Royal Australian Mint Launches Dorothea Mackellar 50c Coins Honoring Gunnedah's Favourite Daughter

The Royal Australian Mint launched a set of 50c coins honouring Gunnedah's favourite daughter Dorothea Mackellar, at the Dorothea Mackellar Memorial Society

The Royal Australian Mint has launched a set of 50c coins honouring Gunnedah’s favourite daughter Dorothea Mackellar, at the Dorothea Mackellar Memorial Society in South Street in Gunnedah yesterday.

The three coins are collector’s items, made in the same aluminium bronze as the $1 and $2 coins, making these three unique among 50c pieces, with representatives from the Mint making the flight up from Canberra to officially launch the coins, joined by Dorothea Mackellar Memorial Society President Phillipa Murray and Gunnedah Shire Mayor Colleen Fuller.

Each coin commemorates one of Dorothea’s most beloved poems: “Dawn”, “The Colours Of The Light”, and of course, “My Country”.

“Today, we’re proud to continue that tradition with a new series by one of the Mint’s Senior Coin Artists, Adam Ball, Senior Exec of Sales, Marketing, and Innovation Jennifer Sullivan said.

The coins took eighteen months from concept to design to stamping, with Gunnedah Council and the Dorothea Mackellar Memorial Society being only made aware of the project a scant six weeks ago.

“The first coin, inspired by ‘Dawn’ captures the tranquil beauty of the road to Gunnedah, a place McKellar held dear, and I’m sure many of you hold dear as well,” Sullivan said.

The coin captures the beauty and wonder of the break of day.

“The second coin is a tribute to ‘My Country’.

“That coin, and my country, as many of you know, is a poem that is held dear to many Australians’ hearts, and has stirred the hearts of Australians for more than a century.

Sullivan recognised Dorothea’s “deep love for the land.”

“She embraced its beauty, its harshness and its contrast, the coin reflects that deep affection that she had depicting Australia’s landscapes in all their splendour, from sunlit beaches to stormy skies, the words I love a sunburnt country resonate through its design, reminding us of the enduring connection we all have for this beautiful land.

“The final coin, inspired by ‘Colours Of Light’, is a celebration of vibrancy and movement, featuring a dazzling Peacock, radiant flowers and lush Australian foliage,” Sullivan continued.

“It captures McKellar’s strong, song-like brilliance. She was, as many have called her, a lyricist of light, and this coin reflects her ability to paint with words that shine as brightly as the landscapes she adored.”

Georgie Wyllie, from Gunnedah South Public School, recited “Dawn”, while her older sister Charli read “The Colour Of The Light” at the ceremony.

Georgia Wyllie, Dorothea Mackellar Memorial Society President Pip Murray, and Charli Wyllie with the new coins. (Tom Plevey; New England Times)

The coins are the third in the series of Australian Poets, and with it, Dorothea Mackellar joins two other great Australian poets immortalised in coin: Banjo Paterson, who captured the romance of Australian, and Henry Lawson, who captured our people.

With Dorothea’s coins, the