![[Ryde flag]](../images/a/au-ns-ry.gif)
image by
Jonathan Dixon, 16 May 2016
Last modified: 2016-06-14 by ian macdonald
Keywords: ryde |
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image by
Jonathan Dixon, 16 May 2016
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The City of Ryde is a local government area in the "northern suburbs" area of
Sydney, extending from the northern banks of the Parramatta River around
Meadowbank north to the Lane Cove River.
The area was home to the
Wallumedegal people before the arrival of the First Fleet, which was very
quickly devastating for them. British settlement of the area began with land
grants to soldiers in 1792 ("Field of Mars") and convicts further east ("Eastern
Farms"). The municipality was founded in 1870, and received a railway line in
the 1880s, spurring residential subdivision. It was also around this time that
local resident Maria Ann "Granny" Smith grew the first apples which were to
become known as "Granny Smiths".
The council was given city status at the
bicentenary of the first land grants in 1992. The area is now largely
residential and commercial land, including Macquarie University.
Jonathan Dixon, 10 May 2016
According to the leaflet City of Ryde Flag published in 1992, the City
of Ryde flag was commissioned in 1992 as part of the bicentennial celebrations,
and is intended to be flown by anyone living, working or studying in the city,
not just by the council itself.
The flag is a green-white-green 'Canadian
pale' triband, with the shield of the City's arms in the centre. Green and white
were taken from the main colours of the shield, also being the city's corporate
colours.
The arms can be seen at
Heraldry of the World, and described there, at
the council site and in the leaflet about the flag:
The field is green, representing Ryde's rural past, bearing a white chevron peaking in a cross pattee and bearing a (brown?) pair of dividers. The chevron stands for Ryde's residential area, the cross the role of local churches, and the dividers "planning in general", in particular a unique Housing Scheme.My rendition on the flag is based on the black and white image in the City of Ryde Flag leaflet, with reference to photos found at:
Above the chevron are two gold apples, representing historical orchards and their wealth, and in particular the Granny Smith variety. Below the chevron is a rising sun representing a prosperous future and alluding to the name "Eastern Farms".
At the top (a chief wavy) is a gold cornucopia on a background of four blue and white wavy stripes. The stripes represent the waterways of the area and the cornucopia the wealth and produce of the district, historically transported on the waterways.
