This past week
I’ve been chaperoning the Queensland student delegation to the 28th National
Schools Constitutional Convention, held in Old Parliament, Canberra. While
there we had the opportunity to look though the ‘Between the Lines’ political
cartoons exhibition in Old Parliament House.
I was taken by
Chris Downes’ ‘Royal Duties’ published in The Mercury, 12 September 2022
that reminded us when Queen Elizabeth II died at the age of 96 at Balmoral
Castle, Scotland after 70 years on the British throne, she had four dogs: two
corgis, one dorgi (corgi-dachshund cross) and a cocker spaniel, all of whom
world require ‘walkies’.
The Reserve Bank of Australia has decided not to
replace Queen Elizabeth II’s portrait on the Australian $5 note with the
features of King Charles III.
CONTROVERSIES OVER currency and the British Royal Family have not
been uncommon in Australia. Valentine’s Day 1966 was when decimal
currency replaced Imperial pounds, shillings and pence in Australian
commerce. Now the Reserve Bank of Australia has decided to replace the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II and ‘update the $5 banknote to feature a new design that honours the culture and history of the First Australians’.
The change being brought in by the RBA is an important symbolic step.
“Australia believes in meritocracy so the idea that someone
should be on our currency by birthright is irreconcilable as is the
notion that they should be our head of state by birthright.”
The portrait of Queen Elizabeth II first appeared on the $5 polymer note in July 1992 when she celebrated the 40th anniversary of her accession.
The RBA’s decision now is to update the $5 banknote to feature a new
design that honours the culture and history of the First Australians.
The other side of the $5 banknote will continue to feature the
Australian Parliament. The decision by the RBA is a natural consequence
of recognising the important place of First Nations Australians in our
national story.
Controversies over currency and the Royals
have occurred in Australia. The Australian dollar was first introduced
in 1966 when it replaced the Australian pound and introduced a decimal
system to the nation. Although investigated as an alternative as early
as 1901, the decimal currency system was initially introduced to
Australia as an election promise by then Prime Minister Sir Robert Menzies in 1958.
There was much discussion
about the name of the new currency, with several specifically
Australian names such as the “Kanga”, “Austral”, “Merino” and “Dinkum”
bandied around. A public naming competition seeking suggestions with an
Australian flavour added nearly 1,000 names to this list including such
exotic suggestions as “Oz”, “Boomer”, “Roo”, “Kanga”, “Emu”, “Koala”,
“Digger”, “Zac”, “Kwid” and “Ming” (the nickname of Prime Minister
Menzies).
In June 1963, with no clear consensus having emerged on a name, the
Government decided to name the new currency the “Royal”. Treasurer Harold Holt explained that the Government saw this name as “emphasising our link with the Crown” and as being “a dignified word with a pleasing sound”.
Between June and September 1963, the Bank's Note Printing branch developed a variety of design concepts for the Royal notes.
While the name “Royal” was settled upon initially, it proved extremely
unpopular with the Australian people. Just three months after announcing
the “Royal” decision the Government conceded on 19 September 1963 that
the name of the currency unit would be the “Dollar”. This decision won
quick and general public approval.
The official conversion to decimal currency took place on 14 February
1966. The jingle below became well-known to many Australians in the
lead-up to the conversion date.
In come the dollars and in come the cents,
To replace the pounds and the shillings and the pence,
Be prepared for change when the coins begin to mix,
On the fourteenth of February 1966.
Clink go the coins, clink, clink, clink,
Change over day is closer than you think,
Learn the value of the coins and the way that they appear,
And things will be much smoother when the decimal point is here.
Thankfully, the 1960s Menzies Government finally saw sense in not
pushing the “Royal” onto the Australian people. It was a term not
recognised as remotely appropriate by Australians.
Australian life has been undergoing processes of change for a long
time — 57 years ago, decimal currency replaced Imperial pounds,
shillings and pence in Australian commerce. Four years after that, we
replaced Imperial measurement with the metric system.
We look forward to the day we replace a British Royal with an Australian as our head of state.
