Several hundred personal arms have been registered at the Bureau of Heraldry since its inception in 1963. Many are apparently Bureau designs, in the modern South African style. A small selection:

Politician Ebrahim Abramjee's arms (1984) were the first personal arms to incorporate Indian symbolism, including the cupolaed line which appears to have been inspired by the Taj Mahal: Per fess round embattled of three Argent and Gules, in base a lotus flower Argent; a chief triple cupolaed Sable. Although gazetted, the arms appear not to have been registered.

The canting arms of Rowland Bailey (BoH 1984) are an early example of the use of the Finnish fir-twig line in South African heraldry, as an allusion to Scandinavian ancestry: Vert, a castle, the towers roofed conically and in base a barrulet wavy Argent, a chief fir-twigged Or.

Frederick Brownell's arms (BoH 1980) were Ermine, a chevron Azure cotised Gules and a chief gably of three Azure. They were matriculated for his sons and daughter in 1981, and the eldest son (who was State Herald 1982-2002) re-matriculated them for his daughters in 1987.

The arms of the Bureau of Heraldry's chief artist Johann Coetsee (BoH 1984) were: Azure, two lyrebirds passant addorsed Argent ensigned with a lyre Or; a chief invected of three Argent each point ensigned with a protea Azure. Similar arms, with an ear of wheat instead of the lyre, were registered by his brother Christiaan Coetsee, and later matriculated for his son.

Thomas Coulter registered canting arms (BoH 1970): Per fess Gules and Or, a pale counterchanged, in chief a Celtic cross Gules between two coulters erect and in base another coulter erect all Argent. (A coulter is a plough-blade). In 1986, as a Bailiff Grand Cross of the Order of St John, he had the arms granted to him by the College of Arms, with the addition of supporters.

The arms of Bishop Mvumelanga Dandala, head of the Methodist Church and of the Order of St John are Per fess wavy Or and Vert, two pastoral staffs in saltire counterchanged between in chief a bull's head caboshed Gules the horns Argent and in base an escallop of the last, charged with a Latin cross couped voided throughout, the upper segments Gules and the lower Sable (BoH 1999). The escallop with the cross is the emblem of the Methodist Church.

The canting arms of Dirk de Hart (BoH 1980) are one of the few South African designs to feature a pale "adextre", i.e. offset to the dexter: Gules, on a pale adextre invected of three Argent, three hearts Gules; sinister a sword erect Or. The arms were matriculated undifferenced for his son in 1986.

The arms of the last state president of the "old" South Africa, Frederik de Klerk, are Azure, a fess the upper edge per chevron embowed and the lower edge embowed Or issuant from the peak a protea flower also Or seeded and leaved Argent, in base a Huguenot cross of the last (BoH 1992).

Those of David de Villiers (BoH 2004) are based on historical arms: Azure, a paschal lamb proper; a chief embattled Argent semy of snowflakes of the first. Snowflakes are rare in South African heraldry.

The arms of David du Buisson (BoH 1975) contain an early appearance of the Huguenot cross to represent French ancestry: Gules, on a fess Argent between three Huguenot crosses Or, three mullets Gules.

Military intelligence chief, defence force heraldry pioneer, and Heraldry Council chairman Lt Gen Heinrich du Toit's arms (BoH 1982) are: Argent, an escarbuncle Sable. They were matriculated, undifferenced, for his daughters in 1989.

Another Du Toit registered entirely different arms. Lourens du Toit's unusual, if not unique, arms (BoH 1981) were: Per fess urdy of three pallets Sable and Or. The tinctures are those of historical Du Toit arms.

The first South African royal arms were registered by HM King Goodwill Zwelithini of the Zulus: Argent, in pale the sceptre of the King of KwaZulu between four huts, over all in base a representation of the royal hut, all proper (BoH 1975). The white shield alludes to the shield carried by the king's 19th-century predecessor, King Shaka, founder of the Zulu nation. The royal hut is accompanied by four smaller huts as it is in the actual royal kraal.

State Herald Norden Hartman's arms were Per chevron embattled Azure and Ermine, in chief two pairs of battleaxes in saltire Argent, in base two batons in saltire surmounted by a shield a bouche Or (BoH 1981).

The arms of Heraldry Council chairman Judge Victor Hiemstra (BoH 1974), reflect his family's origins in Friesland: Or, an eagle displayed Sable, in chief two protea flowers slipped and leaved proper; on a chief embattled of six Azure, semy of billets fesswise, a lion passant Or. They were matriculated for his son in 1978. Judge Hiemstra's brother Gen Rudolph Hiemstra registered similar arms (BoH 1974), but with the chief embattled of five.

A Huguenot cross in the form of a cross moline instead of a Maltese cross appears in the arms of Stanley le Roux: Gules, a Huguenot cross Or the dove Argent, charged with a Maltese cross Sable (BoH 1994).

Presumably the swan in the arms of John Lochhead (BoH 1994) is swimming in a Scottish loch: Or, a fess the lower edge enarched Gules, surmounted by a pile inverted throughout counterchanged Azure and Or, charged in base with a bar wavy naiant thereupon a swan with wings addorsed Argent.

Ndebele traditional leader Chelezane Mahlangu's arms (BoH 2002) display traditional African symbols, on an African shield ensigned by a beadwork head-ring decorated with a feather: Or, a spear and knobkierie in saltire, surmounted by a chief's hut within an orle of four huts proper, all within a bordure Azure.

The arms of Dr John Midgley are based on earlier Midgley arms: Sable, two bars gemelles Or between six caltraps 3, 2 and 1 Argent (BoH 1967).

Prof Themba Msimang's career as an historian, playwright, and Heraldry Council chairman are all alluded to in his arms: Per fess wavy Or and Azure, in chief a vervet monkey proper holding a quill pen in bend sinister Murrey, and in base two South African heraldic batons in saltire proper surmounted by an escutcheon Or (BoH 2000).

The arms of George Murfin are: Quarterly Azure and Gules, a Latin cross issuant the transverse and upper arms fir-twigged all faceted Argent (BoH 1989). The fir-twig cross is based on the Finnish fir-twig line.

The arms of Dr Jacobus Op't Hof offer a rare South African example of the use of a house-mark as an heraldic charge: Per chevron Or and Vert, in chief two protea flowers (Protea Cynaroides) slipped and leaved proper and in base a housemark Or in the form of St. Andrew's Cross, of which the arms in bend sinister each bear a barb, above to sinister and below to dexter (BoH 1970).

The canting arms of Cicero Rautenbach allude to his surname ("rauten" is German for "lozenges") and to his long-term involvement in the Voortrekker Movement (the Afrikaner equivalent of boy scouts and girl guides): Or, the front wheel of an oxwagon Sable; upon a chief dancetty inverted Gules three lozenges of the first.

Rex Reynolds was among the earliest armigers to register his arms at the Bureau. They were Azure, a cross moline ermine (BoH 1964).

Frederick Serfontein's arms are an early example of the simple artistic style encouraged by the Bureau of Heraldry from the 1970s onwards: Argent, a cross pattee flory Azure charged with a Lacy knot Or (BoH 1976).

Gideon van den Berg's arms were the first (and, so far, the only) to use the gable cross inspired by the gabled Cape Dutch farmhouses. They are Azure, on a cross gabled nowy Argent a ship's wheel Gules; on a chief nowy Argent two powder horns Azure garnished and stringed Gules (BoH 1979).

The arms of Johannes van der Merwe are Per fess enhanced nowy gably Gules and Argent, in chief two bezants and in base a bow and arrow cross Sable (BoH 2001). The bezants are no doubt derived from the arms of Van der Merwede, which many Van der Merwes have apparently adopted although no family connection has been proved. The cross and the gabled line are Bureau of Heraldry creations.

References/Sources/Links

South African Heraldry Website © Arthur Radburn