Ahead of the start of NAIDOC Week, Australia will see a new special 50 cent coin enter circulation to mark 50 years of ongoing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander research and collection of information which has assisted our country in becoming more knowledgeable about its people and cultures, the Prime Minister of Australia, the Hon. Tony Abbott MP in the company of AIATSIS Council Chairperson Professor Mick Dodson, AIATSIS Principal Russ Taylor and the Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer, the Hon. Steven Ciobo MP. The 50 cent coin specifically marks the 50th anniversary of the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Institute (AIATSIS).
“NAIDOC Week represents an invaluable time for reflection, where Australians take time to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and I personally will also take this opportunity to do just that,” Royal Australian Mint CEO Ross MacDiarmid commented.
Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer the Hon Mr Steven Ciobo MP said this commemoration recognises AIATSIS’ contribution to our nation’s identity and further understanding of our cultural heritage.
“The coin design features an element of our logo which has been with us since the very beginnings of the Institute when it was adopted by the interim Council in 1963,” Professor Dodson said.
Mr MacDiarmid explained that the coin features an element of the AIATSIS logo, the shield is derived from the boomerang totem of the Gu:na:ni (Kunjen) people from the Mitchell River region of the Gulf of Carpentaria, adding that two million of these special circulating coins are to be distributed in the coming weeks.