New Zealand does not presently have its own independent heraldic authority which grants or records arms,[1] though the College of Arms in London claims to be "the official heraldic authority for...New Zealand".[2] According to the guidelines of the Cabinet Manual, the College has been delegated these responsibilities by the Sovereign of New Zealand in their capacity as the "Fount of all Honour".[3] However, the legal basis for this "official" status for the College of Arms is disputed.[4][5]
On 6 February 1978 Queen Elizabeth II established the New Zealand Herald of Arms Extraordinary as the officer of arms responsible for advising the Crown, New Zealand government and New Zealand Defence Force on heraldic matters, and for liaising between New Zealand and the English College of Arms. Although affiliated with the College of Arms, the New Zealand Herald of Arms Extraordinary lives and works in New Zealand, and is not a member of the College Chapter.[6] The current New Zealand Herald of Arms Extraordinary is Phillip Patrick O’Shea.[7][8]
The Tauranga coat of arms comprises brown wool bales on a royal blue background in the top left, a gold sheaf of wheat on a red background in the top right, and a grey ship on a blue background at the bottom of the shield, with a rising sun as the crest.
Supporters: On the dexter side a figure representing a farm settler of the nineteenth century, at his feet a cattle dogsejant and on the sinister side a figure representing a Māori chieftain all proper.
The shield of the Gisborne coat of arms is silver, with a wavy blue chief representing the sea and a blue reversed pall representing the Taruheru and Waimata rivers combining into the Tūranganui River. On the chief is a depiction of the HMS Endeavour, on either side of the pall are two red bulls'heads representing agriculture, and in the base there is a blue mitre.
The crest depicts the sun rising out of the clouds over Mount Hikurangi.
As supporters there are two lions rampant, taken from the coat of arms of William Gisborne. The lion on the left is black with white ermine spots, has two tails and is gorged with a gold dovetail collar. The lion on the right is gold and is gorged with a black dovetail collar.
The shield of the Napier coat of arms is white with wavy blue bars over which is a depiction of the golden fleece, representing the wool industry, and with three red roses on a white chief, taken from the arms of Francis Napier, 6th Lord Napier.
Crest: On a wreath of the colours, clouds Argent, rays Or, a sunburst supporting a toothed wheel, perforated of six, centred and rimmed Argent, Gules.
Supporters:Dexter, a ram, tail couped, horned and hoofed Or, proper, supporting on a staff proper palewise flying to the dexter an ensignSable, two bars Argent edged and charged with a hawk rising Or (for Hawke's Bay and Lord Hawke).
Sinister, a bull, armed and hoofed Or, supporting a staff proper palewise flying to the sinister, edged Or, a New Zealand Ensign; all supported by a profusion of apples, pears, peaches, grapes and miro berries with their leaves, surmounting a Māori style carved panel representing Rongomatane and Haumia-tiketike, all proper.
Motto:Urbis Et Ruris Concordia ("Town and Country in Harmony")
The shield of the coat of arms of Central Hawke's Bay is green with a sun between a sheaf of wheat on the left and a fleece on the right in the chief and with a lymphad in the base, all gold. The chief and base are separated by a white fess with two wavy blue bars, representing the Waipawa and Tukituki rivers.
The shield of the coat of arms of Whanganui is red with silver shells in the bottom left and top right, taken from the arms of William Petre, 11th Baron Petre, separated by a wavy silver bend, representing the Whanganui River, having a blue lymphad in the centre and a red lymphad on the top left and bottom right taken from the arms of William Hogg Watt. On either side of the silver bend are gold wavy bands. On a silver chief there is a ram's head with an open book on either side.
The arms of Palmerston North contain several visual puns on the name of the city.
The shield of the coat of arms of Palmerston North is gold on the left and blue on the right and having a bordure which is blue on the left and gold on the right. On the left side of the shield is a blue eagle with its wings displayed, having a red tongue and claws, and wearing a gold crown. On the right side of the shield is a gold tower.
On top of a mural crown, the crest is a red lion passant with blue tongue and claws holding a scallop shell (taken from the badge of a palmer) in its right paw, framed by palm fronds.
The shield of the coat of arms of Upper Hutt is white with two kererū facing each other in the chief and a tōtara in the base, separated by a wavy blue fess which represents the Hutt River.
Escutcheon: Argent on Water in base Barry Wavy a Barquentine in full sail proper, flying at the fore-mast a Flag Azure, thereon a representation of the constellation of the Southern Cross Or; on a Chief Vert a Cog wheel between two Garbs Gold, over all a Canton Argent charged with a Chevron between three Fleurs de lys Sable.
Crest: A Tūī Bird holding in the beak a spring of Kōwhai flowered proper.
Supporters: On the dexter side the figure of a Farmer supporting with the interior Hand a long-handled Shovel resting his exterior hand on a Sheep Dog sejant, and on the sinister side the figure of a Māori Warrior vested proper, supporting with the interior Hand a long Spear also proper.
Escutcheon: Vert two Piles Barry wavy of ten Argent and Azure.
Crest: On a Wreath of the Colours in front of a Lymphad proper Sail set Pennon flying Gules Flags flying Azure a Whale proper.
Supporters: On the dexter side a Private Soldier of the 58th Regiment of Foot in the uniform of the early Nineteenth Century and on the sinister side a Māori Warrior both proper.
Motto:Mo Te Katoa Nga Mahi ("All That is Done is For the Benefit of All")
Escutcheon:Quarterly Gules and Azure, a Cross Or between; In the first quarter a Fleece Or; in the second quarter on Water barry wavy proper in base a Lymphad sail furled pennon and flags flying Argent; in the third quarter a Garb Or; in the fourth quarter five Plates in Saltire Argent.
Escutcheon: Or on a Chevron Gules a Mitre between a Fleece and a Garb of the first in base two Bars wavy Azure on a Chief of the last four Lymphads sails furled also of the first.
The shield of the coat of arms is white with a wavy blue fess representing Ashburton River / Hakatere charge with a golden waka. In the chief is a red mural crown in the centre, with a green trefoil on either side (taken from the arms of the Turton family), and in the base is the head of a bear wearing a blue muzzle (taken from the arms of Lord Ashburton).
For the crest it has a ram's head in front of a sheaf of grain which is quartered in green and gold.
The shield of the coats of arms of Timaru is blue charged with a golden fleece on both the right and left sides, and having a gold wavy chief charged with two red lymphads. Beneath a chevron division on a white background (representing Aoraki / Mount Cook), the base is charged with a blue plough.
For the crest, standing on a mural crown and in front of a rising sun is a kiwi.
The supporters are two white hippocamps with blue "T"s hanging from chains around their necks, on top of a compartment of blue and white wavy bars representing the sea.
Motto:Palma non sine pulvere ("No Reward Without Effort", lit.'palms not without dust')
Escutcheon: Argent above a Fess Dancette Vert, a Castle Triple-Towered sable on a Rock issuing from the Fess, Masoned Argent, with Windows, Vanes and Portcullis Gules. In the base a Three-Masted Lymphad with Sail Furled Azure, Flagged of Scotland, a Ram's Head Affrontee Horned Or between Two Garbs of the last.
Crest: A Mural Crown.
Supporters: On the Dexter a Scotsman Habited with Philabeg and Plaid of the Clan Cameron, supporting in His Exterior Hand a Cromach; on the Sinister a Māori Chief attired in Korowai (waist mat), Two Huia Feathers in his hair, an Aurei (greenstone ear pendant) and a Hei Matau (greenstone neck pendant) and in His Exterior hand a Taiaha.
Motto:Maiorum Institutis Utendo ("By following in the steps of our forefathers")
Escutcheon: Or, on three Bars Wavy Gules a Ram's Head Horned Affrontee proper, on a Chief Wavy Azure a Lymphad Argent, Flagged Gules between two Garbs Or.
Escutcheon: Quarterly, first, Or, on a reedy mount vert a Notornis bird Proper, beaked and membered Gules (for Southland); second, Gules, a dexter arm vambraced, the hand brandishing a sword Proper (for Wallace); third, Azure, three piles wavy issuant from the dexter bendways Argent (for Fiordland); fourth, Or, an island Vert surmounted of a fess chequy Azure and Argent (for Stewart Island).
Supporters: Dexter a Merino ram and sinister a Merino ewe Proper.
Motto: Above the shield in an EscrolMurrey in Letters Or is placed this Motto "SOUTHLAND", and on a compartment Vert below the Shield, along with an Escrol Argent bearing in letters Sable this Motto "IN UNITY WE PROGRESS".
Escutcheon: Argent, upon waves of the sea a two-masted ship in full sail proper flagged Gules, on a chief per pale Azure and Gules to the dexter a Cornucopia Or, to the sinister a Shovel surmounted by a Pick, in Saltire proper.
Crest: Issuant out of a Mural Crown Or a representation of the Phormium Tenax flowered proper.
Supporters: On either side an Apteryx (or Kiwi) proper.
Escutcheon:Per pall reversed azure and argent on a chevron engrailed or and sable between in chief a bunch of grapes slipped and leaved argent, and a tower gules and in base a bulls head caboshed sable, armed and ringed of five ermine spots counterchanged.
Crest: On a mural crown or masoned vert, an arm couped bendwise habited in a maunch sable bezanty each bezant charged with an ermine spot sable, cuffed ermine lined gules, the hand proper supporting an orb vert banded and ensigned with a cross crosslet or, mantled sable doubled or.
Motto:Te Pai Me Te Whairawa ("The Goodness and the Wealth")
Escutcheon: Azure on a Chevron Or between in chief two Seagullsvolant and respectant proper in base a Lymphad sail set pennon and flags flying Or a Bull's head caboshed Sable armed proper between two Cogwheels Sable.
Crest: On a Wreath Or and Gules perched on battlements of a Tower proper in front of an aeroplane propellor Or a Seagull wings elevated proper.
Motto:Ante Alios Prosili ("Be ahead of the times")
The shield of the coat of arms of Howick is blue with a white "medieval ship" (representing the ship Minerva) and white and blue bands representing the sea in the base. In the chief on a white background is a depiction of a well on the left, and a cannon on the right. The symbols were intended to represent the Fencibles and their families, as the first European settlers in the area, and Howick's establishment as a military settlement.
The shield of the coat of arms of New Plymouth is divided into quarters, separated by a blue cross bordered with white and surmounted with five stars also arranged in a cross. The top left quarter depicts a Jersey cow in a field. The top right quarter depicts a berthed merchant vessel. The bottom left quarter depicts a green hei-tiki on a brown background. The bottom right quarter depicts New Plymouth Airport, Mount Taranaki and the Southern Cross monoplane.
Behind the shield are depictions of four traditional Māori weapons: a taiaha in the top left, a hoe (paddle) in the lower left, a ko-a (digging implement) in the top right, and a tewhatewha in the lower right.
Motto:Mauri Mahi Mauri Ora ("The Industrious Heart Lives")
The other countries of the Realm of New Zealand, the associated states of the Cook Islands and Niue and the dependent territory of Tokelau, have their own heraldic emblems. The Cook Islands has their own armorial bearings (coat of arms) using unique local elements,[84] since 2021 Niue has had a seal based on traditional Niuean elements (replacing their previous one based on the New Zealand coat of arms),[85] while Tokelau has a badge based on a traditional Tokelauan tuluma.[86]
Heraldry is discussed and studied by The Heraldry Society of New Zealand, a learned society under the patronage of the governor-general.[87][88] The society publishes The New Zealand Armorist. Its homepage is called Onward.[89]