Sydney Australia (Commonwealth Union)_Australia decides to remove the illustration of Queen Elizabeth II adorning its AUSD5 banknotes with designs that reflect and honour Australia’s indigenous culture. As part of the Commonwealth, Australia has had the reigning monarch on its banknotes for nearly a century but has made a controversial decision to not replace the Queen with the current monarch King Charles III.
The Reserve Bank of Australia decided to leave the image of Charles III off its notes which also means, that after decades, no British based monarch will be featured on the country’s paper based currency.
However, this will not happen overnight and Queen Elizabeth II will remain for the moment as a new design will take a number of years to go through the process of design to print. The plan is to have consultation with indigenous people in a dialogue process that will be the foundation for the new design which will honour the culture and history of the first Australians.
Australians have for long been calling for the abolition of the monarchy, with the indigenous people adding to the cry, protesting the destructive impact of the colonists at the time. It is noted that indigenous people predated the British by at least 65,000 years.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese remains supportive of an eventual move to becoming an Australian republic, encouraging the idea that for someone to be on Australia’s currency should be by birthright and not by simply being head of state. An unelected king therefore does not gain credence or be justified, especially at a time when Australia is going through a period of soul searching, truth, reconciliation and eventually independence formally, culturally and intellectually.
