Reserve Bank of Australia made the decision as early as 2023. The queen was dead and the banknote that carried her face would be redone.
In a nationwide campaign, they collected proposals on how the banknote would be designed. And among 2,100 nominated contributions, they have now decided on a theme that honors Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders.
Criticism and tributes of the decision
The country is part of the Commonwealth, which means that the British monarch is also a monarch in Australia. And the decision not to replace the queen with King Charles III has already met criticism.
Opposition leader Peter Dutton has described it as “an attack on our systems, our society and our institutions”.
On the part of the indigenous peoples, however, the decision has been received with tributes.
“The country’s currency is an ubiquitous place to remind all Australians that this is an ancient place,” says Tony Dreise, vice-principal at the First National part of Charles Darwin University.
Exactly what the picture should look like is not clear yet, but Reserve Bank of Australia has said that it should also symbolize environmental protection while emphasizing that stereotypical depictions of the indigenous peoples should be avoided.