A major project during the first half of the 1960s was the introduction of decimal currency and the issue of a new series of currency notes.
The Government decided in 1963 that the decimal currency should be based on a 10 shilling/100 cent system. It established the Decimal Currency Board to oversee the conversion process and set February 1966 as the date for introduction of the new currency.
The Royal Controversy
A big decision concerned the name of the new currency unit.
Views varied widely from traditional labels such as 'pound' and 'dollar' to more distinctively Australian names such as 'Austral'.
A public naming competition seeking suggestions 'with an Australian flavour' added nearly 1,000 names to this list including such exotic suggestions as 'Oz', 'Boomer', 'Roo', 'Kanga', 'Emu', 'Koala', 'Digger', 'Zac', 'Kwid', 'Dinkum' and 'Ming' (the nickname of Prime Minister Menzies).
In June 1963, with no clear consensus having emerged on a name, the Government decided to name the new currency the 'Royal'. Treasurer Harold Holt explained that the Government saw this name as 'emphasising our link with the Crown' and as being 'a dignified word with a pleasing sound.'
Between June and September 1963, the Bank's Note Printing Branch developed a variety of design concepts for the Royal notes.
Some of the designs were simple adaptations of the existing 1953/54 10 shilling note. Most of the notes were not developed beyond the stage of sketches, stylised images and basic colour schemes.
An interesting feature of some of these note designs is that they were labelled as Reserve Bank of Australia notes, rather than Commonwealth of Australia notes.
The Royal designs were not completed because of widespread opposition to the name 'Royal' for the new currency.
Just three months after announcing the 'Royal' decision the Government conceded on 19 September 1963 that the name of the currency unit would be the 'Dollar'. This decision won quick and general public approval.
source:The Reserve Bank and Reform of the Currency: 1960
2 个回复
钟大仙儿
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澳洲之前一直用的都是POUND啊！
1澳磅=20先令=240便士
1966年的时候因为不是十进制，实在操作起来有点复杂。。。就被废除了。。。
当时的兑换比例是2澳元=1澳磅
以上
Spitfire
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这是一个很有土澳中二特点又有点蛋蛋地忧桑的故事...
土澳独立以后，还是坚持用腐国的胖子了许久许久。直到60年代，英制单位复杂的度量系统终于让算数能力捉急的澳洲牛仔们不堪重负了，只有10个指头才能好好数钱嘛，城会玩。12进到底是什么鬼，哪里来的多出来俩指头？20进就更不要闹了，难道讨来的辛苦的血汗钱，还要拿脚趾头出来才够？
于是澳洲联邦政府决定用自己的钱，让别家数数去吧，哼哼。这思维方式总是哪里有些不对劲呢
可是诞生的新货币应该叫什么名字好呢？这又是个处女座在纠结了。于是，土澳政府很没有创意的开启了全民来找茬（划掉）征名的活动。民主集中制让大家畅所欲言，方才体现先进性嘛。话说，这招日后纽村又拿去用来折腾国旗，这在娱乐版徘徊的黑传统真可谓源远流长...
征集一开放，各色的名字便纷至沓来。从最保守的保持磅或者刀，到奇葩如“凹死吹尔”。在以“澳洲原汁风味”为旗号的感召下，约1千个候选名单出炉了。其中真是饱含了土澳人民诡异的智慧：
比如简洁至极的Oz（奥兹）形神兼至；再如Boomer（宝马？）随便任君曲解；Roo（肉？！？）我家啥最多？当然是袋鼠啊，数着袋鼠赚钱的感觉真好...
于是各种有袋目你争我夺，好不热闹。你说三块侃嘎（Kanga），我偏要两块而苗（Emu），大饼再怎么成本也是1块半的考拉吧？你报个1的哥（Digger）不是找不痛快么？
然而这一切不过是浮云罢了，在冥（Ming）币的威慑下，所有的候选称谓皆望风而逃...深深地为答主我现在能目前不整日数冥币而泄了口气，这要有多勇敢才能拿着澳式冥币去换毛爷爷呢？汗一个
(Ming乃总理Menzies的民间绰号）
最终，经过一番激烈的短信刷票大战（大雾）政府宣布，最终的胜出者是...锣要（Royal）？所以可见澳洲人心底对于母国尤其是皇室还是有多么的认同。哪怕整日喊着要锣，心底还是念着我大西清的。据财务官哈罗德·霍特解释：锣要一词，充满着典雅与愉悦，那清脆的一声锣要是多么的冻人啊。
于是，呱呱坠地的新货币就在政府内部锣要锣要的山呼万岁中，打算推广使用了。这消息一出，最终还是激起了主流三观的一致反对。于是在仅仅“锣要”了三个月，新钞尚未正式面世前，刀以迅雷不及掩耳盗铃之势，秒杀了可怜的“锣要”，正式成为了澳元的官方称谓
上文仅为道听途说，正式经历还请参考RBA官网的英文简介：
source:The Reserve Bank and Reform of the Currency: 1960