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City of Sydney (NSW, Australia)

image from City of Sydney website, contributed 14 Aug 1999

City of Sydney flag

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City of Sydney flag

From the official site at: http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/

The flag of the City of Sydney

The design of the flag, which is flown from Sydney Town Hall, consists of the shield from the Arms granted by the College of Arms in London on 30th July, 1908.

It comprises:

Top Left: The Arms of Thomas Townshend, Viscount Sydney, Principal Under-Secretary of State in 1788 (after whom the City was named), in honour of his position in the English administration at the time of the City's foundation.

Top Centre: The Naval Flag of England, in allusion to the foundation of the City by Captain Phillip, a Naval Captain. From the beginning Sydney was the naval base of Australia. The red cross on this is overlaid with the Globe and two Stars, the principal features of Captain Cook's Arms, which were granted as a posthumous honour for his service in the discovery of Australia, whilst commissioned naval officer.

Top Right: The Arms of the first Lord Mayor of Sydney, the Hon. Thomas Hughes, M.L.C., a compliment accorded by the Council to the Lord Mayor, during whose first term of office the increased status was granted and in whose fourth term the Arms were settled.

Bottom Centre: A ship, with subdivision of the field into blue and gold, indicative of a shipping port in the Golden South.

researched by Phil Nelson 14 August 1999

Also at www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au, is a story on the City of Sydney's new (1996) coat of arms (the flag was taken from the old COA) The new COA contains the crown and anchor symbol which I spoke of and another interesting change is from an Aborigine and a sailor to a serpent with Eora (Sydney a rea tribe) markings and a knotted rope.
Jonathan Dixon, 15 August 1999