Media Release Museum of Australian Currency Notes

The Reserve Bank of Australia has opened (from 1 March) a Museum of Australian Currency Notes on the ground floor of its Head Office in Sydney.

The Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia, Mr Ian Macfarlane, said that ‘the objectives of the Museum are to:

• display to the public currency notes and related material held in the Bank's archives; and
• tell the story of how Australia's currency notes have reflected the country's changing economic and political development’.

The Museum story is told through a number of stages, beginning with the period before Federation in 1901, moving through the period of Australia's first notes and subsequent ‘imperial’ series to the advent of decimal currency notes in 1966 and the creation of polymer (plastic) notes in more recent years, which has placed Australia at the forefront of currency note technology and development.

Mr Paul Barry, Head of the Bank's Information Department, said that ‘visitors can explore displays of the various series of Australian notes during the last century, including some interesting notes that were designed but never issued. The Museum also exhibits some of the intricate artwork used in the notes and provides information on the men and women represented on Australia's notes over the years. Displays of archival film and photographs help visitors experience some of the key episodes in the history of the notes’.

The Museum is open to the public from 10.00 am to 4.00 pm each business day. Admission is free of charge. The content of the Museum has also been posted on the Bank's website – www.rba.gov.au/museum – to ensure access to the Museum across Australia.