Coat of arms of Hamilton, New Zealand

Coat of arms of Hamilton
Versions
Escutcheon-only
Armiger	Hamilton City Council
Adopted	1946
Crest	A mural crown.
Shield	Barry-wavy of eight argent and azure; on a bend verte, 3 oxen heads erased, or.
Supporters	A pūkeko, on either side, rampant proper.
Designer	Zelda A. Paul

The coat of arms of Hamilton, is the heraldic achievement representing the city of Hamilton, New Zealand. The arms were adopted in 1946, following a competition launched by the city council.

History

The arms were adopted in 1946, following a competition held by the city council for coat of arms. ^{[1] [2]} Tokoroa artist Zelda A. Paul won the contest, earning ten pounds as prize money. ^{[3] [4]} The arms have faced controversy, being accused of not reflecting the history and diversity of the city, with suggestions that it should be changed, yet mayor Paula Southgate announced she refused to modify the emblem. ^{[5] [6] [7]}

Design

The shield design represents the ebb and flow of the Waikato river that runs through the city, the oxen represents the green pastures and the role of the city as a centre of agriculture. The crown evokes Hamilton's beginnings as a military post in the 19th century. Two pukeko, a common bird in the low lying country around the city, support the crest. ^[8]

Blazon

Escutcheon: Barry-wavy of eight argent and azure; on a bend verte, 3 oxen heads erased, or;

Crest: A mural crown;

Supporters: A pūkeko, on either side, rampant proper. ^{[9] [10]}

References

1. Hamilton, Alexander (18 September 2024). "Call to redesign Hamilton City crest". Hamilton Press . Retrieved 11 January 2025.
2. Leaman, Aaron (1 June 2022). "Time to ditch 'dated' emblem?". Hamilton Press . Retrieved 11 January 2025.
3. Scott, Matthew (8 August 2021). "A call to arms for honesty on Hamilton's history". Newsroom . Retrieved 10 January 2025.
4. Mulligan, Jesse (24 November 2024). "What is a coat of arms for and what goes into creating one?". RNZ . Retrieved 10 January 2025.
5. Leaman, Aaron (23 May 2022). "Calls to change Hamilton's coat of arms to better reflect city's diversity, culture". Stuff . Retrieved 11 January 2025.
6. Morcom, Sarah (10 September 2024). "Change to swamp hen crest unlikely to fly". Waikato Times . Retrieved 11 January 2025.
7. Mulligan, Jesse (22 November 2024). "Why do kiwi cities have Coats of Arms?". RNZ . Retrieved 11 January 2025.
8. "Coat of Arms". Hamilton City Council. 2013. Archived from the original on 3 January 2022. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
9. McLintock, A. H. (1966). "Coat of Arms, Hamilton City". Te Ara - An Encyclopedia of New Zealand 1966. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
10. "Hamilton City Council Coat of Arms". Waikato Museum. Retrieved 11 January 2025.