Lexi Webster
The Australian $50 note is made out of polymer and was first issued in 1995. It is also called a pineapple due to its bright yellow colour. The note features portraits of Edith Cowan, the first female member of an Australian parliament, and David Unaipon, an inventor and Australia's first published Aboriginal author. The $50 note is the most widely circulated banknote in Australia and has been upgraded several times since its introduction, with the latest version released in October 2018.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Material | Polymer |
| Introduced | 1973 |
| Colour | Yellow |
| Nickname | Pineapple |
| People depicted | Edith Cowan, David Unaipon |
| Microprint | Excerpts from David Unaipon's book, Legendary Tales of the Australian Aborigines, and Edith Cowan's maiden speech to the Western Australian Parliament |
| Serial numbers | Two, one in black and one in blue |
| Length | 152.5mm |
| Breadth | 65mm |
| Security features | Ultraviolet light features, microprinting, tactile features, holograms, transparent window |
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What You'll Learn
The note is made of polymer
The Australian $50 note has been made of polymer since 1995. Polymer banknotes were first invented by CSIRO in the 1970s, and Australia has been at the forefront of their development ever since. Polymer notes have increased durability and security compared to paper notes, and they make it easier to include features to assist those who are visually impaired.
The $50 note is the most widely circulated banknote in Australia. It was introduced in 1973 in response to inflation requiring larger denominations for transactions. The original paper $50 note was designed by Gordon Andrews and had a scientific theme. On the front was a portrait of pathologist Howard Walter Florey, and on the back was a portrait of veterinary scientist Sir Ian Clunies Ross, along with scenes from the Australian environment.
In 1988, the Reserve Bank of Australia issued $10 notes in plastic, becoming the first country in the world to use polymer banknotes. These notes featured a transparent "window" with a diffractive optically variable device (DOVD) image of Captain James Cook as a security feature.
The current polymer $50 note features portraits of Edith Cowan, the first female member of an Australian parliament, and David Unaipon, an inventor and Australia's first published Aboriginal author. The note also includes pictures of the gumnut brooch Cowan had made to symbolise that entry into Parliament was a "tough nut to crack" for women, and the King Edward Memorial Hospital, a women's and maternity hospital that she helped establish. The microprint features excerpts of Unaipon's book, *Legendary Tales of the Australian Aborigines*, and Cowan's maiden speech to the Western Australian Parliament.
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Portraits of Edith Cowan and David Unaipon
The Australian $50 note is a polymer banknote that was introduced in 1973 due to inflation requiring larger denominations for transactions. It is nicknamed a "pineapple" due to its bright yellow colour. All current Australian notes contain microprinting for security.
The $50 note features portraits of two social and political pioneers, David Unaipon and Edith Cowan. Cowan, born in 1861 on a sheep farm in Western Australia, was the first female member of an Australian parliament. She was a huge advocate for women's rights and other social justice issues. Cowan also helped establish the King Edward Memorial Hospital, a women's and maternity hospital. The banknote includes a picture of a gumnut brooch that Cowan had made, symbolising that entry into parliament was a "tough nut to crack" for women.
David Unaipon, born in 1872 on the Port McLeay Mission in South Australia, was an inventor, musician, preacher, and Australia's first published Aboriginal author. He played a vital role with the mission church Raukkan Church as an organist and inspirational lay preacher. He also made significant contributions to science and improvements in conditions for Aboriginal people. He patented 19 inventions, including an improved hand tool for sheep shearing, which is depicted on the front of the banknote. Unaipon gained a reputation as "'Australia's Leonardo" for his promotion of scientific ideas. The culture of his Ngarrindjeri nation is also recognised in the banknote's design elements, including shields from the 1850s.
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Celebrates Aboriginal culture
The Australian $50 note has been printed in polymer by the Reserve Bank since 1995. It is also referred to as a "pineapple" due to its bright yellow colour. The note features Aboriginal writer and inventor David Unaipon on the front and Edith Cowan, the first female member of an Australian parliament, on the back.
David Unaipon, a Ngarrindjeri man, made significant contributions to science, literature and improvements in conditions for Aboriginal people. He played a vital role with the mission church Raukkan Church at Point McLeay as an organist and inspirational lay preacher. Unaipon gained a reputation as 'Australia's Leonardo' for his promotion of scientific ideas. He became Australia's first published Aboriginal writer, with his earliest published works including newspaper and magazine articles and a booklet entitled 'Native Legends', published in 1929. On the front of the note is a portrait of Unaipon and a depiction of his patented improved hand tool for sheep shearing, invented in 1909. The banknote also includes shields from Unaipon's Ngarrindjeri nation and images portraying the practices of miwi and navel cord exchange, about which Unaipon wrote. The microprint features excerpts of Unaipon's book 'Legendary Tales of the Australian Aborigines'.
Edith Cowan, the first Australian woman to enter parliament, was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia in 1921. The back of the note features a portrait of Cowan, a picture of Western Australia's original Parliament House, and an illustration of a foster mother and children. The note also includes a picture of the gumnut brooch that Cowan had made to symbolise that entry into Parliament was a 'tough nut to crack' for women. The microprint features excerpts from Cowan's maiden speech to the Western Australian Parliament.
The $50 note was introduced in 1973 in response to inflation requiring larger denominations for transactions. It was initially designed by Gordon Andrews, who rejected traditional Australian clichés in favour of interesting and familiar subjects such as Aboriginal culture, women, the environment, architecture and aeronautics. The current polymer note features updated security features, including raised printing, serial numbers that glow under UV light, and a clear window with the Southern Cross star formation printed on it.
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Innovative security devices
The Australian $50 note has been printed in polymer since 1995 and contains a wide range of innovative security devices within its design.
Firstly, the note features a clear window on the banknote with the Southern Cross star formation printed upon it. This is a transparent "window" with a diffractive optically variable device (DOVD) image, which was first introduced in the $10 note in 1988. Australian notes were the first in the world to use such security features.
Secondly, the note has raised printing, including four raised bumps on the banknote, which can be felt and help people with visual impairments to identify the note.
Thirdly, when held under ultraviolet (UV) light, a patch with the number "50" on the back of the banknote can be seen. The two serial numbers on the banknote, one in black and one in blue, also glow under UV light.
Finally, the note also includes microprinting, with excerpts of David Unaipon's book, *Legendary Tales of the Australian Aborigines*, and Edith Cowan's maiden speech to the Western Australian Parliament. The micro-text also includes the words "fifty dollars".
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Released in 1973
The Australian $50 note was introduced in 1973 as a paper banknote. It was designed by Gordon Andrews and bore the title "Commonwealth of Australia". The original $50 note was released on Tuesday, 9 October 1973, and has a scientific theme. On the front of the note is a portrait of Australian pathologist Howard Walter Florey, Baron Florey, and scenes of laboratory research. On the back is a portrait of Sir Ian Clunies Ross, a veterinary scientist and first chairman of the CSIRO, along with scenes from the Australian environment. The $50 note was introduced in response to inflation requiring larger denominations for transactions.
The $50 note has been through several changes since its initial release. In 1995, it became a polymer banknote, featuring portraits of Edith Cowan, the first female member of an Australian parliament, and David Unaipon, an inventor and Australia's first published Aboriginal Australian author. The note also includes pictures of the gumnut brooch Cowan had made to symbolise that entry into Parliament was a "tough nut to crack" for women. The new polymer $50 note was released for circulation on 18 October 2018, with updated security features and a host of new technologies designed to improve accessibility and prevent counterfeiting.
The Reserve Bank of Australia has been at the forefront of developing polymer banknotes since they were first invented by CSIRO in the 1970s. Polymer banknotes have increased durability and security and make it easier to include features to assist those who are vision-impaired. The new $50 note introduced a tactile feature with four raised bumps to help people identify the note.
Today, all Australian notes are made of polymer, and the $50 note is the most widely circulated banknote. It is also known as a "pineapple" due to its bright yellow colour.
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Frequently asked questions
The Australian $50 note is made out of polymer.
The Reserve Bank of Australia began printing $50 polymer notes in 1995.
The Australian $50 note is yellow and is sometimes called a "pineapple".
The Australian $50 note features raised printing, microprinting, a clear window, and a shadow image of the Australian coat of arms.
The Australian $50 note features portraits of David Unaipon, an Aboriginal writer and inventor, and Edith Cowan, the first female member of an Australian parliament.
