Australia has decided it’s had enough of the British monarchy – at least on its dollar bills. The country will replace the last of its banknotes featuring the late Queen Elizabeth II with something much closer to home.
Britain’s King Charles III, the late queen’s first son and successor, may have inherited the throne, but his face will not appear on Australia’s five-dollar bills.
Australian $5 notes are pictured in Sydney, Sep-tembe 10, 2022. King Charles III won’t feature on Australia’s new $5 bill, the nation’s central bank has announced, signaling a phasing out of the British monarchy from Australian banknotes, although he is still expected to feature on coins.
“I think that’s absolutely brilliant,” said Sydney resident Leanne Nijemeisland. “This is Australia.”
Instead of the king, Australia’s government de-cided that new five-dollar bills will carry an image honoring the country’s indigenous culture.
“The five-dollar note will say more about our history and our heritage and our country, and I see that as a good thing,” said Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers.
The British monarch is formally Australia’s head of state, but Queen Elizabeth’s death in September resurfaced questions about the how much of a role Britain’s royals should still play in former British colonies — if any.
“We’re in Australia. We need to be a republic. We’ve got nothing to do with the monarchy,” Sydney resident Stewart Fairbairn said.
“The queen’s finished, and I don’t think Charles is up to it,” agreed Robyn Welsh. Queen Elizabeth II’s face is still on more than a dozen currencies in circulation around the world.—AFP
