Coat of Arms

The original Grant of Arms to Bishop Broughton, first Bishop of Australia (in 1836) was four stars, the Crux Australia (or the Southern Cross without the fifth star), imposed on a blue field.

The General Synod grant has added to it the Cross of St George superimposed with a mitre.

The Cross of St George is the emblem of the Church of England from which we are derived, and mitre denotes that we are episcopally led (Bishops).

The fifth star of the Crux Australis is omitted – no-one knows what happened, heraldically. By the time of the Eureka Stockade Lalor’s flag had the Southern Cross also without the fifth star.

The description on the General Synod Grant of Arms reads:

“Azure on a Cross Gules fimbriated and between four Mullets of eight points Argent a Mitre Or”.