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City of Holroyd (NSW, Australia)

Last modified: 2016-05-20 by ian macdonald
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[City of Holroyd] image by Randy Young, 25 February 2016

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Description of the Flag

The City of Holroyd is [for now] a local government area to the west and south of the city of Parramatta in the west of Sydney's metropolitan area, about 25 km west of the CBD. Bounded partly by Sydney's Western and Southern railway lines, the city has a roughly diamond shape, stretching from Toongabbie in the north to Granville in the east, Yennora in the south and Pemulwuy/Prospect Hill in the west.

It was formed as the Municipal District of Prospect and Sherwood in 1872, being renamed in honour of the first mayor, Arthur Holroyd. Brick-making was one of the early industries in the municipality, especially in the east, while in the north, the Bonds Cotton Mill in Pendle Hill was the origin of the Bonds clothing brand.

The area has a steadily growing population, reaching 99,000 at the 2011 census. Holroyd was granted city status in 1990.

Holroyd has a relatively rarely used flag made up of a light blue field with the Council's coat of arms. The shield is quartered blue and black with yellow charges in each quarter, with a thin white border and thin white line separating the top quarters from the bottom. The vertical boundary of the quarters is occupied by a black and yellow torch with red flame. The charges in each quarter are - yellow cornucopia on blue, yellow house on black, yellow factory on black, and yellow (stack of bricks?) on blue, and seem to representative of the residential areas and early industries of Holroyd.

Below the shield is a ribbon with the Latin motto 'Progrediamur', translated "Let us progress", suggesting the torch is used as a symbol of progress. Above the shield are ribbons bearing the name "CITY OF" "HOLROYD", while for supporters there are two sprigs of foliage with red flowers with darkened centre, which I think are probably intended to be Waratahs (Telopea speciosissima, the state floral emblem).

In correspondence with me, Council's Events Officer has called the flag the "Mayoral Flag" and told me that

The blue flag with Holroyd City's Mayoral crest is flown when Holroyd defeats Parramatta in our yearly cricket match - as you are aware of.

The flag is flown for special Council functions and also flown at various events held in Hay NSW as part of the alliance between Holroyd City Council and Hay shire Council.
A photo of the council chambers in Merrylands around 1970 in shows this flag flying alongside the national flag above the building. (p82, 140 Years of Holroyd's History, http://www.holroyd.nsw.gov.au/library/ebooks/140YearsofHolroydsHistory/index.html#/82).

An image of the "Mayoral Crest" can be seen in documents such as the 2006 Strategic Plan, http://www.holroyd.nsw.gov.au/PDFs/Your%20Council/Plans/Past%20Management%20Plans/City%20Strategic%20Plan%202006%20-%202010.pdf.

Here is a photo of the flag (flying above Parramatta Town Hall after an inter-council cricket match) in 2013.

Jonathan Dixon, 25 February 2016