Can anyone identify this Coat of Arms?

[Warbaby]

I have a pair of cloisonne cufflinks with this coat of arms - I'd like to know what I'm wearing before I wear them...

The indian on the left would imply that it's something North American, possibly Canadian. I've searched extensively on the web without success. I'm hoping p'raps someone will recognize it.

 

[Widebrim]

Well, I know that the Latin means "Skill and Toil," the motto of the Blackburn Rovers football team (British), but that's not their crest...[huh]

 

[Yeps]

It is also the motto of the Bank of Montreal, but again, wrong crest.

 

[Vornholt]

Got it. It's not an Indian, but an Aboriginal man.

http://www.heritage.nsw.gov.au/10_subnav_08_05_01.htm

"The Letters Patent for the Coat of Arms granted to Prospect County Council in 1972 with seals of the Kings of Arms in London.

The Prospect County Council was established in 1956 as a cooperative approach by nine local councils in Western Sydney to maintaining and providing electricity within their region or 'county'. The Local Government Act 1919 provided for such county councils to be established by groups of local councils to provide certain functions or services on a shared basis. Prospect County Council was reincorporated as Prospect Electricity in 1993, and stopped using the Arms from that time.

Prospect County Council was granted its coat of arms on 20th July 1972. The blazon is:Arms: Argent four bars wavy Azure a thunderbolt proper winged Or on a chief Gules a cogwheel between a garb and fleece or both banded Azure. Crest: on a wreath Or and Azure within a mural crown proper a lion rampant Gules holding between the forepaws an escarbuncle having nine rays Sable and resting the dexter hindpaw on a sun in splendour Gold. Supporters: on the dexter side an Australian Aboriginal male with traditional tribal markings holding in his exterior hand three spears and a bark shield also decorated in traditional manner and on the sinister side a Private of the NSW Corps in the uniform of the Line of about 1805 holding in his exterior hand a flintlock rifle and bayonet fixed. Badge: on a plate fimbriated Gules and charged with an orle of nine bezants a thunderbolt proper. Motto: Arte et Labore.
The wheatsheaf and golden fleece in the chief (top) of the shield allude to the early colonial industries of western Sydney, with the cogwheel symbolising prosperity through industry. The four wavy blue lines symbolise the region's four main rivers, while the winged thunderbolt is the heraldic symbol for electricity. The Aboriginal man represents the pre-colonial people of the area, with his shield carrying the symbols and marks of Western Sydney's Indigenous heraldry; while the NSW Corps soldier alludes to the military barracks that preceded many of the towns in the area. The blue and gold mantling alludes to the colours of Parramatta (the seat of the county council), and the mural crown of sandstone is a traditional symbol of municipal authority. The lion (representing authority) holds an escarbuncle (a device used in ancient times to strengthen a shield) of nine rays, alluding to the strength of the nine municipalities combined, while his paw rests on a sun symbolising heat, light and power emblematic of the council's functions. The motto translates from Latin as "By skill and toil". "

 

[Warbaby]

Wowie! Thanks, Vornholt - that was an incredibly fast identification. How did you find something that obscure?

And I can now wear the cufflinks knowing that I'm not committing an unforgivable faux pas by wearing something that I'm not entitled to wear. Not likely that I'll ever run into someone from the Prospect County Council here on Vancouver Island...

 

[Vornholt]

Credit a misspent career in grad school and a fascination with obscure anything.

 

[Widebrim]

My question is, how did it ever end up on Vancouver Island?

 

[Tomasso]

.....

 

[Silver Dollar]

That's what I call a great explanation. I'd have never found it.

 

[lolly_loisides]

Wow, as soon as I saw that I thought, that's Australian. Guess where I grew up? Prospect.

Here's some local history, if you're interested http://www.holroyd.nsw.gov.au/your_city/aboriginal_heritage
http://www.holroyd.nsw.gov.au/your_city/local_history/suburb_history/10

 

[lolly_loisides]

And I can now wear the cufflinks knowing that I'm not committing an unforgivable faux pas by wearing something that I'm not entitled to wear. Not likely that I'll ever run into someone from the Prospect County Council here on Vancouver Island...

Haha, don't be so sure, my sister & her husband both grew up in Prospect & now live on Vancouver Island......

 

[Warbaby]

Incredible! Small world...

I wonder if your sister's husband was the one who donated them to the thrift shop? I live mid-island in Parksville - are they nearby?

 

[lolly_loisides]

Incredible! Small world...

I wonder if your sister's husband was the one who donated them to the thrift shop? I live mid-island in Parksville - are they nearby?

No they are from Langford. I seriously doubt that Matty has ever owned cuff links. My first thought was that perhaps there is a sister city relationship between Victoria & Prospect, but I checked & that isn't the case. Those cuff links aren't the usual tourist fare, it would be interesting to find out how they got to different hemisphere.

 

[Warbaby]

It certainly does make one wonder, doesn't it? These cufflinks are about as obscure as it gets and I don't imagine very many were made. They're heavily gold plated and the cloisonne work is pretty high quality. I'm guessing they were made for members of the Council and not for the general public. There's prolly some old Aussie geezer living here (or possibly deceased - about 75% of the population in our area are over 65) who was somehow involved with the Council.

 

[Gaige]

Those are incredible!