The coat of arms of Adelaide was granted by the Herald's College on 20 April 1929.

Blazon

Shield

The arms consist of a blue shield with a gold cross, which is surmounted by a red cross. * The top left corner, or first quarter, shows a three-masted ship in full sail. The ship represents the importance of commerce to the

City A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

and is a reminder of the form of transport of the early settlers from

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

, and of any return voyage, as well as being the mail link between the two countries. * The top right corner, or second quarter, shows a

golden fleece In Greek mythology, the Golden Fleece ( el, Χρυσόμαλλον δέρας, ''Chrysómallon déras'') is the fleece of the golden-woolled,, ''Khrusómallos''. winged ram, Chrysomallos, that rescued Phrixus and brought him to Colchis, where P ...

, representing the

sheep farming Sheep farming or sheep husbandry is the raising and breeding of domestic sheep. It is a branch of animal husbandry. Sheep are raised principally for their meat (lamb and mutton), milk (sheep's milk), and fiber (wool). They also yield sheepskin an ...

interest and the

wool trade Wool is the textile fibre obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have properties similar to animal wool. As ...

. * The lower left corner, or third quarter, shows a bull’s head, representing the cattle interests. * The lower right corner, or fourth quarter, shows a golden wheatsheaf in full ear. It represents the extensive agricultural interests.

Crest

Above the shield is a golden mural crown, This supposedly derives from the crown or garland given to the soldier in Ancient Roman times who was the first to scale the wall of a besieged town. which is a common element in the arms of municipalities. Above the mural crown is the crest of the Corporation. It is a right arm holding a miner’s pick, representing another of the industries of the early years which contributed so much to the wealth of South Australia and Adelaide. The arm is resting on a wreath of the colours of the city, namely blue and gold.

Supporters

On the right side of the shield there is a

kangaroo Kangaroos are four marsupials from the family Macropodidae (macropods, meaning "large foot"). In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, the red kangaroo, as well as the antilopine kangaroo, eastern gre ...

, and on the left side a

lion The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphi ...

, which guard and uphold the shield. The lion represents the English colonists of South Australia and the kangaroo represents the country they helped to build. The lion simultaneously represents Aion, the god of time, and the lion of dominion. The red kangaroo represents the

Kaurna people The Kaurna people (, ; also Coorna, Kaura, Gaurna and other variations) are a group of Aboriginal people whose traditional lands include the Adelaide Plains of South Australia. They were known as the Adelaide tribe by the early settlers. Kaurn ...

's totem, the red kangaroo dreaming.

Base

The base of the shield stands on a grassy green field of rising ground.

Motto

A scroll below the arms has a

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

motto ''Ut Prosint Omnibus Conjuncti'' which translates as "united for the common good".

References

*http://www.adelaidecitycouncil.com/scripts/nc.dll?ADCC:STANDARD::pc=PC_01_07#arms {{Australian coat of arms

Adelaide Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...

Adelaide