Stylised Australian Wattle

Stylised wattle Australia's floral symbol. Paraphrased from the It’s an Honour Website Australia's national floral emblem is the golden wattle (Acacia pycnantha Benth.). The golden wattle displays the national colours green and gold. As one species of a large genus of flora growing across Australia, the golden wattle is a symbol of unity. Wattle is ideally suited to withstand Australia's droughts, winds and bushfires. The resilience of wattle represents the spirit of the Australian people. In recent times, the golden wattle has been used as a symbol of remembrance and reflection. On national days of mourning, for example, Australians are invited to wear a sprig of wattle. The golden wattle has been used in the design of Australian stamps and many awards in the Australian honours system. A single wattle flower is the emblem of the Order of Australia. Indigenous Australians soaked the gum of the golden wattle in water and honey to produce a sweet, toffee-like substance. The tannin from the bark was known for its antiseptic properties. Colonial settlers cultivated the golden wattle using the bark in the tanning industry, the gum for glues and the blossom for its honey. The golden wattle was unofficially accepted as the national floral emblem to mark Federation in 1901. In 1912 the Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Andrew Fisher MP, suggested that the wattle be included as a decoration surrounding the Commonwealth Coat of Arms. The then Governor-General, the Rt Hon Sir Ninian M Stephen AK GCMG GCVO KBE, proclaimed the golden wattle as the national floral emblem on 19 August 1988.



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