The national colours of Australia are green and gold. They were formally proclaimed by the Governor-General of Australia, Sir Ninian Stephen, on the 19th of April, 1984; on advice from the then Prime Minister Bob Hawke. The exact colours are specified as being Pantone Matching System numbers 348C and 116C, and are always referred to as "green and gold", respectively.
| Scheme | Green | Gold |
|---|---|---|
| Pantone | 348 C | 116 C |
| RGB (Hex) |
0–135–81 (#008751) |
252–209–22 (#FCD116) |
| CMYK | 100%–4%–87%–18% | 0%–12%–100%–0% |
Green and gold are the traditional team colours of Australian national sporting teams, and nearly every current Australian national sports team wears them (although the hues and proportions of the colours may vary between teams and across eras).
It is widely believed that the colours were chosen because they are the dominant colours of Australia's floral emblem, Acacia pycnantha (the Golden Wattle).
It is also largely accepted that the colours (Green and Gold) form part of the Australian identity through the sporting traditions of the country- like that of the heraldic colours of the Australian national flag. The colours have great significance, and their use has a prized place in the Australian spirit and mentality.
The colours are synonymous with Australian culture and Australians, characteristically, with its national sporting representative teams (by the notion that sport, in general, forms part of 'the Australian character').
Green and gold are together embodied on the Commonwealth Coat of Arms, the official symbol of the Australian government. Australia's coat of arms features the olden wattle, an ornate fixture to the sanctioned shield.
Prior to independence and subsequent Federation in 1901, Australia’s first representative cricket team wore the colours in 1899- thought to be the original such appearance on the international arena.
Perceptively, the colours are primarily linked with Australian sporting accomplishments and have fervent environmental relationships with many Australians. Gold summons metaphors of Australia’s beaches, mineral affluence, arid shrub/scrublands and desert areas of the island-continent nation. Green educes the naturally coloured fauna of some of its forests, eucalyptus leaves and meadowlands of the Australian countryside.
Read more about National Colours Of Australia: Uses, History
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