At the request of Anglophone friends, I propose an English version of the article about heraldry in Australia and New Zealand (previously posted in French under the title Petit parcours héraldique austral).
During my trip (January-February 2019) in Australia and New Zealand, I saw several coats of arms for cities, universities, clubs and regiments — in short, elements of heraldry. I chose some of these coats of arms which have a Latin motto, and I propose here my thoughts and explanations of these heraldic blazons.
In these two countries, very far from Europe, the creation of Latin mottos for universities refers to the British influence of past centuries. Moreover, we find on several Australian or New Zealand blazons the lion figure, as it is the heraldic emblem of royal power in the English coat of arms.
By the way, the sentences in the above British coat of arms are in French, as Latin remained the language of the Church, teaching and knowledge, but French was the language of diplomacy, international relations, heraldry and aristocratic gentlemen … at least until the 15th century, according to the French linguist Henriette Walter in her book Honni soit qui mal y pense (Paris, 2001).
To return to the blazons of universities in Australia and New Zealand, here are some examples.
In Sydney, the UNSW (University of New South Wales) has a blazon featuring a lion, four stars and an open book. Its motto is Scientia manu et mente. Symbolically the lion represents the British royal power, the four stars are among the brightest in the constellation of the Southern Cross, and these two symbols represent the state of New South Wales. The open book symbolises knowledge, especially since the Latin noun ‘scientia‘ is written there. Actually, this is the goal of the university!
Scientia manu et mente literally means ‘Knowledge by hand and mind’ and recalls the origin of UNSW, founded in 1949 from Sydney Technical College (established in 1878). This motto explains the two kinds of knowledge the university provides: manual and intellectual — in other words, science and technology.
In Melbourne (Victoria state), the university founded in 1853 is proud to have admitted women since 1881. Its blazon shows a winged woman, wearing a Greek peplos and holding a laurel wreath, as well as five stars of the Southern Cross representing Australia.
Symbolically the winged woman is an allegory of Victory, ‘Victoria‘ in Latin (name of the Queen Victoria during the reign of which the university was created, and also name of the state where it is located), ‘Nikê‘ in ancient Greek. In her hand, as a palm, the laurel wreath is a sign of consecration to the ancient gods. The laurel wreath was given to the victorious athlete of the Pythian Games at Delphi (Greece). Moreover, as the laurel stays green in winter, it symbolized immortality. The Romans made it the emblem of glory, according to my French dictionary of symbols.
The motto Postera crescam laude is taken from an ode of the Roman poet Horace, who writes: ‘usque ego postera crescam laude recens‘ (Ode III, 30, l. 7-8). It literally means: ‘I shall always grow up young by the praise of posterity.’ However, as the motto is shorter than this excerpt, its official translation is: ‘Later I shall grow by praise.’ By saying such words, Horace asserts that he is as immortal as his poetic work. Therefore, this motto is intended to encourage university students!
In Hobart, Tasmania, the university (established in 1890) has a blazon on which we see the arms: five stars and a lion (see Australian blazons), and a torch. According to my dictionary of symbols, the torch symbolises purification by fire and illumination. It is the light that illuminates the path of initiation.
The motto Ingeniis patuit campus is taken from a panegyric written by Claudian (Claudius Claudianus), a Latin poet of the 4th century A.D., who lived at the court of the Western Emperor Honorius. This sentence means ‘The field is open to talent.’ There is a wordplay on the noun ‘campus‘, as it is both a ‘field’ (see the translation) and the university ‘campus’ (an English word previously Latin). It means that students have full scope to demonstrate their talents.
It is easy to see how heraldry and Latin promote the Australian universities.
On the other side of the Tasman Sea lies New Zealand.
Dunedin (Celtic name of Edinburgh, Ōtepoti in Maori language), the oldest city in the country, has the oldest university (founded in 1869) and a very large campus with several colleges. At least 10% of its population is made up of students. Its coat of arms is simple. We see the five brightest stars of the Southern Cross (like for Australia) and a book with a bookmark, which symbolises knowledge. Its Latin motto Sapere aude means ‘Dare to know.’ It is borrowed from one of the Epistles of Horace (Epistulae, II, 40) and was taken up later by the German philosopher Emmanuel Kant in an essay entitled What is Enlightenment? The Enlightenment is a European literary and cultural movement of the 18th century.
In one of the streets near the University of Otago campus, I saw the Caroline Freeman College sign and its blazon. Founded in year 2000, this college (formerly City College) honors the memory of the first graduated woman of this university, who earned her B.A. degree in 1885.
The blazon’s arms are an oil lamp with a flame, a book with a bookmark, and five stars. These last two elements refer to the University of Otago. As for the oil lamp with the flame, it is emphasized by the Latin motto Alere flammam, which means ‘Nourish the flame.’ It can be understood with different meanings. First, it recalls the motto Sapere aude, as the ‘flame’ echoes the ‘Enlightenment’ (with the idea of light). Second, the flame is a symbol of purification and the image of the spirit. It evokes the ‘sacred fire’ maintained by the vestal virgins in ancient Rome. This ‘sacred fire’ has become a metaphor for ‘enthusiasm’. And Caroline Freeman had a great enthusiasm to succeed in studying under difficult conditions. This is an example for all the students who work hard. Finally, from the Latin verb ‘alere‘ (‘nourish’, ‘feed’), derive words as: ‘aliment, alimentary, alimentation, alimony and also Alma mater (i.e. University) and alumni.’
Moreover, according to a specialist in heraldry (a member of the Heraldic Authority of Canada), the pair of lozenges near the top of the shield reveals the gender of the blazon’s bearer as being a woman. In heraldry, the lozenge is a symbol attribute for women.
The blazon of St Mark’s Church School/Preschool in Wellington also contains a Latin motto. The sentence Nulla dies sine linea means ‘Not a day without a line drawn.’ It was borrowed from the Roman scientist Pliny the Elder (Naturalis Historia), who himself borrowed it from the Greek painter Apelles (4th century B.C.). Moreover, this motto was later taken as such by the German painter Paul Klee, who was also a very hard worker. Although demanding, it seems a good program for a school!
As said before, heraldry and Latin are good means of promotion.
In addition to educational institutions other institutions in New Zealand show their coats of arms.
On the wharf of Wellington harbour, where you have to pay attention to all the ‘walkers’ (see picture on the left), I saw the modern logo of the Star Boating Club. Its blazon’s arms are: four stars (name of the club and reminder of the Southern Cross) and two oars. The Latin motto Semper refulgens means ‘Forever reflecting’, but the English word ‘refulgent’ (shining very brightly) also exists. According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, its origin is ‘from Latin refulgent- ‘shining out’, from the verb refulgere.‘ This adjective expresses both the light of the stars and the ‘radiance’ (influence) of the Star Boating Club.
In the North of the Northern Island is the Bay of Islands, which has about 145 islands. In a pretty little town named Russell, you can see the oldest church in New Zealand.
And in this church there are wooden benches covered with cushions in handmade tapestry. What a beautiful discovery for me!
This cushion bears the motto of New Zealand Artillery (NZA), a regiment created in 1947. Like other artillery regiments in England and Canada, the NZA’s Latin motto is Quo fas et gloria ducunt. As the noun ‘fas’ means ‘sacred duty’, the translation of this sentence is: ‘Everywhere that Right and Glory lead.’
I kept for the end of my post the explanation of two coats of arms that seem to me very significant samples of the heraldry’s power.
The Dunedin City Council’s blazon was adopted in 1947. The arms show, among other things: a castle, a green band, a ram’s head, a boat and two men. The castle represents that of Edinburgh, the green band symbolises the landscape of the Otago peninsula, the ram is a symbol of sheep-farming, the boat symbolises the Scottish sailor’s arrival and settlement in 1848. But the Maori had already occupied the area for several centuries, which explains who the two men are: a Maori leader with his staff (symbol of power) and a Scotsman with a shepherd’s staff. As the Latin motto Maiorum institutis utendo means ‘By following in the steps of our forefathers’, it emphasizes the alliance between the two founding cultures (Maori and Scottish) — two cultures for whom the respect of the ancestors is important, two cultures ‘federated’ by the heraldic Latin.
Finally, the blazon of Christchurch City Council, a city deeply hit by the 2011 and 2013 earthquakes and the terrorist acts of March 15, 2019, is remarkable. The blazon’s arms are: a kiwi (national emblem), two ‘pukekos’ (swamp hens), a knight’s helm, a bishop’s mitre (a reminder of its founding in 1850 by the Church of England) and European boats. Like in Dunedin, the combination of these elements reflects the alliance between Maori and Europeans.
Its Latin motto Fide condita Fructu beata Spe fortis has an unusual length. It has been translated by ‘Founded in Faith, Rich in the Fulfillment thereof, Strong in Hope.’ This motto expresses at the same time the past of Christchurch (‘Fide condita‘ refers to the Christian faith of the founders and to the name of the city), the present (‘Fructu beata‘ symbolises agriculture, industry and the fruitful work of all people) and the future (‘Spe fortis‘ shows its spiritual strength and the resilience of citizens hoping for better days). This coat of arms was adopted in 1948, but the Latin motto still gives a remarkable example of energy and courage!