The City of Sydney flag is made up of a horizontal triband of three colours – white, gold and blue.

The English Naval Flag in the centre acknowledges the role Arthur Phillip played in Sydney's foundation.

The red cross is overlaid with a globe and two stars, the principal features of James Cook's arms, which were granted as a posthumous honour for his service in mapping Australia.

The arms in the top right belong to the first Lord Mayor of Sydney, Thomas Hughes.

The remaining field of the flag features a ship under full sail, an allusion to the prominence of Sydney as a maritime port.Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore has described the flag as "problematic", and it is no longer used by the City of Sydney.[2][why?]