The Reserve Bank of Australia is pleased to announce that the new $20 banknote has entered general circulation.
The new banknote continues to feature the founder of the world’s first aerial medical service now known as the Royal Flying Doctor Service, Reverend John Flynn and convict turned astute businessperson Mary Reibey. Their stories are told through the images incorporated into the banknote design. For example, excerpts from Flynn’s book The Bushman’s Companion and the names of Reibey’s ships are featured in the microprint. Other basic design elements from the previous $20 have also been retained, including the colour palette and size.
The new $20 also follows the design and security traditions established with the first three denominations in the Next Generation Banknote series. These include features such as a top-to-bottom clear window, a flying kookaburra that moves its wings and changes colour, a reversing number ‘20’ and a patch with a rolling colour effect. As with the $5, $10 and $50, the new $20 also includes representations of a wattle and native bird – the Acacia buxifolia and a Laughing Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae).
The new banknotes also have a ‘tactile’ feature to help people who are blind or who have low vision to distinguish between different denominations of banknotes. These are the three raised bumps on each of the long edges of the $20 banknote.
The existing $20 banknotes can continue to be used as all previously issued banknotes retain their legal tender status. The existing series of banknotes will be withdrawn from circulation over time.
Full details of the design and security features on the new $20 banknote, and other denominations, are available on the Bank’s website at banknotes.rba.gov.au.
