The coat of arms of Sydney was adopted in 1996. It features a blue shield that depicts a crown, representing the power and authority of the city, and an anchor, symbolic of the fact that the city is a port and that Australia was discovered by a naval officer. The upper portion of the shield depicts three elements, two of which are three white shells and a blue chevron on a gold background, which are derived from the arms of Thomas Townshend, 1st Viscount Sydney. The other element is a blue cross on white overlaid with a yellow circle, which is modeled after the flag of England. The yellow circle represents the globe and is derived from the arms of Captain James Cook[1].