About the Museum

The Reserve Bank of Australia opened the Museum to the public on 1 March 2005. At the official opening ceremony, the Governor of the RBA [Mr Ian Macfarlane], said ‘the objectives of the Museum are to:

  • display to the public, currency notes and related material held in the Bank's archives; and
  • tell the story of how Australia's currency notes have reflected the country's economic and political development’.

Australia's currency notes are an everyday symbol of our nation, mirroring who we are and how we have seen ourselves over the years.

In this Museum you can:

  • Click to view larger image of First Notes displayLearn how the story of our currency notes has unfolded against the backdrop of Australia's broader history.
  • Click to view image of portaits used on some of the decimal currency notes Explore the various displays of notes, including some interesting notes that were designed but never used. What do they portray about Australia? Who are the people shown on our notes?
  • Click to view larger image of a portion of the TimelineExperience some of the key episodes in the history of our notes through our displays of archival film and photographs.
  • Click to view larger image of a panel depicting the manufacturing sector represented on the ten shilling noteDiscover the intricate artwork they contain and the efforts made to keep the counterfeiters at bay.