The Flinders University Council adopted a coat of arms for the university on 16 December 1966. The coat of arms consists of a shield bearing a radiant sun at the base surrounded by an open book on a blue background, with an extract from page 176 of Volume 1 of Matthew Flinders’ A Voyage to Terra Australis printed on the open pages. The shield is surmounted by a crest comprising a reproduction of Flinders’ ship, Investigator, fully rigged on a wreath of the University’s colours of dark blue, pale blue and white.

The crest was originally designed by the late Kevyn Whisson (1924-2006) who was involved in the planning of Flinders from its earliest days, and who became a senior architect with the University.

The extract from A Voyage to Terra Australis reads: “The situation of Mounty Lofty was found from hence and from some other cross bearings, to be 34” 59’ south and 138” 42’ east.

No land was visible so far to the north as where the trees appeared above the horizon, which showed the coast to be very low, and our soundings were fast and decreasing.

From noon to six o’clock we ran thirty miles to the northward, skirting a sandy shore at the distance of five, and thence to eight miles; the depth was then 5 fathoms, and we dropped the anchor upon a bottom of sand, mixed with pieces of dead coral.”

The shield anchors the logo by signifying strength, resolve and resilience, providing a solid foundation to unify the other elements.

A symbol of optimism, renewal, and the illuminating power of knowledge, the sun sits at the heart of the crest, providing a bold flash of Flinders’ distinctive gold colour.

The sun is intersected by three curved lines representing the environment and the pages of an open book. These lines deliberately interrupt the border of the traditional shield shape, a break with convention that speaks to Flinders University’s innovative, forward-thinking ethos.

The sun is intersected by three curved lines that convey multiple meanings.

Firstly, they are the open pages of a book and echo the reference to Matthew Flinders’ famous “A Voyage to Terra Australis” in our founding crest.

Secondly, they represent breaking waves in the vast oceans explored by the Investigator and the boundless opportunities that exist beyond the horizon.

Finally, they symbolise the many lands upon which Flinders University operates, across South Australia and the Northern Territory, including the coastal hills described by Flinders in his journal as he mapped the coastline of the country he would name Australia. 

A country whose lands have been walked upon by indigenous Australians for millennia. These lands have never been ceded and we recognise Indigenous Australians as original custodians and respect the cultural authority of elders past, present and emerging.

The symbolic intersection of sky and ocean is depicted in the logo and described in the poetic texts gifted to Flinders University on our 50th Anniversary by Kaurna Elder Uncle Lewis Yerloburka O’Brien. 

“Ngaiyirda karralika kawingka tikainga yara kumarninthi”

“When the outer world and the sky connect with the water, the two become one”.