We have printed a couple of hundred million of these notes, so it has been a busy time for John Fraser and me recently! The new note will continue to feature Mary Gilmore and Banjo Paterson, two of Australia’s most famous writers. Both grew up in southern New South Wales.
Indeed, Mary Gilmore spent time at schools in both Cootamundra and Wagga Wagga, just as I did. Both of these writers also have a connection to Queensland. For many years, Mary Gilmore’s husband ran a farm near Cloncurry in northern Queensland. And of course, Banjo Paterson is said to have written the words to Waltzing Matilda during a trip to Dagworth station near Winton.