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Australia De-Imperialises its Currency

Across the Commonwealth, a quiet yet persistent transformation is underway as nations reexamine—and often discard—the enduring symbols of British imperial rule.


Australia, long tied to its colonial past, is taking another step toward redefining its national identity. By removing the image of a British monarch from its currency, the country is not just changing its money but also loosening the lingering influence of British rule.


Official portrait of Queen Elizabeth II before the start of her 1959 tour, wearing the Vladimir Tiara, the Queen Victoria Jubilee Necklace, the blue Garter Riband, Badge and Garter Star and the Royal Family Orders of King George V and King George VI

Past attempts to make Australia a republic have fallen short, but change is happening in a quieter way—slowly pulling the country further from its colonial past without a constitutional overhaul.


From removing the British monarch from banknotes to redesigning state symbols, the country is actively dismantling the visual and political relics of an imposed order, making space for an independent and inclusive national narrative rooted in its own history rather than that of its colonizers.


For decades, the A$5 banknote carried the familiar visage of Queen Elizabeth II—the figurehead of an empire that forcefully claimed sovereignty over the land and subjected its Indigenous peoples to centuries of violence and dispossession. Now, following an extensive public consultation that generated more than 2,100 submissions, the Reserve Bank of Australia has announced plans to replace that portrait with an artwork celebrating Indigenous culture and history. 


“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," said Australian Republic Movement chair Craig Foster to GMA News. "To think that an unelected king should be on our currency in place of First Nations leaders and elders and eminent Australians is no longer justifiable at a time of truth telling, reconciliation and ultimately formal, cultural and intellectual independence."


The redesigned note will honor the enduring spiritual and physical connection that First Nations peoples have with their land, a bond that predates British colonization by tens of thousands of years.


The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has emphasized that the new banknote should reflect environmental protection and Indigenous sustainability practices, acknowledging that First Nations peoples have cared for and prioritized environmental stewardship for tens of thousands of years.


This is not the first time Australia's currency has borne images or engravings of Indigenous peoples, plants or animals. In 1966, the introduction of the new A$1 note marked the first Aboriginal copyright dispute when the Reserve Bank reproduced Arnhem Land artist David Malangi’s artwork without seeking his permission. After public outcry, Malangi was compensated with $1,000, a medallion, and a fishing kit. 


Similarly, the $2 coin, introduced in 1988, features an image of Gwoya Tjungurrayi, known as "One Pound Jimmy," who survived one of Australia’s last recorded frontier massacres in 1928, where 60 Indigenous men, women, and children were murdered in the Northern Territory.


The 1995 release of the $50 note also honored Indigenous history, featuring Ngarrindjeri author, explorer, and inventor David Unaipon.


Critics of the imperial legacy argue that displaying a foreign monarch on national currency subtly reinforces a colonial past—a reminder that upholds the right of a violent empire to wield power and domination from overseas.


“It’s a powerful step toward acknowledging that Australia’s true heritage lies with its First Nations peoples, not a distant empire,” noted a spokesperson from a local heritage group, in conversation with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.


The government has also approved a redesign of Australia’s Great Seal. The previous version, approved in 1973 and featuring the inscription “Elizabeth the Second Queen of Australia”—a title that inherently ties the country’s legal and political foundations to an imperial institution.


Now, the Great Seal will instead feature Australia’s coat of arms encircled by wattle, the national floral emblem.


The Great Seal represents governmental authority, and removing references to the British Crown signals, for some, a shift toward autonomy, however incremental. It follows in the footsteps of other Commonwealth nations like Canada, which recently eliminated royal symbols such as the Tudor Crown from its national imagery. 


Critics, especially those wedded to the colonial nostalgia of the British Crown, have dubbed this “republicanism by stealth,” arguing that it hints at a deeper ambition to reframe Australia’s constitutional identity without overtly calling for a republic, as reported by The Guardian. 


Opposition leader Peter Dutton accused the government of pushing an anti-monarchy agenda, despite the Reserve Bank of Australia’s insistence that the change was made in consultation with the government and First Nations representatives. 


The country’s formal independence from Britain was finalized with the Australia Act of 1986, which severed the UK’s legal influence over Australian courts and laws. However, the British monarch remains Australia’s head of state, represented domestically by the Governor-General, an indication of enduring imperial power structures.


The Governor-General, appointed by the British monarch on the advice of the Australian Prime Minister, retains significant ceremonial and constitutional authority, including the ability to dissolve Parliament, appoint ministers, and give royal assent to laws.


This role, a relic of Australia’s colonial governance, continues to exemplify the lingering grip of the monarchy over the nation’s political framework. Calls to abolish or significantly reform this position have grown louder among republicans, who argue that an independent Australia must be governed solely by its own institutions, free from foreign ties.


In 1999, Australians voted in a national referendum on whether to become a republic. The proposal was rejected, with 55% voting to retain the monarchy. However, analysts argue that the referendum’s failure was not necessarily an endorsement of the monarchy but rather a rejection of the specific republican model that was proposed at the time. 


Public opinion has since shifted, particularly among younger Australians. A 2023 poll by the Australian Republic Movement found that 55% of Australians under 35 support cutting ties with the British Crown, compared to just 35% of those over 65.


The death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022 also reignited debates about the monarchy’s relevance. While the late Queen was widely respected—though not without controversy—King Charles III does not garner the same level of public affection.


Many Australians saw his accession as an opportunity to question why a distant ruler should hold any position of power—ceremonial or otherwise—over an independent nation.


A key driving force behind these changes is the growing influence of First Nations advocacy. Indigenous Australians have long fought for recognition of their history, culture, and rights—resistance that continues through campaigns for treaty negotiations and truth-telling about the brutalities of British colonization. 


For many Indigenous leaders, removing the monarch’s portrait from currency is a rejection of a colonial hierarchy that continues to suppress Indigenous self-determination. Others see it as a move toward decolonization, a process that involves dismantling structures and symbols of colonial rule.


Despite these shifts, Australia remains a constitutional monarchy. For a formal transition to a republic, a new referendum would be required. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who has long supported republicanism, has indicated that a referendum on the issue is unlikely during his first term. 


His government is instead focused on advancing Indigenous recognition through the Voice to Parliament initiative, which seeks to create a permanent body that would represent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in the policies that would affect their lives. However, many republicans see the current government’s subtle changes—such as removing royal symbols—as a prelude to a future push for full independence.


The question of whether Australia will become a republic remains unresolved, but the country is, in the eyes of many, moving towards a more distinct national identity. As historian Mark McKenna argues, “The symbols we choose to represent us matter. They reflect our values, our history, and our vision for the future.” 


 

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Keywords:

Australia Republic Movement, Australia Removing British Monarchy, Indigenous Representation Australia, Australian Currency Change, King Charles III Australia, British Colonial Legacy, Australia Republican Debate, First Nations Recognition, Decolonization in Australia, Australian Banknotes Redesign, Australian National Identity, Republicanism by Stealth, Australia Constitutional Reform, Indigenous Advocacy Australia.

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