1984, 1988 & 1992
Australia's national colours of green and gold - 1984
In 1984 Australia's national colours were proclaimed to be green and gold. The gold represented the colour of wattle in flower. This settled a long dispute as to whether the colours should be red, white and blue, or green or blue together with gold. Green and gold were until then worn by Australian sporting teams.
The precise green and yellow references chosen are:
- Green: PANTONE®348C
- Gold: PANTONE®116C
Australia's national floral emblem - 1988
The unfinished business of 1913, that is, proclamation of Wattle as the national floral emblem, was completed during the Bicentennial Year, on the First of September 1988. Golden Wattle, Acacia pycnantha, was the actual species chosen
Golden Wattle (Acacia pycnantha)
Photo: ©S.D. Searle
National Wattle Day - 1992
Continuing confusion over the actual date of Wattle Day required a long-awaited agreement among the Commonwealth and States to unify Australia's Wattle Day as the First Day of Spring (1st September) in every State and Territory. This took place in 1992 at the urging of Maria Hitchcock, Ian McNamara, presenter and Executive Producer of ABC's radio program 'Australia All Over', and petitions signed by members of the Society for Growing Australian Plants'.
With the Centenary of Federation in 2001, Australians once again experienced strong feelings of nationhood. The Wattle Day Association is promoting a new Wattle Day oriented towards the future, encompassing positive virtues in the celebration of Australia and the Australian spirit. While appreciating the history of the Day, we can adapt its rich symbolism to the great issues Australia faces as a nation still seeking to find its place in the world and as a community-minded people within a global economy.