The coat of arms features a shield bearing four albatrosses in a blue-and-white mirror image design. The central diamond-shaped charge is based on a charge from the arms of the da Cunha family to which Admiral Tristão da Cunha belonged, after whom the island is named: "cunha" in Portuguese means "wedge", and blue wedges feature in the da Cunha arms as a canting charge.[3] The two supporters are Tristan rock lobsters, which are found in the waters surrounding the island. The crest on the closed or tilting helm(of the Da Cunha family of esquires), features a naval crown and a Tristan da Cunha longboat.[3] The motto is “Our faith is our strength”.[3]
Flag of Saint Helena and Tristan da Cunha from 1874-1985The flag of the Administrator of Tristan da Cunha, made official in 2002 along with the national flag.
In 1874, Saint Helena was accorded its own badge that was eventually utilised on its flag.[6] This consisted of a depiction of the territory's rocky coastline and an East Indiaman.[7] The badge was later redesigned in 1984,[8][9] with the Saint Helena plover added to the upper portion.[7] Although this change was publicised in the island's government gazette in January of that year,[8] authorisation was only granted by the Admiralty a decade later in 1994.[10]
The territory's flag was also utilised as the official flag of Tristan da Cunha, as well as on Ascension Island in an unofficial capacity.[9][11] This continued until the two islands adopted their own distinct flags in 2002 and 2013, respectively.[1][12]
On 20th October 2002, Tristan da Cunha adopted its own coat of arms and put it on a blue design with Union Jack to form its own flag. (Prior to this, Tristan had used the Coat of arms of Saint Helena, originally adopted in 1984.) It officially became a flag the same year, but did not receive widespread recognition until it was used during a state visit by the Governor of Tristan da Cunha to the United Kingdom.[13] (On the same day as the flag became official, the Governor also was given an official flag, which consisted of a Union Jack with the Tristan da Cunha coat of arms in the middle of it.[14] The coat of arms features a longboat, which is a part of day-to-day life for islanders, positioned above a naval crown.[1] The blue diamond on the shield is taken from the family coat of arms of the Cunha family, of whom Tristão da Cunha, the discoverer and namesake of the island, was a member. The rock lobsters on the sides are Jasus paulensis,[1] also known as Tristan Rock Lobster, which live by the island.
Usage
Use of the flag is not common on the island, though it is draped outside the Albatross bar, the only pub on the island.[13] It is also often flown when boats arrive in the harbour, or during special events such as the King's Birthday.
Administrator's flag
The official website of the Govenor of Tristan da Cunha suggests it be used, "in the presence of the Administrator, or acting Administrator, on land and at sea.".[14]
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