Kiwi Arms | Heraldry Society of New Zealand

Kiwi Arms

Heraldry is a living and visible part of everyday life in New Zealand, woven into the symbols and identities that people encounter all around them.

It appears on government buildings, official documents, university halls, memorials, and civic chambers across the country. Because these symbols are so familiar, they often fade into the background. Yet together they form one of New Zealand’s oldest and most enduring traditions of public identity.

Some of these designs were inherited from British heraldic traditions, while others incorporate recognisably New Zealand symbols, landscapes, and ideas. Together they show how heraldry adapted to a new country on the other side of the world.

Explore New Zealand Heraldry

The following pages look more closely at some of the places where heraldry appears in New Zealand public life.

National HeraldryNew Zealand’s national coat of arms is among the country’s most recognisable heraldic symbols. It represents the authority of the state and is used by Parliament, government departments, the courts, and other official bodies throughout the country.

Civic HeraldryFor centuries, towns and cities all over the world have used heraldry to express civic authority and local identity. The city of Košice, in Slovakia is often cited as among the oldest. Its arms were formally granted in 1369. Arms spread across cities in Europe and eventually to the rest of the world.

Educational HeraldryUniversities have used heraldry for centuries as a way of expressing continuity, learning, and institutional identity. The University of Oxford is believed to have the oldest coat of arms of all the universities around the world. Its has been in use since about 1412. New Zealand's university arms are all much younger but are very recognisable all over the country.

More kiwi heraldry coming soon...More examples of heraldry in New Zealand will be added here as the site grows.