National Colours of Australia

The national colours of Australia are green and gold. These colours hold deep symbolic, historical, and cultural significance and are most prominently associated with Australian national identity through sport, official emblems, and government usage. Although informally used for many decades, green and gold were formally proclaimed as the national colours of Australia on 19 April 1984 by the Governor-General, Sir Ninian Stephen, acting on the advice of Prime Minister Bob Hawke. The proclamation was published in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, giving the colours official constitutional recognition.

Origins and Symbolism

The symbolism of Australia’s national colours is closely linked to the country’s natural environment. The gold colour represents the Golden Wattle (Acacia pycnantha), Australia’s national floral emblem, which is renowned for its bright yellow blossoms. Green symbolises the foliage of the wattle as well as the broader Australian landscape, including forests, grasslands, and agricultural regions.
Together, green and gold evoke a strong association with Australia’s natural heritage and have come to represent national pride, unity, and international identity. The golden wattle flower and the colours green and gold also appear on the Coat of Arms of Australia, reinforcing their status as enduring national symbols.

Early Use in Australian Sport

The earliest documented use of green and gold as Australian representative colours occurred in sport. The first Australian national team to wear the colours was the Australian cricket team during its tour of England in 1899. While cricket attire at the time was traditionally white, team captain Joe Darling arranged for players to wear green and gold caps and blazers for the opening match of The Ashes series. Prior to this, Australian teams had no consistent national colours and often wore a mixture of club or state colours.
The adoption proved influential, and the Australian cricket team continued to use green and gold thereafter. In 1908, the colours were formally ratified as the official colours for future Australian cricket teams. During discussions within the New South Wales Cricket Association, the shades were reportedly described as “eucalyptus green” and “Acacia pycnantha gold”, further reinforcing their botanical origins.

Olympic and International Representation

The Australasian Olympic team adopted green and gold in 1908, although usage was inconsistent across sports in the early years. A standardised Australian Olympic uniform was introduced for the first time at the 1912 Summer Olympics. This uniform consisted of green vests with gold trimming, paired with white shorts featuring green and gold accents, marking a key moment in the consolidation of the colours as national sporting symbols.
Throughout the twentieth century, green and gold gradually became synonymous with Australian international representation, particularly in sport. However, usage was not always uniform, and some Australian teams alternated between green, blue, or combinations of state-based colours, leading to occasional public confusion between green and blue as national colours.

Adoption by Major Sporting Codes

Among football codes, the Australian men’s national soccer team first wore green and gold in 1924. This was followed by the Australian national rugby league team in 1928 and the Australian national rugby union team in 1929. By the mid-twentieth century, green and gold had become firmly established as the dominant colours worn by Australian national teams across most sports.
Since 1961, the Australian national rugby union team, known as the Wallabies, has worn a gold jersey with green trim and lettering. This change from a primarily green jersey was made to avoid colour clashes with the South African national rugby union team.

Official Recognition and Specifications

Despite their long-standing use, green and gold were not formally designated as Australia’s national colours until 1984. The Australian government subsequently issued guidance on their correct use. According to official specifications, the colours should be placed side by side, with no other colour separating them.
The precise shades are defined using the Pantone Matching System:

• Green: Pantone 348C
• Gold: Pantone 116C

The colours are always referred to collectively as green and gold, and not in reverse order, reflecting established convention and official usage.

Alternative Colour Schemes

Although green and gold are the official national colours, alternative colour combinations have historically been used to represent Australia, particularly in earlier periods. For example, blue and maroon, representing New South Wales and Queensland respectively, were worn together by the Australian national rugby league team between 1908 and 1928 and later on commemorative jerseys. The Australian national rugby union team also wore combinations of blue, red, and white, or blue and gold, during its early years from 1899 to 1929.
These variations reflect Australia’s strong state-based sporting traditions prior to the widespread acceptance of a unified national colour scheme.

Use in Contemporary Sport

Today, nearly every Australian national sports team wears green and gold, although the exact shades, proportions, and design elements may vary depending on the sport and era. Teams that commonly compete in green and gold include national sides in cricket, rugby union, rugby league, soccer, netball, basketball, hockey, volleyball, tennis, baseball, lacrosse, ice hockey, touch football, dodgeball, roller derby, powerlifting, and dragon boat racing.
The Australian cricket team’s baggy green cap remains one of the most iconic symbols in Australian sport and is widely regarded as a powerful emblem of tradition, excellence, and national identity.
Australian athletes representing the country at the Summer Olympic Games also traditionally wear green and gold, further reinforcing the colours’ association with international competition.

Use Beyond Sport

Beyond sport, green and gold have been adopted by government bodies, institutions, and organisations as symbols of national identity. From around 1981, the colours were used in the livery of the Australian National Railways Commission, which emerged from the merger of several government-run railway systems. Although Australian National was privatised in 1997, its use of green and gold contributed to the broader visibility of the national colours in public life.
The colours are also frequently used in ceremonial contexts, national celebrations, educational materials, and branding associated with Australian representation abroad.