City of Berwick coat of arms
Maker
M Bos
Production date
1978
See full details
Object Detail
Production date
1978
Description
Woollen needlework on hessian cloth base, depicting the City of Berwick coat of arms, with a decorative boarder and framed in an ornate gilt frame.
The arms were officially granted on April 8, 1976.
The chained bear on the shield is the arms of Berwick-upon-Tweed in Northumberland, from where Captain Gardiner, the first settler, originated, and named his run 'Berwick'. The bull's head was the insignia of the former Berwick Shire Council. It also celebrates the Ayrshire bull 'Lord Beaconsfield', produced in the Berwick district, which, when crossed with Shorthorn cows, produced the famous Illawarra breed of cattle. The lamb represents primary production, the basis of the farming community which developed into the City of Berwick. The buckle is a symbol of 'success by endeavour', a challenge to the Council of a relatively new city in the 1970's. The black horses, as with so many Australian arms, alludes to the role played in transportation in the early days. The bluestone wall refers to Wilson's Quarry from which the ballast for the Gippsland railway was quarried and which was a pioneer of this industry in the district. The honeyeater is a beautiful bird still found in the upper reaches of Cardinia Creek, the eastern boundary of the city, and is now regarded as Australia's most endangered species of bird. The tree stump is a symbol of renewed life and the beauty of the many trees, both native and exotic, found in the Berwick region.
The arms were officially granted on April 8, 1976.
The chained bear on the shield is the arms of Berwick-upon-Tweed in Northumberland, from where Captain Gardiner, the first settler, originated, and named his run 'Berwick'. The bull's head was the insignia of the former Berwick Shire Council. It also celebrates the Ayrshire bull 'Lord Beaconsfield', produced in the Berwick district, which, when crossed with Shorthorn cows, produced the famous Illawarra breed of cattle. The lamb represents primary production, the basis of the farming community which developed into the City of Berwick. The buckle is a symbol of 'success by endeavour', a challenge to the Council of a relatively new city in the 1970's. The black horses, as with so many Australian arms, alludes to the role played in transportation in the early days. The bluestone wall refers to Wilson's Quarry from which the ballast for the Gippsland railway was quarried and which was a pioneer of this industry in the district. The honeyeater is a beautiful bird still found in the upper reaches of Cardinia Creek, the eastern boundary of the city, and is now regarded as Australia's most endangered species of bird. The tree stump is a symbol of renewed life and the beauty of the many trees, both native and exotic, found in the Berwick region.
Artist/Maker and role
M Bos: Maker
Associated person
Media/Materials description
wool on hessian
Measurements
128.0 x 119.0 cm (sight), 144.0 x 137.0 x 5.2 cm (frame)
Signature & date
Inscribed on verso in black ink "M. Bos/ *******/ Endevour(sic) Hills/ 3804/ 1978" (information removed for privacy reasons)
Photography credit (first image)
Photograph: Viki Petherbridge
System ID
918
