Indigenous Language and Culture Featured on New Australian Coins

A new collection of circulating gold coins featuring illustrations of native Australian animals and their traditional names in the Gudanji/Wakaja language has been released. The currency includes a new $2 coin displaying a Jurrgubadi, or goanna, while a series of five $1 designs also showcase native fauna paired with their language names.

Sunshine Coast-based artist Ryhia Dank, who is a Gudanji/Wakaja and Kalkadoon woman from Borroloola in the Northern Territory's Gulf of Carpentaria region, illustrated the collection. Creating under the professional name nardurna, which translates to "woman," the artist chose the term to honour the matriarchal culture of her people.

Ms Dank stated that her primary aspiration for the project is to help keep the Gudanji language alive. Noting that many languages across Australia are declining, she expressed hope that children from her home region will recognize familiar animals on the currency and that the designs will encourage broader public interest in learning about Indigenous Country.

Experts emphasize that visibility plays a crucial role in language revitalisation efforts currently underway across the nation to preserve and strengthen Indigenous languages for future generations. According to First Languages Australia, the peak body representing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island language communities, more than 700 unique languages have been documented, but fewer than 100 remain in everyday use.

The coin launch was marked by students from Marrickville West Primary School, who celebrated the release alongside representations of the native animals featured on the currency. Members of the public can now encounter the new designs as the coins enter general circulation.