Symbols of Australian Sport

Symbols are a powerful means for people to celebrate their shared cultural and sporting identity, and to separate themselves from rival sporting nations. In Australia, colours, emblems, songs and traditions help proclaim a national identity.

The National Sports Museum holds many examples of Australia’s sporting symbols, including team uniforms, memorabilia and artworks.

National team uniforms are often distinctively Australian, incorporating symbols like the coat of arms, the national flag or the outline of the Australian continent.

Three of Australia’s most iconic sporting symbols are the nation’s sporting colours, green and gold; the boxing kangaroo; and the cap worn by Test cricketers, the famous Baggy Green.

Australia’s distinctive sporting colours of green and gold were first worn by the Australian cricket team in 1899. They chose green blazers with gold trim for their touring uniform, and later declared “gum tree green and wattle gold” as their permanent uniform colours. The 1908 Olympic team used the cricketers’ distinctive colours on their own uniforms, and Australian Olympians have competed in those colours ever since.

This track suit top was worn by Shirley Strickland at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal, where she was a team administrator.

Today, Australia is generally represented in green and gold on the sporting field, and is one of the few nations whose sporting colours are different from those found on their national flag.

The image of the boxing kangaroo in its most common green-and-gold format was designed as the battle flag for Australia II, in the successful campaign for the 1983 America's Cup yacht racing series.

Their surprise victory had such an impact on Australian sport that the boxing kangaroo was quickly adopted by the nation as a symbol of Australia's fighting spirit in the sporting arena.

It is now a popular symbol used throughout Australian sport, and is the official mascot of the Australian Olympic team.

Kangaroos are not the only examples of Australia’s unique wildlife to serve as inspiration for sporting teams.

Willy the Koala was the Australian team mascot at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

Arthur Postle, known as the Crimson Flash due his bright-red silk uniform, used the image of an emu on his upper right shoulder.

The dark green cap, featuring a prominent “Advance Australia” coat of arms is instantly recognisable and holds a special place among Australian sporting symbols.

Australia’s performance in international sport is part of its shared national identity. The sporting symbols used to represent the country and its sportspeople have taken on added significance, coming to embody the dedication, effort, self belief and teamwork required to achieve success.