Coat of Arms of Western Australia - Symbolism

Symbolism

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 Willem de Vlamingh sailed into and named the 'Swaanerivier' after the birds. In 1826 the British explorer Captain James Stirling recorded seeing some 500 black swans flying over the Swan River. The British colony in Western Australia was popularly known as the Swan River Colony from its foundation in 1829 until the beginning of the convict era in 1850.

The black swan is the official bird emblem of Western Australia, although only formally adopted in 1973. It also as appears on the State Badge as a black swan silhouetted against a yellow disk. The badge is shown in the fly of the State Flag that was adopted in 1870, and revised in 1953. At the time of the badge's adoption, the colonial Governor, Frederick Weld, wrote that "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.

The Crown is representative of the monarchy in Australia, 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 the 1870 are shown.

The Kangaroo paw (Anigozanthos manglesii) flower is the official floral emblem 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.

The Red Kangaroo (Macropus rufus) 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 Australian heraldry, for example the Australian and Northern Territory Arms, although the New South Wales Arms has a mythical Gold Kangaroo as a supporter.

The lack of any designs or emblems on the boomerangs held by the kangaroos indicates their role in representing all of the Aboriginal peoples of Western Australia.

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 (cygnis 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 Cygnet was published between 1913 and 1915; and the Western Australian essayist Sir Walter Murdoch wrote in 1930, quoting an unnamed poet:

Hail to Westralia!
Hail to its bigness!
Hail to its motto
"Cygnis insignis."