Why is wattle important to Australians?

Wattle is important to Australians because it is the country's national floral emblem, the source of the national colours of green and gold, and a symbol of remembrance and resilience that has been used at moments of national mourning and celebration for more than a century. The golden wattle (Acacia pycnantha) is the species recognised in the 1988 proclamation, but more than 1,000 species of acacia grow across Australia and are collectively referred to as wattle.

Wattle was associated with Australian identity well before federation. From the 1880s, Australian-born settlers wore sprigs of wattle on patriotic occasions to distinguish themselves from new arrivals, and the Wattle Day League formalised the practice from 1910. Wattle Day is now observed on 1 September each year, the start of meteorological spring in the southern hemisphere.

During both world wars, sprigs of wattle were sent to soldiers serving overseas as a reminder of home, and wattle was laid at war graves and memorials. The tradition continues at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra and at countless community memorials across the country. Wattle was laid by then Prime Minister John Howard at the site of the 2002 Bali bombings and is regularly used at state funerals and national days of mourning.

Beyond commemoration, wattle has practical value. Aboriginal peoples used the seeds, bark, and gum of various acacia species for food, medicine, tools, and weapons across tens of thousands of years. Wattle bark was a major export in the nineteenth century, used in tanning leather, and wattle wood was used in fence posts and rural construction. Today the plant is also valued for its role in soil stabilisation and as a fast-growing nitrogen-fixing species in landscape restoration projects.