Armoria
binneskild

Themes – structures

To learn more about the arms illustrated, click on the images.

MAN-MADE structures are not often encountered as heraldic charges, but there are some that are found in South Africa. Ironically, the oldest kind currently to be seen in Armoria is in the newest coat of arms: the typical Nguni-style beehive hut, which appears as the crest in the arms of KwaZulu-Natal. It was also to be found in the seal (not an armorial device) of King William’s Town.

Nguni hut crest of KwaZulu-Natal

The huts of the Nguni and Sotho are, however, not intended to be permanent. Traditionally, they are burned down when the head of a household dies. Permanent structures were an innovation brought into South Africa by the Dutch, who built the Castle in Cape Town. This building appears in a number of military coats of arms, although Armoria does not currently have an example of it. A structure that appears in four institutional coats of arms in Port Elizabeth is the Donkin memorial pyramid, found in the arms of Livingstone Hospital, Pearson High School (which once occupied premises facing the Donkin Reserve), Lawson Brown High School and the Anglican Diocese of Port Elizabeth, which uses a triangle to symbolise both the pyramid and the Holy Trinity. Livingstone Hospital’s arms also incorporate an image of Port Elizabeth’s famous Campanile.

Donkin pyramid and Campanile in the arms of Livingstone HospitalDonkin pyramid in the arms of Pearson High SchoolDonkin pyramid in the arms of Lawson Brown High Schooltriangle representing the Donkin pyramid (and the Holy Trinity) in the arms of the Diocese of Port Elizabeth

The Rondebosch Municipality cannot really be said to have had a coat of arms, but in the landscape it bore as a “shield of arms” was a fanciful representation of the town hall, as well as a steam train.

Rondebosch Town Hall in the arms of Rondebosch Municipality

The Transvaal Colony did not have a coat of arms at all, but its colonial seal included a mine headgear built of steel girders (and a steam locomotive). Bophuthatswana’s coat of arms also included a mine headgear, but a much uglier, more modern one, of concrete construction.

mine headgear (upper dexter medallion) in the seal of the Transvaal Colonymine headgear in the arms of Bophuthatswana

The town of Despatch, which grew up around a brickfield, incorporated the brickworks chimney into its arms, while a fortification of sorts can be seen in the arms of the Hoërskool P J Olivier, which has a battlemented grey stone wall in the inescutcheon which represents the Graham family.

brickworks chimney in the arms of Despatchfortification in the arms of the Hoërskool P J Olivier

The Ekurhuleni metropole incorporates a shape into the base of its arms which resembles a city skyline, against the background of a mine dump. Formed in 2000, the metro incorporates several large towns at the eastern end of the Witwatersrand Main Reef.

city skyline in the arms of Ekurhuleni

Also found in South African coats of arms are bridges. One such structure is the bridge that crossed the border between the Zuid Afrikaansche Republiek and the Natal Colony near Volksrust.

border bridge in the arms of Volksrust

Counter

Back to top of page

Vir Afrikaans, kliek hier

Back to themes index

Back to Armoria index

Comments, queries: Mike Oettle

1