Royal Warrant - Grant of New Arms to South Australia [1984-02-01]

Royal Warrant - Grant of New Arms to South Australia [1984-02-01]

Heraldry

Foreign Affairs

Royal Warrant of Queen Elizabeth II granting new arms to the State of South Australia.

Queen Elizabeth II

College of Arms I84/179-180

1984-02-01

Mark Scott

South Australia

Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, Queen of Australia and Our other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth, to Our Right Trusty and Right Entirely Beloved Cousin, Miles Francis Stapleton, Duke of Norfolk, Knight of Our Most Noble Order of the Garter, Companion of Our Most Honourable Order of the Bath, Commander of Our Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, upon whom been conferred the Decoration of the Military Cross, Earl Marshal Greeting! Whereas Our State of South Australia was first constituted on the twenty-eighth day of December one thousand eight hundred and thirty-six and thereafter for its greater honour and distinction Armorial Ensigns and Supporters were assigned for Our said State of South Australia by Our Royal Predecessor King Edward the Eighth by Royal Warrant bearing date the twentieth day of November, one thousand nine hundred & thirty-six and whereas the Government of Our said State of South Australia is desirous that Armorial Bearings be granted and assigned by Us to be borne and used thereafter in place of those previously granted and assigned and heretofore borne and used. Now know ye therefore that We of Our Princely Grace and Special Favour have granted and assigned and do by Presents grant and assign the Armorial Ensigns following for Our State of South Australia that is to say:- for Arms, Azure on the rising sun depicted as a roundel Or an Australian Piping Shrike displayed and standing on the staff of a Gum Tree proper and for the Crest on a wreath Or Azure and Gules four sprigs of Sturt's Desert Pea proper the Shield upon a Compartment comprising A grassy mount and in front of two Vines growing therefrom each entwining their stakes proper on either side thereof stalks of Wheat and Barley and the dexter side scattered with Citrus Fruits and lying on the sinister side two Cog Wheels with between them a Miner's Pick also proper together with on a Scroll the name "South Australia" as the same are in the painting hereunto annexed


more plainly depicted to be borne and used by the State of South Australia on Seals, Banners, Flags or otherwise and in lieu of and in substitution for the Armorial Bearings granted and assigned by Our Royal Predecessor King Edward the Eighth and always hereafter as is provided by and is in accordance with the Laws of Arms Our Will and Pleasure therefore is that you Miles Francis Stapleton, Duke of, Norfolk, Earl Marshal to whom the cognizance of matters of this nature doth properly belong do require and command that this Our concession and declaration be recorded in Our College of Arms in order that Our Officers of Arms and all other public functionaries whom it may concern may take full notice and have notice thereof in their several & respective departments and for so doing this shall be your Warrant Given at Our Court at St. James's this First day of February 1984 in the Thirty [^second] year of Our Reign

Geoffrey Howe (Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs)

This text is taken from a handwritten transcript of the document and may not reflect the formatting of the original.

The copyist may have omitted "these" before "Presents". They also interlined "second" after "Thirty" in the date clause.

In 1984, the Australian states were still considered self-governing dependencies of the British Crown and the Queen generally acted on the advice of British ministers when exercising her state powers. This is why this Royal Warrant was countersigned by the British Foreign Secretary. However, it also uses the Queen's Australian title, which creates a constitutional paradox since the Queen of Australia would normally act on the advice of Australian ministers.

The use of her Australian title here may have been an oversight, or it may have been an attempt to placate state governments that were increasingly unhappy with the continued involvement of British ministers in their affairs. The Australia Act 1986 finally severed the remaining constitutional links between the UK and the Australian states.