- Address: 65 Martin Place, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia, Reserve Bank of Australia, ground floor;
- Website: http://museum.rba.gov.au/;
- Ticket price: free admission;
- Opening hours: Monday to Friday from 10.00 to 16.00
When the standard museum tours are already a little bored, try visiting the Museum of Bank Notes at the Reserve Bank of Australia . From his expositions you will get an idea of how for several centuries the appearance and role of the monetary units of the country varied against a background of constantly changing economic and political situation. Here you will find out what currency was in circulation in the colonial settlements and how it gradually turned into credit cards familiar to all.
History of the museum opening
The leadership of the Reserve Bank of Australia decided to open the doors of its museum for visitors on March 1, 2005. Since then, anyone can get acquainted with any of the monetary units once used on the continent, and to study materials relating to this and stored in the banking archives to the present day.
Expositions of the museum
The collection of the museum is divided into several thematic exhibitions:
- "Currency before 1900 (before the formation of the Federation)." Here are the very first banknotes, which were introduced by Australians. Before that, they had been trading on the Aboriginal principle, using barter. In 1851, gold diggers were discovered, after which the authorities decided to create their own currency, which was to be an instrument for solving financial crises.
- "The new currency: 1900-1920." Since 1901, the Commonwealth government has begun to deal with the issue of introducing a new currency, and the exposition includes the most important documents relating to this period. Legislation regulating currency turnover was adopted in 1910, in 1911 the Reserve Bank of Australia was opened and the first unique set of Australian banknotes was published. Their design reflected the predominance in the country's economy of that time of the agricultural component and work on land.
- "Problems of the bank. 1920-1960 ». During this period, the country was faced with economic problems, which led to changes in the issuance of banknotes. The exhibition introduces us to three new series of the lower denomination, issued in the early 1950s.
- "Reserve Bank and Currency Reform: 1960-1988". The Reserve Bank of Australia is finally fully responsible for issuing banknotes. The introduction of the decimal system, as well as the improvement of printing technologies, led to the issuance of banknotes of the highest denomination, which you can consider at this exposition.
- "A new era - notes of the polymer currency. Since 1988 ". During this period, a real breakthrough occurred in the turnover of the Australian currency. Paper money became plastic, differing in its unique design. You will be able to evaluate their merits by studying this stand.
- "Pocket money". This exhibition is intended to illustrate how parents taught their children thrift in the middle of the last century. Among the exhibits you will find piggy banks, illustrated books about coins and paper denominations issued by the Bank of Australia, comic books.
The museum has about 15,000 images describing the history of the establishment of the national institutions of the reserve bank and Commonwealth Bank, as well as various financial events related to these institutions.
How to get there?
If from public transport you prefer a city train, you need to go to the stations Martin Place or St James, each of which is in the immediate vicinity of the museum. From Circular Quay, you can take bus number 372, 373 or X73 and get off at the Martin Place (Elizabeth Street) stop.
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