| Coat of arms of the City of Christchurch | |
|---|---|
| Details | |
| Armiger | Christchurch City Council |
| Adopted | 1949 |
| Crest | Kiwi |
| Torse | Blue and Gold |
| Escutcheon | Four Lymphads, Mitre, Fleece and Garb and two Bars Wavy |
| Supporters | Pukeko |
| Compartment | Grassy with Celmesia Flowers |
| Motto | Latin: Fide Condita Fructu Beata Spe Fortis |
The Coat of Arms of the City of Christchurch, also known as the armorial bearings, is the official symbol of the City of Christchurch, New Zealand. They were granted to the City by the College of Arms by Letters Patent on February 21, 1949.
Contents |
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 And for the Crest on a Wreath Or and Azure a Kiwi proper. Supporters On either side a Pukeko proper.
The four Lymphads represent the "First Four Ships" (the Charlotte-Jane, the Randolph, the Sir George Seymour and the Cressy) which arrived in 1850 with the first settlers of the area. The Mitre symbolizes that Christchurch was planned as a Church of England settlement and was made a Bishop's See, with City status, by Queen Victoria in 1856. The fleece and garb denote the agricultural and pastoral pursuits of the surrounding region. The two bars wavy represent the two rivers running through the City; the Avon and Heathcote.
On the blue and gold wreath of the helmet is a Kiwi, a flightless native bird, which is also used as a New Zealand national emblem.
The Pukeko (or swamp hen) is a native bird found in and around the Christchurch City area.
Fide Condita Fructu Beata Spe Fortis translated means "Founded in Faith, Rich in the Fulfillment thereof, Strong in Hope for the Future". Further interpretation can be read: