On Monday (17 March) the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) announced that the theme for the reimagined $5 banknote should “honour the enduring emotional, spiritual and physical connection of First Nations peoples to Country”.
In a formal statement, the RBA described its reasoning for this theme’s selection: “An important context for this connection is the overturning of the concept of terra nullius. This action recognised the existence of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s relationship to Country for thousands of years.”
Gina Fairley is ArtsHub's Senior Contributor, after 12 years in the role as National Visual Arts Editor. She has worked for extended periods in America and Southeast Asia, as gallerist, arts administrator and regional contributing editor for a number of magazines, including Hong Kong based Asian Art News and World Sculpture News. She is an Art Tour leader for the AGNSW Members, and lectures regularly on the state of the arts. She is based in Mittagong, regional NSW.
Instagram: fairleygina
