Page 4780 - Week 15 - Thursday, 16 December 1993
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CHIEF MINISTER FOR THE AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY
LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY QUESTION
Question No. 1078
Flag - Use of Coat of Arms
MR CORNWELL - Asked the Chief Minister upon notice on 23 November 1993:
In relation to the Canberra Coat of Arms -
(1) Is it a fact that the Coat of Arms shall only be used in its entirety
(2) If so, how was the ACT flag approved without the crown and portcullis.
MS FOLLETT - The answer to the Members question is as follows:
(1) Use of the Canberra City Coat of Arms is governed by the City of Canberra
Arms Act 1932. Administrative guidelines have been developed by my
Department for reproduction of the Coat of Arms by agencies or community
groups within the ACT, with authority delegated by me under that Act. Those
Conditions of Use specify that the Coat of Arms should be used in its entirety.
(2) Before the ACT flag process was initiated my Department approached the
College of Arms in London about the use of the Coat of Arms on an ACT flag.
The College advised that a correct heraldic flag for the Coat of Arms would
feature only the central (shield) elements of the Coat of Arms. As you know,
the design for an ACT flag commissioned by the then Chief Minister in 1990/91
featured detail additional to those shield elements - the two supporters (swans)
and the Southern Cross.
The Norroy and Ulster King of Arms advised my Department that although it is not normal practice for a city Coat of Arms to be used on a "county" flag, if by the power vested in me under the Act I had no objections to its use in that context, there was no heraldic impediment to any of its elements being incorporated on an ACT flag. Given the support by Members of the Legislative Assembly for that particular design to be included in the options presented to the community, I had no objections to the use of part of the Coat of Arms in the way depicted on the flag. All of the States in Australia use elements of their Coats of Arms on their flags.
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