) base. A
134:
84:
27:
173:
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64:
449:'I don't know,' said his mother. 'Perhaps when Bonnie Prince Charlie comes over.'
681:
566:
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271:
646:, Dodge Publishing, New York 1909; facsimile Bonanza Books, New York 1978: 607
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without any marks or symbols on it, and they stand upon a grassy compartment.
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691:
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was published between 1913 and 1915; and the Western Australian essayist Sir
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41:
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288:
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603:
Durack, M., quoting Moore in 'The Governor's Ball', in Bennet and Grono,
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217:, or heraldic description is contained in the royal warrant, and reads:
675:
WA Coat of Arms at the Department of the Premier & Cabinet web site
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188:
162:
277:
251:. The British colony in Western Australia was popularly known as the
200:
94:
539:
590:
Murdoch, W., 'On Pioneering', in Bennett, B., & Grono, W.,
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214:
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177:
104:
74:
577:
Hay, J., 'Literature and Society', in Stannage, T., (Ed),
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Lawrence, D. H., 'The Heritage', in Bennet and Grono,
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from its foundation in 1829 until the beginning of the
165:
in its natural colours swims on the upper blue ripple.
560:
The State Flag, WA Department of Premier & Cabinet
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or the arms "of any part of Her Majesty’s Dominions".
247:
recorded seeing some 500 black swans flying over the
447:'When will Western Australia be free?' he wondered.
184:flowers in their natural colours of red and green.
323:arms has a mythical gold kangaroo as a supporter.
592:Wide Domain: Western Australian themes and images
482:." These laws are derived from medieval English
858:
407:wrote nearly a century later in his 1925 story
721:
439:, which the other cities had stuffily ignored.
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394:No tithes and no taxes, we here have to pay,
451:'Aww.' He grew disgusted at her flipancy.
180:of black (sable) and gold (or) between two
714:
700:
372:
594:, Angus & Robertson, Sydney 1979: 66
538:van Lohuizen, J., 'Vlamingh, Willem de (
392:Our innocent quadrupeds hop on two feet;
390:No lions or tigers are we dread to meet,
358:wrote in 1930, quoting an unnamed poet:
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400:are all swans, as some witty folk say.
99:Red kangaroos bearing boomerangs proper
859:
515:Black swan emblems and popular culture
695:
687:Armorial Bearings Protection Act 1979
656:Armorial Bearings Protection Act 1979
495:Armorial Bearings Protection Act 1979
471:Armorial Bearings Protection Act 1979
176:in its proper colours on a wreath or
633:, Penguin Books, Ringwood 1985: 135
13:
579:A New History of Western Australia
544:Australian Dictionary of Biography
14:
893:
668:
127:coat of arms of Western Australia
21:Coat of arms of Western Australia
46:State Badge of Western Australia
40:
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581:, UWA Press, Nedlands 1981: 614
520:Government of Western Australia
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262:The black swan is the official
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631:The Merry-go-Round in the Sea
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491:Western Australian Parliament
867:Symbols of Western Australia
744:Australian Capital Territory
644:A Complete Guide to Heraldry
381:included in his 1831 ballad
234:
7:
508:
455:
383:So Western Australia for me
133:of the Australian state of
10:
898:
722:Coats of arms of Australia
548:Melbourne University Press
339:Metropolitan Region Scheme
882:Coats of arms with crowns
838:
787:
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730:Commonwealth of Australia
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428:Merry-go-Round in the Sea
295:) flower is the official
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877:Coats of arms with birds
872:Australian coats of arms
565:13 February 2006 at the
373:The symbolic black swan
210:with the coat of arms.
737:States and territories
453:
420:
402:
370:
341:
330:of Western Australia.
293:Anigozanthos manglesii
245:Captain James Stirling
228:
137:. It was granted by a
680:20 April 2016 at the
432:
430:, published in 1965:
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388:
379:George Fletcher Moore
360:
336:
282:monarchy in Australia
219:
149:dated 17 March 1969.
839:External territories
364:Hail to its bigness!
337:Emblem used on 1955
368:"Cygnis insignis."
319:arms, although the
309:Australian heraldry
197:dexter and sinister
754:Northern Territory
642:Fox-Davies, A.C.,
362:Hail to Westralia!
342:
328:Aboriginal peoples
317:Northern Territory
311:, for example the
303:The red kangaroo (
241:Willem de Vlamingh
147:Queen of Australia
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779:Western Australia
366:Hail to its motto
253:Swan River Colony
135:Western Australia
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489:In 1979, the
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424:Randolph Stow
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213:The official
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172:is the royal
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139:royal warrant
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546:, Volume 2,
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494:
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480:Laws of Arms
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470:
468:
465:Legal status
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427:
421:
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409:The Heritage
408:
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304:
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292:
289:kangaroo paw
286:
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261:
238:
229:
220:
212:
206:There is no
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193:red kangaroo
186:
182:kangaroo paw
167:
156:
143:Elizabeth II
131:coat of arms
126:
124:
79:Or and sable
15:
550:, 1967: 556
493:passed the
264:bird emblem
257:convict era
153:Description
861:Categories
759:Queensland
629:Stow, R.,
526:References
503:royal arms
385:the lines:
313:Australian
268:state flag
249:Swan River
189:supporters
163:black swan
95:Supporters
820:Melbourne
499:patriated
484:civil law
437:Secession
278:The crown
259:in 1850.
235:Symbolism
201:boomerang
805:Canberra
800:Brisbane
795:Adelaide
774:Victoria
769:Tasmania
678:Archived
660:s 3
618:op. cit.
605:op. cit.
563:Archived
542:1697)',
509:See also
497:, which
456:Designer
396:And our
115:Order(s)
35:Versions
226:proper.
195:on the
56:Adopted
830:Sydney
815:Hobart
810:Darwin
352:Cygnet
347:cygnis
223:naiant
215:blazon
191:are a
159:shield
85:Shield
825:Perth
658:(WA)
398:geese
208:motto
178:torse
174:crown
170:crest
105:Motto
75:Torse
65:Crest
620:: 63
607:: 47
315:and
287:The
187:The
168:The
157:The
125:The
119:None
109:None
540:fl.
426:'s
141:of
863::
145:,
715:e
708:t
701:v
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345:(
291:(
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