Coat of arms of Queensland

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 College of Arms 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.

Heraldic description

Below is the traditional description, followed by the same description in modern English:-

'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'

Translated 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 the St Edward's Crown had been incorporated, above the shield in between the two stalks of sugar cane. The alterations continued over the years because the crown that is impaled upon the Maltese cross keeps in synchronisation with the monarch in England, due to the switching of crowns. The Imperial State Crown or Tudor Crown, and the St. Edward's Crown are the two coronation crowns that have been used since Charles II's restoration in 1660.

Queen Victoria, Edward VII and George VI used the Imperial Crown, while George V and Elizabeth II used the St Edward's Crown. Therefore, between the years of 1893–1910 and 1936–1952, the Imperial crown was bestowed upon the cross; between the years of 1910–1936 and from 1952 onwards, it was the Saint Edward's crown.

The final and current addition to the coat of arms was created in 1977, during the Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, 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 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 has a more regal origin; along with being a traditional and classic beast of heraldry, Queen Victoria gave the newly created colony a herd of deer from the royal hunting ground—hence their inclusion upon the arms.

The 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.

Official coat of arms

Below is a visual evolution of the Queensland coat of arms.