Sutherland Shire Council Votes on Captain Cook Logo Monday
Sutherland Shire Council in Sydney's south votes Monday on its Captain Cook crest and a newer blue wave logo. Councillor Haris Strangas says no one asked him for the July changes. Staff recommend keeping both marks, with the wave as the main operational brand.
Sutherland Shire Council in Sydney's south will vote at a meeting on Monday on whether to keep Captain James Cook in its official logo and branding. One councillor says no one's asked for the change that started the row.
Councillors will choose between the current logo featuring Cook and a modernized crest that does not reference the British explorer. A motion to review the two crests was tabled last month by Councillor Haris Strangas, who claimed the logo changes made in July this year were done without consulting the council.
What staff recommend
Council business papers published online before the meeting endorse a plan to use both marks. The brand strategy and framework report recommends that the council adopt the revised Brand Framework (Option B). It provides for "continued use of both the Captain Cook Crest and the contemporary wave brand mark."
The report said the July changes led to the wave being used predominantly. The traditional crest was relegated to "selected civic, ceremonial and high-value corporate applications."
Under the revised framework, the Cook crest would appear prominently on letterheads, email signatures and in prominent council locations. The wave logo would serve as the "primary operational brand mark."
The report said the crest has been reinstated on several high-profile applications since September 2026, in response to councillor feedback and pending the council's decision.
Two logos, one shire
One of the council's current logos depicts Cook, the first European explorer to set foot on Australia's east coast. He landed at modern-day Kurnell in 1770. A newer logo shows a blue wave, a reference to the region's beaches. The two have been used side by side, and the wave has at times replaced the crest.
Councillor's objection
Strangas's motion to review the branding was overwhelmingly supported by his colleagues. He said he was caught off guard when he learned of the changes in July.
"No one’s asked me for it!" Strangas said in a television interview. He said he was overseas when the change became clear and that it was never voted on at a council meeting.
He believes the change came from staff. He said he was told Captain Cook had been phased out of email signatures and some marketing material.
Strangas said he is not against the new logo. "I do like the blue wave, I must admit, I’m not anti-blue wave," he said. "My stance is to keep things the way they’ve been." He wants the historical Sutherland Shire crest to stay where it has been.
He said community members who knew of the change "aren't too happy," and that many residents want the council to focus on other priorities.
Council's response
A council spokesperson said in a statement that the review found problems with the council's visual identity. "The review identified that Council’s visual identity had become fragmented over time, with inconsistent use of branding across services, communications and customer information," the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said the framework was updated after councillor feedback to place the crest more prominently on official material. It also clarifies where each mark should be used.
A formal change to the Captain Cook crest would require a formal resolution, the spokesperson said. Neither councillors nor the review have proposed one.
