1995Recoloured

bicentenary, the RBA announced that a polymer $5 note would be introduced in 1992. The initial prototype featured the Queen on the front and Uluru on the back, however in the final design, Uluru was replaced by Parliament House.

Complaints about the $5 note being difficult to distinguish from the $10 note, saw the RBA recolour the $5 note to a brighter purple-pink note. In 2001, we saw the introduction of a commemorative $5 for the Centenary of Federation featuring Henry Parkes and Catherine Helen Spence and then in 2016, the introduction of the more-secure Next Generation Banknote. »

Moving to present day, a new banknote will take a few years before releasing due to vast consultation needing to be done, followed by development, testing, prototyping and mass production before distribution. The current series of banknotes took nearly a decade of development, so don’t expect anything soon.

Personally, I am in favour of the RBA’s decision and would like to see a First Nations woman on the note, given that we have Ngarrindjeri man, David Unaipon on the $50. Kaurna/ Ngadjuri woman Gladys Elphick is my first choice, given her role for the active advancement of Aboriginal women, especially in the 1967 Referendum.

WHATEVER THE DESIGN MAY IT BE, I AM HOPEFUL IT WILL END UP BEING A BANKNOTE THAT ALL AUSTRALIANS WILL APPRECIATE.