List of Australian floral emblems

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This is a list of Australian floral emblems. It encompasses the national flower and the official flowers of the constituent states.

History[]

After the Federation of Australia that took place in 1901, the upsurge in nationalism led to the search for an official national floral emblem. had founded the Wattle Club in Victoria in 1899 to promote interest in and profile of the wattle as a unique Australian flower.[1] The New South Wales waratah was considered alongside the wattle Acacia pycnantha, although lost out to the latter in 1912. The economist and botanist R. T. Baker proposed that the waratah's endemism to the Australian continent made it a better choice than the wattle, as well as the prominence of its flowers. The South Australian Evening News also supported the bid, but to no avail.[2]

In New South Wales, the New South Wales waratah was proclaimed as the official floral emblem of the state in 1962 by the then governor Sir Eric Woodward, after being used informally for many years.[3]

The Cooktown Orchid (Vappodes phalaenopsis), was the official floral emblem of Queensland since 19 November 1959.[4]

In November 1960, Anigozanthos manglesii was adopted as the floral emblem of Western Australia in a proclamation made by then Premier of Western Australia David Brand, to promote tourist interest in the State's wildflowers. He had been advised by the State's Tourist Development Authority.[5]

The South Australian Policy adopted Sturt's Desert Pea (Swainsona formosa) as the Floral Emblem of South Australia on 23 November 1961.[6]

The Tasmanian Government proclaimed Eucalyptus globulus as their State floral emblem on 5 December 1962,[7] however it is rarely seen as an official or popular emblem.[8] This led to the Tasmanian Branch of the then SGAP promoting the attractive flower Eucryphia lucida as an alternative in 1966.[9]

The Golden Wattle (Acacia pycnantha) was officially proclaimed the Floral Emblem of Australia on 1 September 1988.[10]

Australia's state flowers have been featured on series of postage stamps twice—a set of six stamps in July 1968, each showing the flowers of one state,[11] and a series of seven stamps, showing the six state flowers and the golden wattle, in March 2014.[12] The Sturt's Desert Pea and Golden Wattle were also featured on a series of coil definitives in 1970.

List[]

Area represented Image Common name Binomial nomenclature Reference
Australia
Acacia pycnantha Golden Wattle.jpg
 Golden Wattle Acacia pycnantha [1][13]
Australian Capital Territory
Wahlenbergia gloriosa closeup.jpg
 Royal Bluebell Wahlenbergia gloriosa [13]
New South Wales
Telopea speciosissima RNP.JPG
 New South Wales Waratah Telopea speciosissima [13]
Northern Territory
Sturts Desert Rose.JPG
 Sturt's Desert Rose Gossypium sturtianum [13]
Queensland
Cooktown orchids and bud.jpg
 Cooktown Orchid Vappodes phalaenopsis [13]
South Australia
Sturts desert pea.jpg
 Sturt's Desert Pea Swainsona formosa [13]
Tasmania
Starr 050125-3239 Eucalyptus globulus.jpg
 Tasmanian Blue Gum Eucalyptus globulus [13]
Victoria
Epacris impressa Pink Form.jpg
 Pink (Common) Heath Epacris impressa [13]
Western Australia
Kangaroo Paw.JPG
 Red and Green Kangaroo Paw Anigozanthos manglesii [13]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b "Golden Wattle: National Flower of Australia". Cut Flowers. 15 October 2010. Retrieved 11 June 2013.
  2. ^ Nixon, Paul (1997) [1989]. The Waratah (2nd ed.). East Roseville, NSW: Kangaroo Press. p. 85. ISBN 0-86417-878-6.
  3. ^ Nixon, p. 86.
  4. ^ "Badge, Arms, Floral and Other Emblems of Queensland Act 1959: 2 Floral emblem" (PDF) (1997-12-10 reprint ed.). Office of Queensland Parliamentary Counsel. p. 5. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 March 2012. Retrieved 11 September 2006. Not an authorised copy.
  5. ^ "The Floral Emblem of Western Australia". Department of the Premier and Cabinet. Perth, WA: Government of Western Australia. 8 July 2008. Archived from the original on 14 September 2009. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
  6. ^ "Sturt's Desert Pea". Insignia and Emblems of South Australia. Archived from the original on 16 May 2009. Retrieved 20 July 2009.
  7. ^ "Tasmanian state emblems". Tasmanian Parliamentary Library. Computer Services, Parliament of Tasmania. 29 January 2003. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
  8. ^ Boden, Anne (11 October 2006). "Tasmanian Blue Gum". Australian National Botanic Gardens website. Canberra, ACT: Australian National Botanic Gardens. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
  9. ^ Gray, AM (1966). "Leatherwood: Wildflowers of Tasmania – Part 2". Australian Plants. ASGAP. 3 (26): 253–4. ISSN 0005-0008.
  10. ^ "Australia's Floral Emblem". Australian National Botanic Gardens.
  11. ^ Colnect Stamp Catalogue
  12. ^ Auspost
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Floral Emblems of Australia". Australian National Botanic Gardens. Retrieved 18 October 2007.
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