Welkom
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Heraldry of the World Civic heraldry of South Africa |
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WELKOM
Province : Free State (formerly Orange Free State)
District Municipality : Lejweleputswa
Local Municipality : Matjhabeng
Origin/meaning
The arms allude to the fact that Welkom is a gold-mining town. The black pale on the shield represents a mineshaft, the gold ingots represent the mines, the cogwheel symbolises industry, and the blue represents water. The fleur de lis comes from the arms of mining magnate Sir Ernest Oppenheimer (who took the fleurs de lis from the arms of Kimberley, which took them from the arms of the Cape of Good Hope Colony, which took them from the French royal arms!).