Curio

State Library of New South Wales
Code of Signals for the Colony of New South Wales, 1 January 1832

Code of Signals for the Colony of New South Wales, 1 January 1832

Hand coloured print in New South Wales Calendar and Post Office Directory, 1832

Dixson Library 83/353


John Nicholson, the Harbour Master for Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour) introduced a set of signals for use in Port Jackson in 1829.  When a ship entered the harbour entrance a signal flag was raised at South Head signal station to designate the type of vessel, its home port, the port from which the vessel last sailed and its cargo.

The signal was received at the Fort Phillip signal station (now the Sydney Observatory) and the same flags were raised to inform the residents of Sydney that a ship would arrive shortly. This was a unique and simple signal system that informed port workers of the arrival of work, suppliers of ships needing provisioning and the public of the arrival of letters from England and new settlers for the colony.  

Ralph Bartlett (President, Flags Australia)


The term ‘vexillology’ refers to the study of flags and related emblems. The word is a synthesis of the Latin word vexillum (flag) and the Greek suffix –logia (study).