POCKET GUIDE TO AUSTRALIAN BANKNOTES Exploring Australian Banknotes PERMANENT EXHIBITION

The Reserve Bank of Australia Museum showcases the complete collection of the nation's issued banknotes, including exceptionally rare examples. The history of the banknotes is told in a comprehensive catalogue, Pocket Guides to Australian Banknotes. Consisting of five guides, they are a companion to the Museum that describes the country's banknote currency from 1913 to 2020 within its social and economic context.

Portraying diverse scenes of the federated country, the nation's first banknotes reflected the sources of its prosperity. The banknotes of the 1930s depicted scenes of labour during a period of record unemployment in the wake of the Great Depression, while those of the 1950s celebrated the country's renewed wealth and stability. Decimal currency was introduced with vibrant new designs in the 1960s, and the innovation of polymer revolutionised Australia's banknotes in the 1990s. The most recent series, the Next Generation of Banknotes, has enhanced the security and accessibility of our banknotes.

Explore the Pocket Guides online or download the individual booklets.
(Each booklet is approximately 45 pages.)