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The Hills Shire (NSW, Australia)

image by Jonathan Dixon, 17 March 2017

The Hills Shire
Description of the Flag
Baulkham Hills Shire Flag

See also:

The Hills Shire

The Hills Shire is a large local government area north-western Sydney, stretching from [north of] Oatlands and Baulkham Hills in the south to Wiseman's Ferry on the Hawkesbury River in the north. It was proclaimed in 1906 as Baulkham Hills Shire.

The name change to The Hills Shire was gazetted on 14 November 2008. Council minutes suggest that a new seal is required (with the old one retained as a historical "crest").
Jonathan Dixon, 29 December 2008

Description of the Flag

As of 16 March 2017, The Hills Shire Council chambers are flying a flag the same as the one previously used under their previous name - that is light blue with the council seal in the centre - modified so that the new name "THE HILLS SHIRE COUNCIL" appears on the seal.

The seal on the flag (the council calls it a "crest") is fairly small - perhaps only 1/3 the height of the flag - and seems to be in a blue monochrome. An explanation of the "crest" is given in a newer version of the document at http://www.thehills.nsw.gov.au (archived here).
Jonathan Dixon, 3 May 2001

Detail of Seal

image by Jonathan Dixon, 17 March 2017

Baulkham Hills Shire Flag

The shire was still known as Baulkham Hills when I saw the flags displayed on the council offices in Castle Hill in July this year.

One of the flags displayed was a council flag, sky blue with the council seal and logo (I think in black and white). A new logo has been adopted with the name change, but the old one is still visible online on old documents such as this (PDF). It is circular, with a ring containing the words "BAULKHAM HILLS SHIRE COUNCIL" and "1906 NSW". Encroaching onto this ring is a shield (the point between "1906" and "NSW") overlaid with a boomerang (the arms on the other sides of these texts). The boomerang bears the Latin motto In meliora contende, "to strive for better things", with the combined meaning, "the good we do returns to us". The shield contains two blue bend(let)s on white, with a blue crown in the upper sinister, and signifies the Shire's development and loyalty, as encouraged by the early vice regal governors (a French nobleman also gets a mention).

The shield is also overlaid with a kookaburra (on the boomerang), and a waratah (below the boomerang), state emblems of New South Wales. To the left of the shield is a sprig of wattle, the national flower, and to the right, oranges with leaves and flowers. The Hills district was a major orange-growing area in the 19th century, being the home of the first commercially-grown oranges in Australia. The shield and accompanying emblems appear on a back ground of dark blue, forming an area of water below green hills (representing "The Hills" district) and a blue sky containing the five stars of the southern cross. A sailing ship on the water represents the coming of the first settlers from England to Australia.

The flag was flying with a national flag, a state flag and another national flag.
Jonathan Dixon, 29 December 2008