We won’t be putting a portrait on the $5 note this time.
We want to try something new.
We want to look at what’s shaped us and what’s helped us grow.
Unfolding Stories
Celebrating First Nations cultures and history
Submissions were open to the public in March and April 2024. Submissions are now closed.
As times change,
so do our banknotes.
The $5 note is being redesigned and we want to use this as an opportunity to represent what makes this country so special:
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and history.
Themes
We received great ideas from the public's nominations, including themes related to First Nations history and cultures, storytelling, art and design, native animals and important landmarks.
Ideas that we received will now be analysed and turned into an artwork to help us celebrate and honour Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures on the new $5 note.
We asked the public for a theme that:
- Celebrates First Nations cultures and history
- Depicts First Nations cultures in an authentic and respectful way
- Recognises the diversity of First Nations cultures across different regions of Australia
- Respects First Nations cultural sensitivities about information or images that are sacred or secret (and therefore not appropriate for inclusion on a circulating banknote).
Key themes will be tested with relevant communities or experts to determine the likelihood of obtaining cultural permissions in a reasonable timeframe before the final theme/s is selected by an Imagery Selection Panel.
What's next?
The RBA will review submissions with a chosen panel.
A final theme will be chosen in the second half of 2024 and then turned into an artwork that celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and history.
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