The Aussie-Info.com site gives the
following explanation of the Canberra
(not ACT) coat of arms
The
Australian Capital Territory
has no Coat of Arms. The city of Canberra, the
national capital of Australia,
was granted a Coat of Arms by King George V in 1928.
The
Canberra Coat of Arms consists of a black and white swan supporting a shield.
The shield includes a medieval castle and a crossed Sword of Justice and mace.
Beneath the castle is a rose. Above the shield are a gate, a crown and a gum
tree.
The mace is a symbol of Parliament. The black and white swans represent the
Aboriginal and European races. The rose is the Rose of York, for the Duke of
York who declared Canberra
the Seat of Government in 1927.
The
motto is "Pro Rege, Lege et Grege" - "For the Queen, the Law and
the People.
The ACT Chife Minister’s site gives
it as:-
The
creation of the Coat of Arms of the City of Canberra originated from a request by the
Commonwealth Department of Defence to the Commonwealth Department of Home
Affairs and Territories in July 1927. The request was made so that the Coat of
Arms could be used on the newly commissioned ship, HMAS Canberra. In August 1927 the Federal Capital Commission
(FCC) announced a competition to design a Coat of Arms for the FCC and for the
City of Canberra.
The
chosen design, drawn by Mr C R Wylie, was sent to the College
of Arms, London, in April 1928. After a few
modifications, the Coat of Arms was granted by the College in pursuance of a
Royal Warrant dated 8 October 1928. The Arms and a Crest were granted on 7
November 1928.
I assume the original motto was For the
King etc, I also note that the ACT government sites show the motto in English
now rather than Latin.
Regards, Mike Simpson
Penrith, NSW
