With the 60th anniversary of Australia’s historic switch to decimal currency fast approaching, the Royal Australian Mint is seeking the former students featured in an iconic 1965 photograph to help tell the story of ‘Changeover Day’.
The image, taken in a Sydney classroom and attributed to the Australian News and Information Bureau, captures schoolchildren learning about the biggest financial transformation and national education program in Australian history.
Royal Australian Mint Chief Executive Officer, Emily Martin said no information was recorded about the school or children in the photograph.
“The Mint is calling on the public for assistance in identifying the individuals in the photograph to share their memories of this pivotal national moment,” said Ms Martin.
“Now, 60 years later, we’re hoping to solve a charming mystery from that exciting era. Guessing they are in their early 70s now, we’d like to find these children and hear their stories of singing along with Dollar Bill or counting their shiny new coins.”
Prior to ‘Changeover Day’ or ‘C-Day’, Australians used pounds, shillings and pence, which was a complicated system where £1 equalled 240 pence.
On February 14, 1966, the country officially embraced dollars and cents. A nationwide campaign had launched a year earlier to prepare every Australian for the new money, featuring the beloved cartoon character Dollar Bill and a catchy jingle that became a part of Australian culture.
Meanwhile, the Royal Australian Mint, newly opened in 1965, was hard at work striking one billion brand-new coins featuring iconic Australian animals designed by Stuart Devlin.
Do you recognise anyone in this photograph? Can you help the Mint reconnect this image with the people and stories behind it, and celebrate the generations who took Australia from pounds, shillings and pence to dollars and cents.
If you have any information about the students pictured, the Royal Australian Mint would love to hear from you. Please contact the Mint media team on media@ramint.gov.au or call 02 6202 3466 during business hours.
