Title: Australian State Emblems and Flags
ProofReader - September 20, 2006 04:34 PM (GMT)
Australia's Emblems
The Australian floral emblem is the golden wattle (Acacia pycnantha), but there are no official national faunal emblems. It is generally accepted that the faunal emblems are the kangaroo and emu, but these are not officially recognised.
View the Australian national flags on the Ausflag website.
View other Australian flags on the Ausflag website.
Australian State Emblems
Australian Capital Territory
The Nation's Capital
Animal: No official emblem
Floral: Royal Bluebell (Wahlenbergia gloriosa)
A perennial herb with large dark blue bell-shaped flowers 3cm (1.5") in diameter.
Faunal: Gang-Gang Cockatoo (Callocephalon fimbriatum)
Beautiful small grey cockatoo with wispy crests. Adult males have a red crest and head.
Marine: No official emblem
View the ACT flag on the Ausflag website.
New South Wales
The First State
Animal: Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus)
Like the echidna, the platypus is a monotreme, which lays eggs and suckles its young.
Floral: Waratah (Telopea speciosissima)
Shrub to 3 metres (10') tall. Beautiful crimson to scarlet flowerheads in spring.
Faunal: Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae)
A large kingfisher with a dark patch behind the eye and silvery blue on the shoulder. Its call sounds like a loud, raucous laugh.
Marine: Blue Groper
View the NSW flag on the Ausflag website.
Northern Territory
Outback Australia
Animal: Red Kangaroo (Macropus rufus)
The red kangaroo is the largest living marsupial, with adult males standing more than two metres tall.
Floral: Sturt's Desert Rose (Gossypium sturtianum)
A shrub which grows to about 2 metres (6') high, it has hibiscus-like, bluish-purple flowers with red centres.
Faunal: Wedge-Tailed Eagle (Aquila audax)
Large brown or black eagle with a long wedge-shaped tail. They build enormous stick nests in large trees.
Marine: No official emblem
View the NT flag on the Ausflag website.
Queensland
The Sunshine State
Animal: Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus)
The koala spends almost all its life in the tops of eucalypt trees, dozing during the day and foraging for leaves at night.
Floral: Cooktown Orchid (Dendrobium bigibbum)
Dendrobium bigibbum is an epiphytic orchid which has mauve, purple or white flowers up to 5cm (2") across in autumn and winter.
Faunal: Brolga (Grus rubicundus)
Standing more than a metre tall on long, slender legs, brolgas are famous for their intricate dancing displays at mating time.
Marine: No official emblem
View the QLD flag on the Ausflag website.
South Australia
The Festival State
Animal: Hairy-Nosed Wombat (Lasiorhinus latifrons)
The southern hairy nosed wombat lives in extensive burrow systems in the semi-arid desert of South Australia. To conserve energy, they spend most of their time asleep.
Floral: Sturt's Desert Pea (Swainsona formosa)
Proclaimed as the SA floral emblem in 1961, Sturt's desert pea is a trailing plant with grey leaves and brilliant black and red pea flowers. It grows to about 15cm (6") high with a spread of 1 metre (3').
Faunal: Piping Shrike (unofficial). No official bird emblem, suggestions include the crow and the magpie.
Marine: Leafy Sea-dragon
View the SA flag on the Ausflag website.
Tasmania
The Holiday Isle
Animal: Tasmanian Devil (unofficial)
Floral: Tasmanian Blue Gum (Eucalyptus globulus)
Fast growing, large tree which grows to 60 metres (196') tall. The bark comes away in long shreds, revealing new, smooth, creamy-white bark. The cream flowers appear in late winter and spring.
Faunal: No official bird emblem but the Orange-bellied Parrot is one suggestion.
Marine: No official emblem
View the TAS flag on the Ausflag website.
Victoria
The Garden State
Animal: Leadbeater's Possum (Gymnobelideus leadbeateri)
A rare possum living in the mountain ash forests of Victoria's central highlands.
Floral: Common or Victorian Heath (Epacris impressa)
Shrub which grows to 1 metre (3') tall. The tubular flowers are white, through to light pink to red.
Faunal: Helmeted Honeyeater (Lichenostomus melanops cassidix)
Masked honeyeater with conspicuous golden crest.
Marine: Weedy Seadragon
View the VIC flag on the Ausflag website.
Western Australia
The State of Excitement
Animal: Numbat (Myrmecobius fasciatus)
Numbats eat termites and, unlike other marsupials, they are active only by day. Once common across a wide band of semi-arid country, they're now restricted to small areas of Western Australia.
Floral: Red and Green Kangaroo Paw (Anigozanthos manglesii)
Anigozanthos manglesii grows to 1 metre (3') tall and has deep green flowers with contrasting red base and stem. It prefers well-drained sandy soil in a full sun position and is a common sight in bushland around Perth in the spring.
Faunal: Black Swan (Cygnus atratus)
Large black swan with white wingtips, often seen in big flocks.
Marine: No official emblem
View the WA flag on the Ausflag website.