The Royal Australian Mint 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 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.
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 Mint now commemorates the poet who best knew our land.
“It is a very exciting day for us here in Gunnedah to be in the location of the national launch of three new coins celebrating Dorothea Mackellar,” Mayor Fuller said.
“You can see right here just how much the poet means to us.
“We are standing at McKellar centre, across from the walk that we celebrate Dorothy Mackellars poem, and features a statue of her on her horse.
“Now we are here and have the magnificent silos that tell her story in Gunnedah, we live and work every day in the beauty that Dorothea Mackellar painted so clearly in her poetry.
“We wake up to the sweeping plains, the pink, the grey sky, and every day we witness the miracle of what is to live here.”
For Memorial President Pip Murray, it was a “huge honour.”
Speaking at the morning tea held at the centre across from the statue, Murray said it was “a great accolade for Gunnedah and the Society to have the Mint come up from Canberra to launch it instead of just holding it at their own premises.
It was fortunate, Murray said, that the release of the coins happened to alongside the opening of the 2025 Poetry Competition.
“We’re also excited because the launch coincides with the start of our annual poetry competition, which opened in March and closes in June, and it’s for all school aged children across Australia. And this year’s optional theme is ‘All The Beautiful Things’.”
When asked what she thought of Dorothea being recognised in the same way as Henry and Banjo, Murray replied “Well, she should be!”
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