50 Years Ago Today: 29 May 1967, the Australian $5 note goes into circulation

Fifty years ago today, on 29 May 1967, the Australian $5 note was released for circulation.

When Australian adopted the decimal currency system, banknotes were first issued by the Reserve Bank of Australia on 14 February 1966 (with a musical jingle that I can still remember). However, the $5 note was not issued until 29 May 1967. The $50 note was introduced in 1973 and the $100 note was introduced in 1984.

The $5 note was originally mauve paper with the measurements 150x75mm. Sir Joseph Banks, the British botanist appeared on the front and the British humanitarian, Caroline Chisolm, appeared on the back. It was in circulation from 1967 to 1992.

Sir Joseph Banks (1743-1820) was the naturalist and botanist who accompanied Captain James Cook on his first voyage to Brazil, Tahiti, New Zealand and Australia from 1768-1771. He also advised King George III of England on the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew.

Caroline Chisolm (1808-1877) was an English humanitarian known mostly for helping female immigrants settle into Australia from Europe. She arrived in Australia in 1838. She died in 1887 in Highgate, England.

From 1988 the Reserve Bank issued bank notes in plastic polymer with a transparent window for security. Australia was the first country in the world to introduce polymer notes. They also now have micro-printing. In 2002 the design of all banknotes were slightly modified to include the names of the famous people pictured on the notes.

However, the $5 note was changed completely. It was issued on 24 April 1995 with Queen Elizabeth II on the front and Parliament House (including Old Parliament House) on the back. Its dimensions were now smaller at 130x65mm in violet and pink. It was in circulation from 1995 to 2016.

Last year, on 1 September 2016, the $5 note was re-issued as the ‘Next Generation Banknote’ (to coincide with Australia’s National Wattle Day). The Next Generation Banknotes will have a tactile feature to help the visually impaired distinguish the notes. It is anticipated that the $10 note will be released this year, with the $20, $50, and $100 notes issued in 2018.

The Next Generation $5 note continues to have Queen Elizabeth II on the front (she has aged and she is now looking directly into the camera), and Parliament House on the back (only the new Parliament House). It now has distinctive yellow Wattle flowers. It will continue to be 130x65mm, with the colours of violet and pink.

MARTINA NICOLLS is an international aid and development consultant, and the author of:- Similar But Different in the Animal Kingdom (2017), The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).