What is the golden wattle?

The golden wattle (Acacia pycnantha) is Australia's national floral emblem, an evergreen shrub or small tree that produces clusters of bright yellow ball-shaped flowers in late winter and early spring. It was officially proclaimed the national flower by Governor-General Bill Hayden on 1 September 1988 to mark the bicentenary, although wattle had served informally as a symbol of nationhood since the late nineteenth century.

Acacia pycnantha is one of about 1,000 species of acacia found in Australia, more than in any other country. It grows naturally in the temperate parts of South Australia, Victoria, and southern New South Wales, but has been planted across most of the country and is widely grown overseas as an ornamental species. The flowers contain large amounts of pollen but very little fragrance, contrary to common belief that wattle is a major cause of hay fever.

The flowering of golden wattle gives Australia its national colours of green and gold, which were proclaimed by Governor-General Sir Ninian Stephen on 19 April 1984. These colours are worn by Australian sporting teams from the Olympic team to the Wallabies and the Socceroos. The wattle also appears in the wreath surrounding the Australian coat of arms.

Wattle Day on 1 September is celebrated in many schools and community groups, particularly in southern states, with the wearing of sprigs of yellow blossom. The day was first observed in 1838 in Hobart but became a regular national event from 1910, organised by the Wattle Day League. Sprigs of wattle were often pressed into letters and parcels sent to Australian troops serving overseas in both world wars, and wattle is still laid at the Australian War Memorial on commemorative occasions.