Melbourne

MELBOURNE

Official blazon

Origin/meaning

The present arms were granted on March 18, 1970.

The first arms of Melbourne were granted on January 30, 1940 and are similar to the arms used at present. In the old arms the first quarter showed the whale, the second the fleece, the third the bull and the fourth the ship. The supporters were added in 1970.

The arms are based on the seal used by the city from 1843-1940. The seal showed the same figures in the quarters, but in the sequence as in the present arms.

The cross in the arms is the cross of St. George, the patron saint of England and taken from the English flag. The four symbols in the quarters represent the main activities of which the economy of Melbourne was based in the mid 19^th century : whaling, sheep and cattle rearing and processing, and shipping.

The crest shows a kangaroo, an obvious local symbol.

The lion supporters were taken from the arms of Lord Melbourne, Prime Minister of Great Britain, after whom the city was named in 1837. To distinguish the supporters the lions in the arms of the city are augmented with mural crowns.