The notes, and who is on them

Each denomination is a different colour and a different length — larger value, longer note — which makes them easy to tell apart in a wallet and is also a deliberate accessibility feature. The current series carries a tactile bump pattern for blind and low-vision users, with a different number of bumps per denomination.

$5 — purple
Queen Elizabeth II; Parliament House on the reverse
$10 — blue
Banjo Paterson and Dame Mary Gilmore, both poets
$20 — red
Mary Reibey, convict turned shipping merchant, and the Rev John Flynn, founder of the flying doctor service
$50 — yellow
David Unaipon, Ngarrindjeri writer and inventor, and Edith Cowan, first woman in an Australian parliament
$100 — green
Dame Nellie Melba, soprano, and Sir John Monash, engineer and general

It is a deliberately unusual cast. With the single exception of the monarch on the $5, no politician appears — the notes are populated by writers, singers, engineers, a businesswoman and a bush doctor.

The $5 note is being redesigned

In 2023 the Reserve Bank decided that the next $5 note would not carry a monarch, and would instead honour the culture and history of First Nations Australians. In March 2025, after more than 2,100 public submissions, the RBA’s imagery selection panel settled on “Connection to Country” as the theme. Parliament House stays on the reverse.

It will be the first Australian banknote without a monarch on it. The RBA has been explicit that designing, finalising and circulating a new note takes several years, so the note in your hand today is still the existing one — and it stays legal tender regardless.

Why the money is plastic

Australian notes are polymer — a thin plastic film rather than paper. They were developed here in response to a counterfeiting problem, first issued as a commemorative $10 in 1988, and rolled out across the full series through the 1990s. Australia was the first country to move an entire note series to polymer, and dozens of countries have since followed.

The practical consequence for a traveller: the notes survive rain, sweat and the washing machine, and each one has a clear window that is the fastest way to check a note is real.

The coins

  • 5c, 10c, 20c and 50c in silver-coloured metal. The 50c is large and twelve-sided, and the 20c is the one visitors most often mistake for something bigger.
  • $1 and $2 in gold-coloured metal. Counter-intuitively the $2 is the smaller of the two.
  • There is no 1c or 2c coin. Both were withdrawn in 1992, and cash totals are rounded to the nearest 5c at the till. Card payments are charged to the exact cent.

GST, prices and tipping

The Goods and Services Tax is 10% and is already inside the price on the shelf, the menu and the website. What is displayed is what you pay. Nothing is added at the register, which surprises visitors from countries where it is.

Tipping is not expected. Hospitality staff are paid an award wage, and higher rates again on weekends and public holidays, which is also why a coffee costs what it does. Rounding up or leaving something for genuinely good service is welcome and never assumed.

Claiming the GST back when you leave

The Tourist Refund Scheme, run by the Australian Border Force, refunds the GST on goods you take out of the country. It is the piece of Australian tax administration most visitors are entitled to use and most never do.

Minimum spend
AUD $300 or more, GST inclusive
From one retailer
Yes — same Australian Business Number, though multiple invoices can be combined
Time limit
Purchased within 60 days of your departure
What qualifies
Goods. Not services — accommodation, tours and car hire do not count
Where to claim
The TRS facility at the international airport or seaport, after security

You need the original tax invoice, your passport and your boarding pass, and you must be able to present the goods — so pack them in hand luggage where the rules allow. Lodging the claim in advance through the ABF app produces a QR code and shortens the queue considerably, which matters because the TRS desk is often the longest one in the terminal.

Cash, cards and ATMs

Cards are accepted almost everywhere, contactless is the default, and an increasing number of cafés and small operators take nothing else. Businesses that pass on a card surcharge are required to disclose it, and it is usually a small percentage shown at the terminal.

Cash still has its uses: remote roadhouses, some markets, a few small-town operators, and honesty boxes at national park entries. Carrying a modest amount is sensible if you are heading inland, and largely unnecessary in the cities.

ATMs are widespread. The ones in bank branches and supermarkets are generally the cheapest; freestanding machines in pubs, hotels and convenience stores commonly charge a fixed fee per withdrawal, disclosed on screen before you commit. Currency exchange desks at airports are the expensive option in every country and Australia is not an exception.

Bringing money in and out

There is no limit on how much currency you may carry into or out of Australia, but amounts of AUD $10,000 or more — or the foreign equivalent — must be declared to the Australian Border Force on arrival and departure. The declaration is free and takes a minute. Failing to make it is the expensive part.

Common questions

Who is on the Australian $5 note?
Queen Elizabeth II, with Parliament House on the reverse. The Reserve Bank has decided the next $5 note will instead carry a First Nations theme, “Connection to Country”, and will be the first Australian note without a monarch.
Who is on the Australian $50 note?
David Unaipon, a Ngarrindjeri writer and inventor, and Edith Cowan, the first woman elected to an Australian parliament.
Why is Australian money plastic?
Polymer notes were developed in Australia to combat counterfeiting and were rolled out across the full series in the 1990s. They last longer than paper and carry a clear window that is hard to fake.
How much is GST in Australia?
Ten per cent, and it is already included in displayed prices. Nothing is added at the till.
Can tourists claim GST back in Australia?
Yes, under the Tourist Refund Scheme, on goods totalling $300 or more from a single retailer bought within 60 days of departure. Claims are made at the airport or seaport with the invoice, passport, boarding pass and the goods.
Do you tip in Australia?
No, tipping is not expected. Hospitality staff are paid an award wage. Leaving something extra for good service is welcome but never assumed.
Is there a 1 cent coin in Australia?
No. The 1c and 2c coins were withdrawn in 1992 and cash totals are rounded to the nearest 5c. Card payments are charged to the cent.

Sources

Where this page states something a reader might want to check — a rule, a schedule, a decision — this is where it came from. Details change; these are the pages that change with them.