Australian Dollar (AUD) Profile

$, A$

1/100, cent; symbol: c
A$1, A$2, 5c, 10c, 20c, 50c
 
A$5, A$10, A$20, A$50, A$100
 
Reserve Bank of Australia (www.rba.gov.au)

1. Australia and its territories of Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Norfolk Island.
2. Independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu.

Australian dollar users

The Australian dollar is the currency of Australia (officially Commonwealth of Australia) and is also used in certain territories, including Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, and Norfolk Island. Australia has four other external territories - Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Coral Sea Islands, Heard Island, and McDonald Islands, as well as the Australian Antarctic Territory, which are generally uninhabited islands. Additionally, the Australian dollar is also used by three independent Pacific Island states - Kiribati, Nauru, and Tuvalu.

Users of Australian dollar (Currency code: AUD)
Political entities Currency name Notes
Australia Australian dollar <1>.Australia (officially the Commonwealth of Australia)is the world's sixth largest country by comprising the mainland of the Australian continent.
<2>.Australia introduced the Australian dollar on February 14, 1966, replacing the Australian pound(existed from 1910 to 1966).
Christmas Island Australian dollar Christmas Island is a territory of Australia, and locates in the Indian Ocean.
Cocos (Keeling) Islands Australian dollar Cocos (Keeling) Islands is a territory of Australia, and locate in the Indian Ocean.
Norfolk Island. Australian dollar Norfold Island is a territory of Australia and is a small island in the Pacific Ocean.
Ashmore and Cartier Islands Australian dollar Ashmore and Cartier Islands is an external territory of Australia and uninhabited.
Coral Sea Islands Australian dollar Coral Sea Islands is a territory of Australia and almost uninhabited.
Heard Island and McDonald Islands Australian dollar Heard Island and McDonald Islands is an external territory of Australia, locating near to Antarctic and uninhabited.
Australian Antarctic Territory Australian dollar Australian Antarctic territory has no permanent population with.
Nauru New Zealand dollar &
Australian dollar (from May 25, 2013)		 <1>. Nauru (officially the Republic of Nauru), formerly known as Pleasant Island, is an island country in Micronesia in the South Pacific.
<2>.Nauru uses the Australian dollar as its official currency and will adopt Australian dollar (AUD) from 25 May 2013, using alongside New Zealand dollar (NZD).
Kiribati Australian dollar &
Kiribati dollar		 <1>.Kiribati (officially the Republic of Kiribati)is an island country in the central Pacific Ocean and was independent from the U.K. on July 12, 1979.
<2>.Kiribati dollar is not an independent currency with only coins issued, circulating alongside banknotes and coins of the Australian dollar and pegging it at par.
Tuvalu Australian dollar &
Tuvalu dollar		 <1>.Tuvalu (formerly the Ellice Islands) is a Polynesian island nation in the Pacific Ocean and was independent from the U.K on October 1, 1978.
<2>.The Tuvalu dollar was introduced in 1976 with only coins issued, circulating alongside banknotes and coins of the Australian dollar and pegging it at par.

Australia adopted the Statute of Westminster in 1942 and became a Commonwealth realm.

Commonwealth realm

A Commonwealth realm is a sovereign country within the Commonwealth of Nations, which now consists of 16 Commonwealth realms:

  • Antigua and Barbuda
  • Australia
  • Bahamas
  • Barbados
  • Belize
  • Canada
  • Grenada
  • Jamaica
  • New Zealand
  • Papua New Guinea
  • Saint Kitts and Nevis
  • Saint Lucia
  • Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  • Solomon Islands
  • Tuvalu
  • United Kingdom

Except for Papua New Guinea and the United Kingdom itself, the other fourteen realms are former British colonies. The United Kingdom is the original realm from which other realms became independent, and Papua New Guinea obtained independence from Australia on 16 September 1975. The first Commonwealth realm is Canada, which adopted the Act of Statute of Westminster 1931 and granted full autonomy, followed by Australia and New Zealand. Each later twelfth realm (except the United Kingdom itself) was created by an instant grant of independence.

The Commonwealth of Nations, also known as the Commonwealth or British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organization consisting of 54 independent member states, most of which were part of the British Empire.

Sixteen Commonwealth realms (Established Since 1931 -present)
Realms Since Location-Continent Currency name Code Currency notes
Antigua and Barbuda 1981 North America East Caribbean dollar XCD Pegged with the U.S. dollar
at 1USD = 2.70 XCD
Australia 1942 <2> Oceania Australian dollar AUD Pegged by Tuvaluan dollar and Kiribati dollar at par
Bahamas 1973 North America Bahamian dollar BSD Pegged with the U.S. dollar at par
Barbados 1966 North America Barbadian dollar BBD Pegged with the U.S. dollar
at 1 USD= 2 BZD
Belize 1981 North America Belize dollar BZD Pegged with the U.S. dollar
at 1 USD = 2 BZD
Canada 1931 <2> North America Canadian dollar CAD  
Grenada 1974 North America East Caribbean dollar XCD Pegged with the U.S. dollar
at 1USD = 2.70 XCD
Jamaica 1962 North America Jamaican dollar JMD  
New Zealand 1947 <2> Oceania New Zealand dollar NZD Pegged at par by Cook Islands dollar, Niue dollar and Pitcairn Islands dollar.
Papua New Guinea 1975 <3> Oceania Papua New Guinean kina PGK  
Saint Kitts and Nevis 1983 North America East Caribbean dollar XCD Pegged with the U.S. dollar
at 1USD = 2.70 XCD
Saint Lucia 1979 North America East Caribbean dollar XCD Pegged with the U.S. dollar
at 1USD = 2.70 XCD
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1979 North America East Caribbean dollar XCD Pegged with the U.S. dollar
at 1USD = 2.70 XCD
Solomon Islands 1978 Oceania Solomon Islands dollar SBD  
Tuvalu 1978 Oceania Australian dollar AUD alongside New Zealand dollar from 25 May 2013 which is pegged with AUD at par.
United Kingdom <1> Europe Pound sterling GBP  

Australian dollar history

The Australian dollar is a decimal currency. It was introduced on February 14, 1966, and replaced the Australian pound at a rate of 1 pound = 2 dollars or 1 dollar = 10 shillings, pegged to the U.S. dollar. The Australian pound was used by Australia from 1910 to 1966 and was subdivided into 20 shillings (symbol: s) with 1 shilling = 12 pence (symbol: d).

Australian dollar coins and banknotes

The Australian dollar is subdivided into 100 cents. Currently, in circulation, coins are in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50 cents, 1, 2 dollars, and banknotes of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 dollars.