Why Does Australia Wear Green and Gold in the Olympics? The Color Combo's History Explained
There's a reason Australia chose these specific colors.
Published Aug. 1 2024, 4:06 p.m. ET
Gold medalists Mollie O'Callaghan, Shayna Jack, Emma McKeon and Meg Harris of Team Australia acknowledge the fans during the Medal Ceremony after the Women's 4x100m Freestyle Relay Final on day one of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Paris La Defense Arena on July 27, 2024 in Nanterre, France.
Most viewers would agree that it's fascinating to check out the different uniforms worn by the competing teams in the Olympic games.
Sometimes teams will get trolled for their outfits of choice (think: Seychelles being accused of looking like an internet start-up), while other teams might face controversy (think: U.S. shot putter Chase Jackson, whose uniform was the wrong size thanks to an admin error).
But for some teams, you might just be wondering about why they chose their particular colors. For instance, there's Australia, whose team rocks the colors green and gold.
But why does Australia wear green and gold? There's a pretty cool history behind it. Let's get into it...
Kahli Henwood (#13), Dominique Du Toit (#4), and Isabella Nasser (#10) of Team Australia's women's rugby team at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games
Why does Australia wear green and gold?
As it turns out, green and gold are actually Australia's national colors. They're also the colors of their national floral emblem, aka the golden wattle.
And according to the Australian government's website, these colors have long played a major role in the "Australian imagination."
"Long associated with Australian sporting achievements, the national colors have strong environmental connections," the government's website reads. "Gold conjures images of Australia’s beaches, mineral wealth, grain harvests and the fleece of Australian wool. Green evokes the forests, eucalyptus trees and pastures of the Australian landscape."
And lest you think these colors might be a newer design choice for Team Australia's uniforms, these colors have actually been used by Australian sports teams since the late 1800s.
However, some different color combinations were also used by Australia over the years, including red, white, and blue (i.e., the colors of the Aussie flag) and blue and gold (i.e., the color of the wreath in the Commonwealth Coat of Arms as well as the ribbon of the Order of Australia).
But on April 19, 1984, green and gold were formally recognized as Australia's national colors, when the governor general at the time, Ninian Stephen, declared it so. The rest, as they say, is history.
And during Olympic seasons, you might just find some Aussie landmarks lighting up in the national colors in celebration of Team Australia. For instance, the Sydney Opera House has been known to illuminate its sails in green and gold lights in honor of their Olympians and Paralympians.
In fact, the Australian Olympic Committee announced in 2024 that Aug. 2 would be Green and Gold Day, in which Aussies would be encouraged to wear the national colors to school, work, and beyond, in support of their athletes. Buildings and landmarks (like the aforementioned Sydney Opera House) are included in this initiative as well.
“It’s great to see so many Australians throwing their support behind the Australian Olympic Team. I know that initiatives like these really have a positive impact on our athletes, bring communities closer together and show that everyone back home is unified in their support for the Team," Australian Olympic Committee CEO Matt Carroll said.
