New $5 Banknotes to Honor Australia’s Indigenous Heritage
Honoring First Nations Heritage on Australia’s Currency
After consulting with First Nations organisations across the country, The Reserve Bank of Australia announced a new design for $5 banknotes. The RBA received more than 2,100 design submissions from the public about the artwork.
The RBA stated it will replace the portrait of the late Queen Elizabeth II on the $5 banknotes with indigenous artwork to honor the connection of First Nations people to their country. This change reflects a broader effort to recognize and honor Australia’s Indigenous heritage. It also serves to reinforce the nation’s commitment to acknowledging First Nations contributions.
Connection to Country: The Theme of the Redesigned $5 Banknotes
An indigenous Australian artist will create the artwork, though they are still finalizing the exact design. The other side of the bill will continue to display Parliament House. The RBA announced that the new banknote’s theme of Connection to Country will emphasize the profound significance of land to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
The Design Process and Public Reactions
Australia has featured the reigning monarch on its banknotes since 1923, and since 1992 Queen Elizabeth has been on the $5 banknotes. As a result, the break from this pattern has stirred controversy in the country. Citizens of Australia such as Alexander Voltz have already expressed criticism, saying that the note “reflects a broader attack by today’s Republican Labor Party on the Crown, as well as Australia’s history and culture.”
The RBA will take several years to develop and circulate the redesigned note, as it completes the necessary stages of design and production.
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