---
title: "Australia to replace Queen Elizabeth's image on A$5 banknote"
description: "SYDNEY, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Australia will replace the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II from its A$5 currency note with a new design to reflect and honour the history of its Indigenous culture, the country's central bank said on Thursday."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "Newsdeck"
author: "Reuters"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/reuters/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-02-02-australia-to-replace-queen-elizabeths-image-on-a5-banknote/"
published: "2023-02-02T05:03:01"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 280
---

# Australia to replace Queen Elizabeth's image on A$5 banknote

> SYDNEY, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Australia will replace the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II from its A$5 currency note with a new design to reflect and honour the history of its Indigenous culture, the country's central bank said on Thursday.

By Reuters · Published 2 February 2023, 07:03 SAST

## Key points
- The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has announced plans to replace the image of Queen Elizabeth II on its A$5 banknote with an Indigenous Australian. This follows a consultation with the federal government, which supports the change. The other side of the note will still feature the Australian Parliament. The RBA has said it will consult with Indigenous groups in designing the new banknote, though it could take several years for it to be printed and issued. Queen Elizabeth's death last year sparked debates about Australia becoming a republic, and this decision is part of wider moves to recognise Indigenous Australians. This includes amending the national anthem in 2021 to remove reference to being ‘young and free’, as well as pushing for a referendum to recognise Indigenous people in the constitution.
- The Reserve Bank of Australia has announced that the A$5 banknote will be updated to feature an image of King Charles III, who became British monarch after his mother's death.
- The other side of the note will continue to feature the Australian Parliament.
- The Reserve Bank said it would consult with Indigenous groups in designing the A$5 banknote, which is expected to take a number of years.
- Until then, the current note featuring Queen Elizabeth II will continue to be issued.

## Content

The decision follows consultation with the federal government, which supports the change, the Reserve Bank of Australia said in a statement. The other side of the note will continue to feature the Australian Parliament, it said.

Queen Elizabeth's death last year has reignited debates in Australia about its future as a constitutional monarchy. Voters narrowly chose to maintain the British monarch as its head of state in a 1999 referendum.

King Charles III, who became British monarch after his mother's death, is the head of state in Australia, New Zealand and 12 other Commonwealth realms outside the United Kingdom, although the role is largely ceremonial.

Australia in September 2022 said the image of King Charles would [not automatically replace](https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL4N30K0KU&linkedFromStory=true) Queen Elizabeth on A$5 notes, and that she might be replaced by Australian figures.

Authorities have said the decision to include the queen's image on the A$5 dollar note was about her personality as opposed to her status as the monarch.

The decision to update the note comes as Australia's centre-left Labor government [pushes for a referendum](https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL4N2ZC009&linkedFromStory=true), required to alter the constitution, to recognise Indigenous people in the document and require consultation with them on decisions that affect their lives.

In 2021, Australia officially amended its [national anthem](https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL4N2JC00T&linkedFromStory=true) to remove reference to the country being "young and free" amid calls to recognise that its Indigenous people are the oldest civilization in the world.

The Reserve Bank said it would consult with Indigenous groups in designing the A$5 banknote. It will take a number of years to design and print the new banknote. Until then, the current note will continue to be issued.

(Reporting by Renju Jose; Editing by Tom Hogue)