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]
 | |
| Use | Civil and state flag, state ensign   |
|---|---|
| Proportion | 1:2 |
| Adopted | 2 April 1984 |
| Design | A Blue Ensign charged in the fly with the coat of arms of the Pitcairn Islands |
| Coat of arms of the Pitcairn Islands | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Adopted | 4 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 Milo 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. |
Coat of arms
editThe 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 milo, 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
editThe 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]
Gallery
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Flag flying over the then Foreign and Commonwealth Office (now Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) in London, 23 January 2013 -
Flag of the Pitcairn Islands (seventh from the back) in Court 3 of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council
References
edit- ^ Weekes 2008, pp. 17.
- ^ Weekes 2008, pp. A–4.
- ^ "The People of Pitcairn Island". Pitcairn Immigration. Government of the Pitcairn Islands. 21 August 2018. Archived from the original on 20 September 2020. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
- ^ "Pitcairn Islands flag". The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
- ^ "Flags, Symbols & Currency Of Pitcairn". WorldAtlas. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
- ^ "Pitcairn Islands National Symbols". CountyReports. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
- ^ Devereux 1992, pp. 7.
- ^ Poels, Jos (7 August 1996). "Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands". Flags of the World. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
Sources
edit- Weekes, Nick (2008). Colonial Flag Badges — Chronology (PDF). United Kingdom: Flag Institute.
- Devereux, Eve (1992). Flags of the World. Avenel, New Jersey: Flag Institute. ISBN 0517073161.
External links
edit
Media related to Flags of the Pitcairn Islands at Wikimedia Commons- Flag of the Pitcairn Islands at the Flag Institute.
