Many of you will have noticed a change in our main header logo at GemGfx.com. For those who have not, we’ve borrowed a page from the folks at Google and made a slight change to our logo for two weeks in the month of September 2009. Our logo at the top of our website looks like this:

GemGfx Header Logo celebrating Trinidad and Tobago's 47 years of Independence.

GemGfx is based in the lovely sister isle of Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean. On August 31st 2009, Trinidad and Tobago celebrated 47years of Independence from it’s former colonial master England. Like many of the islands in the Caribbean, Trinidad and Tobago was colonized by the British many years ago. We however achieved independence on August 31st 1962, The day became our Independence Day. Similar to the 4th July celebrated by those in the USA. The event was marked by a ceremony in which the Union Jack “British Flag” was lowered and replaced by Trinidad and Tobago’s own flag. You can always find the Trinidad and Tobago flag displayed in the GemGfx logo header no matter the time of year.

Ceremony of replacing the Union Jack with Trinidad and Tobago Flag. August 31st 1962

Trinidad and Tobago Flag always visible in the GemGfx header Logo

Trinidad and Tobago was now responsible for it’s own affairs as a sovereign nation. In addition to the National Flag, we also now had national emblems. One of the most significant was the Coat of Arms.

Trinidad and Tobago Coat of Arms unvailed August 31st 1962

The Coat of Arms of Trinidad and Tobago was designed by a committee formed in 1962 to select the symbols that would be representative of the people of Trinidad and Tobago. The committee included noted artist Carlyle Chang and designer the late George Bailey.

The Coat of Arms with the accompanying motifs which represent indigenous features of Trinidad and Tobago were selected and formally agreed to be used as the Coat of Arms of Trinidad and Tobago in 1962, in a design approved by the College of Arms.

The Birds represented on the Coat of Arms of Trinidad and Tobago are the Scarlet Ibis, the Cocrico (native to Tobago) and the Hummingbird. The three ships represent the Trinity as well as the three ships of Columbus. The three Peaks were principal motifs of Trinidad’s early British Colonial Seals and Flag-Badges. They commemorated both Columbus’ decision to name Trinidad after the Blessed Trinity and the three Peaks of the Southern mountain range, called the “Three Sisters” on the horizon. The fruited Coconut Palm dates back to the great seals of British Colonial Tobago in the days when the Island was a separate administrative unit.

Our Motto: Together we aspire, Together we achieve” – speaks for itself and promotes harmony in diversity for national achievement.

Arms: Per chevron enhanced sable and gules a chevrenel enhanced argent between a chief two Hummingbirds respectant gold and in base three ships of the period of Christopher Columbus also gold the sails set proper.

Crest: Upon a Wreath argent and gules in front of a Palm Tree proper a ship’s wheel gold.

Supporters: Upon a Compartment representing two Islands arising from the sea, on the dexter side a Scarlet Ibis and on the sinister side a Cocrico, both proper and with wings elevated and addorsed.

Since independence, Trinidad and Tobago has made significant achievements in everything that we have put our minds to. Even though we are a small twin island nation in the Caribbean, we have made a name for ourselves on the world stage and there is scarcely anybody in the world who has not heard about Trinidad and Tobago the most southerly isle of the tropical Caribbean. Home of the Steel pan, calypso and limbo.

Happy 47th Independence T&T.

Till Next Time

GemGfx Admin.

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