National symbols of Australia facts for kids

National symbols of Australia are the official symbols used to represent Australia as a nation or the Commonwealth Government. Additionally, each state and territory has its own set of symbols.

Official symbols

	Symbol	Image	Adopted	Remarks
Flag	Flag of Australia		3 September 1901	The flag includes the Southern Cross, Union Flag and Commonwealth Star.
Coat of arms	Coat of arms of Australia		19 September 1912	Granted by King George V; an earlier design was granted by King Edward VII on 7 May 1908, and it continued to be used in some contexts, notably appearing on the sixpenny coin until 1966.
National anthem	"Advance Australia Fair"		19 April 1984
Royal anthem	"God Save the Queen"		19 April 1984
National colours	Green and gold		19 April 1984	Green and gold are also the traditional team colours of Australian national sporting teams.
National floral emblem	Golden Wattle (Acacia pycnantha)		19 August 1988	It is a tree which flowers in late winter and spring
National gemstone	Opal		27 July 1992	Opal production was worth $71.4 million to Australia in 2003 and supports many communities in New South Wales, South Australia and Queensland.

Unofficial emblems

	Symbol	Image	Remarks
National animals	Red kangaroo (Macropus rufus)		Unofficial national mammal emblems. The largest terrestrial mammal native to Australia. It is found across mainland Australia, avoiding only the more fertile areas in the south, the east coast, and the northern rainforests.
National bird	Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae)		Unofficial national bird emblems. The emu's range covers most of mainland Australia. It has featured on numerous Australian postage stamps.
National dances	Bush dance Corroboree among Australian Aborigines		Unofficial national dances.
National dish	Meat pie Roast lamb		Unofficial national dish.
National musical instrument	Didgeridoo		Unofficial national musical instrument. For Aboriginal groups of Australia, the didgeridoo is still an integral part of ceremonial life, as it accompanies singers and dancers in cultural ceremonies that continue.
National personification	Boxing kangaroo Little Boy from Manly		Unofficial national personifications.

Cultural icons

The flag of Australia flying atop Parliament House in Canberra, with a sculpture of the coat of arms in the foreground.

Icons of Australian culture are almost as well known by Australians and visitors as unofficial symbols.

	Image	Remarks
Akubra Hat
Bondi Beach
Bushranger
Driza-Bone
Great Barrier Reef
Ned Kelly
Outback
Pavlova		A meringue cake with a crisp crust and soft, marshmallow centre, topped with whipped cream and fruit. Its country of origin is widely contested by New Zealand.
Stockman
Sydney Harbour Bridge
Sydney Opera House		Open since 1973, it has come to represent Australia.
Uluru		Uluru is one of Australia's most recognisable natural icons.
Vegemite		A thick, very dark brown food spread made from leftover brewers' yeast extract with various vegetable and spice additives.