The coat of arms of Queensland is the oldest in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

, and was first granted by

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...

in 1893 through the simplest form of heraldic grants; with the shield of arms, motto, helmet, mantling and crest.

Suggestions and submissions

Up to 1892, suggestions were being made as to what the state's coat of arms was to constitute and the pictures below illustrate the four main depictions that were considered. Below are the four proposed coat of arms submitted to the British

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and from which the first edition of the coat of arms was taken. These suggestions were accompanied by a letter by the Chief Secretary to the Government Office in London.Queensland State Archives (1892) 'Despatches Written by the Agent General', SRS 5321, 1, 75 Image:QLDCoatofArms1.jpg, First example of a proposed coat of arms for Queensland Image:QLDCoatofArms2.jpg, Second example of a proposed coat of arms for Queensland Image:QLDCoatofArms3.jpg, Third example of a proposed coat of arms for Queensland Image:QLDCoatofArms4.jpg, Fourth example of a proposed coat of arms for Queensland

Heraldic description

Ammorial Ensign of Queensland - Coat of Arms 1893

Below is the

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. The verb ''to blazon'' means to create such a description. The vis ...

'Per fesse, the Chief Or, the Base per pale Sable and Gules, in chief a Bull's head couped in profile muzzled, and a merino Ram's head respecting each other proper, the dexter charged with a Garb of the first, and in the sinister Base on a mount a Pile of Quartz, issuant there from a Gold Pyramid, in front of the Mount a Spade surmounted by a Pick saltire-wise all proper'

Modernised, this means:

'Across the top of the shield a gold panel on which there is a bull's head in profile muzzled, cut off at the neck and a merino ram's head, facing each other, both naturally coloured. In the lower portion of the shield on the left hand side on the black background a golden sheaf of wheat; on the right side on a red background and on a green mound, a golden obelisk standing on a pile of quartz with a crossed pick and shovel in the foreground'

Development and change

The development of the coat of arms continued during the year and by the end of 1893, the Maltese Cross impaled with a crown had been incorporated, above the shield in between the two stalks of sugar cane. In 1902 the heraldic depiction of the British Imperial Crown was standardised to the (symbolic)

Tudor Crown The Tudor Crown, also known as Henry VIII's Crown, was the imperial and state crown of English monarchs from around the time of Henry VIII until it was destroyed during the Civil War in 1649. It was described by the art historian Sir Roy St ...

. Following 1953, this was switched to a depiction of the actual

St. Edward's Crown St Edward's Crown is the centrepiece of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom. Named after Saint Edward the Confessor, versions of it have traditionally been used to crown English and British monarchs at Coronation of the British monarch, the ...

. The final and current addition to the coat of arms was created in 1977, during the

Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II The Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II marked the 25th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952. It was celebrated with large-scale parties and parades throughout the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth throughout 1977, ...

, with the granting of supporting animal. A red deer, to represent the old world and it is a classic animal of heraldry; and a brolga, which represents the native population and it is the state's official bird.

Industrial influence

The symbols on the shield are representations of Queensland's most abundant industries. The wheat industry's origins belong with the first settlers in 1788, as the farms were worked by the convicts brought over from England, an idea of Governor Phillip. During the years till 1795, the wheat industry slowly gained popularity and by the late 19th century was a strong force in the agricultural industry of the state. The sugar industry became established by 1868 in Mackay which was a mere four years after the first commercial sugar mill was opened in Cleveland, south of Brisbane. Sugar and Coffee regulations were brought in by Parliament later that year as the industry spread rapidly and with the creation of the Mackay Central Sugar Mill Manufacturing Company ten years later in 1878, the sugar industry had reached its colonial peak. The sheep industry had been in existence since the early 1820s within Australia and by the early 1880s the geographical expansion of this industry had hit Queensland in which major wool auctions were held throughout the state. The mining industry began with the discovery of copper on 20 May 1867 by Ernest Henry in Cloncurry and the industry climbed with the Gold Rush which occurred on 3 September 1873 when gold was discovered in Georgetown. The beef industry was quite prevalent by the late 1880s and by 1890, Queensland had exported Australia's first major export overseas which consisted of 1500 tons and by the 20th century that number had exploded to 43000 tons.

Supporting animals

As for the supporting animals, the

brolga The brolga (''Antigone rubicunda''), formerly known as the native companion, is a bird in the crane family. It has also been given the name Australian crane, a term coined in 1865 by well-known ornithologist John Gould in his ''Birds of Austral ...

is Australia's only native crane and is described as "more than a metre tall and their outstretched wings can measure two metres across. The adults are mainly grey and have a long thin neck, a bare head and a patch of striking red coloured skin on the lower part of the head below the eyes". They are mostly found along the coast from Rockhampton to the Gulf of Carpentaria and have featured on the coat of arms since 1977 and has been the state bird since 1986. The

red deer The red deer (''Cervus elaphus'') is one of the largest deer species. A male red deer is called a stag or hart, and a female is called a hind. The red deer inhabits most of Europe, the Caucasus Mountains region, Anatolia, Iran, and parts of wes ...

has a more regal origin; along with being a traditional and classic beast of heraldry,

gave the newly created colony a herd of deer from the royal hunting ground—hence their inclusion upon the arms.

Maltese Cross

The Maltese cross has a stranger history than the rest of the elements upon the arms. Not even the Queensland government is aware of why the Maltese Cross was chosen for the coat of arms, as described in the letter below which resides in the Queensland State Archives.Queensland State Archives (1966) 'Flag, Badge, Arms and Seal of Queensland', SRS1043, 1, 267, 84

Gallery

Below is a visual evolution of Queensland's coat of arms. Image:Coat of arms of Queensland (1893).svg, Queensland's official coat of arms at the beginning of 1893. Image:Coat of arms of Queensland (1893–1902 and 1953–1977).svg, Queensland's official coat of arms from the end of 1893 to 1902, and again from 1953 to 1977. Image:Coat of arms of Queensland (1902–1953).svg, Queensland's official coat of arms from 1902 to 1953. Image:Coat of Arms of Queensland.svg, Queensland's official coat of arms since 1977.

External links

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Coat of Arms of Queensland

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

Queensland