Australian Currency
Australian Currency
* www.rba.gov.au * Note Printing Australia.
The Australian “Dollar” also known as “AUD” is the main form of “money” used in Australia. It comes in both coin and plastic paper mediums. The coin is in 5 cent, 10 cent, 20 cent, 50 cent, dollar coin, and two dollar coin, while paper/plastic bills serve usage for $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100. It is the form of tender for Australia, Australian Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Australian Antarctic Territory, Christmans Island, Cocos Islands, Australian Coral Sea Islands, Australian Heard Island, McDonald Islands, Norfolk Island, Kiribati, Nauru, and Tuvalu. While the “dollar” is subdivided into 100 cents, though in 1990 the penny and two-cent pieces were dropped and the lowest denomination is 5 cent piece. Sales are rounded up or down depending on the purchase. It is the fifth largest traded currency in the world just behind the US Dollar, the Europ, the Yen, and the Pound. Some nicknames for the currency are the “austral”, the oz, the royal, the boomer, the roo, the kanga, the digger, the kwid, the dinkum, and the ming. The Australian dollar replaced the Australian pound in 1966. Queen Elizabeth the II is portrayed on much of the currency which was facelifted in 1985 with a crown and pose. By 2000, depictions of the Queen were made more age-appropriate for the current queen. The 5 cent, 10 cent, and 20 cent prieces are identical in size to former Australian, New Zealand, and British sixpenny, shilling, and two shilling coins. The first paper (plastic) money was issued in 1966 with the $50 note by 1973. The $100 note was introduced in 1984. By 1988 the $2 note was replaced by a coin. The banknotes are made of polymer, issued as such in 1988. Notes are sized according to their denomination with the same height but different length for the visually impaired. Each bill has a transparent windown with an optically variable image of Captain James Cook. Every not has a “seven pointed star”.
The $100 bill
Features Dame Nellie Melba, who lived from 1861 to 1931, and was one of Australia’s prized world -reknown sopranos, alongside the General Sir John Monash (1865-1931) who was one of Australia’s most distinguished soldiers and civil engineers.
The $50 bill
Features David Unaipon who from 1872 to 1967 was one of Australia’s most prized Aboriginal writers and inventors as well as alongside Edith Cowan who was Australia’s first female politicians. She lived from 1861 until 1932.
The $20 bill
Displays the “Royal Flying Doctor Service” founder “Reverend John Flynn” (1880-1951) and the former convict pioneer businesswoman Mary Reibey (1777-1855).
The $10 bill
Features A.B. “Banjo” Paterson who from 1864-1941 was one of Australia’s infamous poets and authors - proud creator of “Waltzing Matilda” and “Man from Snowy River”. Also featured is “Dame Mary Gilmore” who too was a famous poet as well as a social reformer (1865-1962).
The $5 bill
Features the Parliament House as well as Queen ELizabeth II. A new note features SIr Henry Parkes (1815-1896) who was an Australian Federation architect and politician as well as Catherine Spence, world-reknonwn writer and feminist.
Coins
All have Queen Elizabeth II on their fronts, but the reverse sides of the 50 cents, $1, and $2 coins have commemorative designs. The $2 coin replaced the $2 note in 1988 and features a aboriginal tribal elder, the Southern Cross, and native grass trees. The $1 coin replaced the $1 note in 1984 and features a kangaroo on the backside. The 50 cent coin features Australia’s coat of arms, the 20 cent coins features a platypus, the 10 cent coin features a male lyrebird dancing, while the 5 cent piece features an echidna.
