Aussie Facts

 Hello Monday, my head is all over the place this fine Monday morning but I have remembered that it is facts day and today we have the Tassie coat of arms.

The coat of arms of Tasmania is the official symbol of the Australian state and island of Tasmania. It was officially granted by King George V in May 1917. The shield features significant examples of Tasmanian industry: a sheaf of wheat, hops, a ram and apples.

The Latin motto “Ubertas et Fidelitas” translates as “Fruitfulness and Faithfulness”. A pair of Tasmanian tigers, or Thylacines, form the supporters to the shield. The tiger, a carnivorous marsupial, was common in Tasmania in the 19th Century, but is now believed extinct.

The flag consists of a defaced British Blue Ensign with the state badge located in the fly. The badge is a white disk with a red lion passant in the centre of the disk. There is no official record of how the lion came to be included on the flag, but it is assumed that the red lion is a reference to Great Britain.

Like all other Australian States, the Tasmanian flag has the Union Jack in the top left-hand corner and the State badge to the right, on a dark blue background. It is twice as wide as it is deep. The badge depicts a red lion within a white circle. Although the reason for the design is not clear, it suggests historical ties with England and was approved by the British Colonial Office on 29 November 1875. It has remained largely unchanged since except for a slight modification to the lion when the flag was officially proclaimed as the State flag by Governor Sir Stanley Burbury on 3 December 1975. A motion was passed in the House of Assembly in November 1997 recommending legislation to prevent any alteration to the flag without approval at a referendum. Such legislation has yet to be introduced.

Flora Emblem

The Tasmanian Flowering Blue Gum (Eucalyptus globulus) was identified and named by a French naturalist, Labillardiere, in 1799. It may grow to over 60 metres in height and is most common in southern and eastern Tasmania although some examples are found on the Bass Strait islands and in southern Victoria. Its timber is highly valued for its strength and durability.

The Tasmanian Blue Gum is protected in areas under State control, such as national parks and crown land, and may not be removed without permission. It was proclaimed as the State floral emblem on 5 December 1962.

Fauna Emblem

The Tasmanian devil, Sarcophilus harrisii (Boitard, 1841) is the world's largest remaining carnivorous marsupial (since the presumed extinction of the thylacine or Tasmanian tiger). It is found in the wild only in Tasmania where it is widespread. Although once common, it is now a threatened species.

The Tasmanian Aboriginal word for the devil is purinina. Its scientific name, Sarcophilus means 'flesh-loving' and harrisii comes from George Harris, the surveyor and naturalist who described the species in 1808. It was given the name 'devil' by early European settlers who were frightened by its unfamiliar night-time calls.

Mineral - Crocoite

Crocoite is an unusual orange-red lead mineral which can be beautiful and colourful. The main source of quality specimens is the Dundas district on the west coast of Tasmania. The crystals there are usually long thin prisms, however large crystals from this locality have been scarce in the past thirty years. It was proclaimed as the State mineral in 2000.