Original armorial design for the Australian Coat of Arms

The first Commonwealth Coat of Arms was introduced on 7 May 1908. The second, shown here, was introduced on 19 September 1912 and is still used today.

Symbols of Australia’s six states appear together on a central shield. The kangaroo and emu are the native animals that hold the shield. The gold Commonwealth Star sits above the shield. Six of the star’s points represent the Australian states. The seventh point represents the territories.

Australia’s floral emblem, the golden wattle, forms the background. A scroll contains the word ‘Australia'.