What is a coat of arms for and what goes into creating one?

This year, activists launched a campaign to get Hamilton City Council to rethink its coat of arms.

The current design has two pūkeko besides a shield with oxen heads on it. It is topped off by a crown made of stone bricks to represent the fortress that the city was during the New Zealand Wars.

Jahvaya Wheki, a Hamilton resident campaigning for a new coat of arms, wants to see a new design that includes a Māori perspective, according to Newsroom. She started an online petition, which almost 500 people have signed.

"The current emblem was introduced in 1946 and represents the colonial history of our city as a settler military post in the 19th century," Wheki, wrote in the petition. "It does not align with the Treaty of Waitangi and Māori representation in our current emblem is non-existent."

Spoiler alert: They were not successful. Hamilton mayor Paula Southgate nixed the redesign idea.

Genealogist and heraldry expert David Jack told Afternoons he thought the mayor should reconsider.

"Are we going to remain colonial or are we going to become our own New Zealand? We need to have that debate and I believe that maybe rather than a coat of arms, we adopt a logo or a crest, something that is free-spirited and not tied up by rules and regulations."

What makes up a coat of arms?

Coats of arms are typically made up of a shield that has "supporters" on either side. In the case of Hamilton's design, the pūkeko are in the supporter position.

A helmet, wreath, motto and a crest were design elements that could be placed above the shield.

"They need to abide by the rules, the heraldic laws and traditions that govern heraldry."

New Zealand designs had historically been submitted to the College of Arms in England for approval. The Court of Lord Lyon played a similar role for coats of arms that were associated with Scotland.

Jack said he was denied by both organisations in his efforts to formalise a Jack family coat of arms.

He planned to submit his family's design to an American coat of arms registry.

Other New Zealand cities with a coat of arms

Hamilton is not the only city in New Zealand to have a coat of arms. Jack's personal favourite is Timaru.

"We have two sea horses on either side [of the shield] and in heraldic terms, it is called the hippocampus. They are half fish and half horse with a 'T' hanging around their necks for Timaru."

Piled on top is a knight's helmet, a crown similar to Hamilton's and a kiwi sitting in sunshine.

Artist Dick Frizzell, who was also interviewed on Afternoons, said coats of arms were "weird, traditional and old school."

Despite this, Porirua had managed to catch his eye as an interesting coat of arms.

"They've got the massive pile-up going," Frizzell said, describing the elaborate images on top of the shield that includes a boat and a whale.

Help Afternoons design a coat of arms

Afternoons host Jesse Mulligan invited listeners to submit ideas for the show's official coat of arms. The winner will receive an Afternoons tote bag and a spot on the show's Facebook page.

Send your entries to afternoons@rnz.co.nz by Wednesday. There is a blank template below that you can download to get you started.