Coat of arms of the Australian Capital Territory

The coat of arms of the City of Canberra, also known as Armorial Bearings of the City of Canberra, was granted to Federal Capital Commission, its successors and the City of Canberra by King George V in 1928. It has been used by the Australian Capital Territory as its de facto coat of arms, as the territory does not have its own coat of arms. A modified version of this coat of arms also appears on the flag of the Australian Capital Territory since 1993.

Symbolism

The various symbols of the coat of arms are explained below:

The crown symbolises Royal authority;
The mace symbolises the Parliament of Australia;
The sword symbolises the Sword of State;
The castle has three towers, symbolising the three branches of government ;
The White Rose is the badge of the Duke of York who opened the old Parliament of Australia building in 1927, and who would later be crowned as King George VI.
The crowned portcullis again symbolises the legislature, this being the traditional symbol of the Palace of Westminster, which houses the Parliament of the United Kingdom;
Behind the portcullis is a gum tree which represents the growth and progress of Canberra, and the fact that it is garden city;
The supporters are the Australian black swan, representing Aboriginal Australians, and the European white mute swan, representing white settlers;
The motto is "For the Queen, the Law and the People", the English translation of "Pro Rege, Lege et Grege", which is found on the arms of the city of Perth, Scotland, as well as those of the Ponsonby family.
History

The creation of the Coat of Arms of the City of Canberra originated from a request by the Commonwealth Department of Defence to the Commonwealth Department of Home Affairs and Territories in July 1927. The request was made so that the Coat of Arms could be used on the newly commissioned ship, HMAS Canberra. In August 1927 the Federal Capital Commissioners announced a competition to design a Coat of Arms for the FCC and for the City of Canberra.
The Federal Capital Commission commenced the competition to design a coat of arms for the City of Canberra in 1928.
In April 1928, the design of one Mr C. R. Wylie, having won the competition, was sent to the College of Arms, in London, for approval. The coat of arms at this stage did not include a motto. After minor adjustments, King George V granted the design in pursuance of a royal warrant dated 8 October 1928. The College of Arms issued the official exemplification and blazon on 7 November 1928, along with a crest.

Coat of Arms Change Debate

Coinciding with Canberra's 100 year anniversary in 2013, the debate on whether the coat of arms should be changed appears from time to time in Canberra's media outlets. Criticism has largely centred around the perceived outdatedness of symbols within the arms. For instance, Republican campaigner Terry Fewtrell argues that ‘‘It’s a travesty that nothing in it reflects the real Canberra,’’ he said. ‘‘It is neither Australian, nor reflective of the people and the place that we live in.’’ Examples include the crowns, castle, sword, and mace that are on the coat of arms.
Some proposal for change is also present for the "Flag of the Australian Capital Territory" - even from the current ACT Flag's designer - but for a different reason and with a totally different design.