Australia Ten Dollars Knowing Your Note

Denomination: $10
Date of first release: 1 November 1993
Designer: Max Robinson
Size: 65 mm x 137 mm

Stories Behind The Faces

Obverse
Andrew Barton “Banjo” Paterson was born on 17 February 1864 in Narranbla, New South Wales. Paterson was a famous bush poet, balladist and journalist. During his life time, he wrote many ballads and poems about Australian life, focusing mainly on the rural areas. Paterson was perhaps best remembered for his works on ‘Waltzing Matilda and “The Man from Snowy River. Paterson died on 5 February 1941 in Sydney aged 76.

Reverse
Dame Mary Jean Gilmore DBE was born on 16 August 1865 at Cotta Walla near Goulburn, New South Wales. Gilmore was a poet, patriot and tireless campaigner against injustice and deprivation in many fields, including the treatment of Aborigines, women, children, old and sick people, and returned servicemen. In 1937, she was awarded the Odere of the British Empire. Gilmore died in 1962 aged 97. In 1973 she was honoured on a postage stamp bearing her portrait issued by the Australian Post.

Other features
* A windmill can be seen from either side. It is surrounded by a transparent area;
* On one side of the note, excerpts from the poem “The Man from Snowy River” are micro-printed in the area surrounding ‘Banjo” Paterson’s portrait. Between each stanza are the words “Ten Dollars”;
* Slightly-raised printing, which can be felt with your fingers, is used for selected parts of the design such as the portraits of Dame Mary Gilmore and “Banjo” Paterson, the word “Australia” and the numeral “10”;
* On the other side, excerpts from the poem “No foe shall gather our harvest” are micro printed around the portrait of Dame Mary Gilmore, with the words “Ten Dollars” repeated between each stanza;
* When the note is held up to the light, a seven-pointed star within a circle is formed, by four points on one side of the note, combining perfectly with three points on the other.