Flag and coat of arms of the Pitcairn Islands

Last updated
Flag of the Pitcairn Islands
Flag of the Pitcairn Islands.svg
Use Civil and state flag, state ensign FIAV 110010.svg FIAV normal.svg
Proportion1:2
Adopted2 April 1984;39 years ago (1984-04-02)
DesignA Blue Ensign charged in the fly with the coat of arms of the Pitcairn Islands
Coat of arms of the Pitcairn Islands
Coat of arms of the Pitcairn Islands.svg
Adopted4 November 1969
Crest A Wreath Or and Vert on a Mount Vert a representation of the Pitcairn Island Wheelbarrow in front of a Slip of Miro leaved and fructed proper.
Torse Green and yellow
Shield Azure on a Pile in base Vert fimbriated Or a representation of the Bounty Bible proper and in base of the Anchor of H.M.S. Bounty Or.

The coat of arms of the Pitcairn Islands is an official emblem of the British Overseas Territory of the Pitcairn Islands and was granted by royal warrant on 4 November 1969. [1] The flag of the Pitcairn Islands, also an official emblem, consists of a Blue Ensign displaying the coat of arms and was granted on 2 April 1984. [2]

Contents

Coat of arms

The coat of arms features several symbols relevant to the ancestral history and culture of the Pitcairn Islanders, most of whom are descended from the sailors who mutinied on HMS Bounty in 1789: [3] the blue, yellow and green of the shield symbolise the island of Pitcairn rising from the Pacific Ocean, while the anchor and Bible are symbols of the Bounty. Additionally, the Bible symbolises Christianity, which the mutineers brought to the island. The shield is surrounded by a green and gold wreath, and crested by a helmet bearing a wheelbarrow and a slip of miro, a local tree, which represent the role agriculture played in helping the mutineers survive on the island. [4] [5] The slip of miro also represents the wood used by Pitcairn Islanders for crafting souvenirs. [6]

Flag

The Pitcairn flag features a Blue Ensign with the Pitcairn coat of arms defaced on the fly. [7] The design was suggested by the Island Council in December 1980 and approved on 2 April 1984. It was first flown in May 1984, during a visit by the then-governor Sir Richard Stratton. [8]

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References

  1. Weekes 2008, pp. 17.
  2. Weekes 2008, pp. A–4.
  3. "The People of Pitcairn Island". Pitcairn Immigration. Government of the Pitcairn Islands. 21 August 2018. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  4. "Pitcairn Islands flag". The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  5. "Flags, Symbols & Currency Of Pitcairn". WorldAtlas. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  6. "Pitcairn Islands National Symbols". CountyReports. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  7. Devereux 1992, pp. 7.
  8. Poels, Jos (7 August 1996). "Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands". Flags of the World. Retrieved 5 May 2022.

Sources