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Books on CoinsAUSTRALIAN HISTORY 1901 TO 2001 AS SEEN THROUGH BANKNOTES
by Dr.Edward Dauer, Joanne Dauer and John Pettit
Australia became a nation on January 1, 1901 when the six self-governing states officially became the Commonwealth of Australia. Queen Victoria passed away just three weeks later, on January 22, 1901, after nearly 64 years of reign over the British Empire. Edward VII was King of England until his death in 1910.
Banknotes issued by the Queensland Government and private banks were the only forms of currency that existed from 1817 to 1910. Notes were overprinted on unused stock from fifteen different private banks and the Government of Queensland. They were all rendered unnecessary when the first Government banknotes were issued in 1913.
The Dauers and John Pettit’s book takes us through the history of Australia from Federation to the modern era. Never before has a book been published illustrating in full color rare Australian banknotes as seen through it’s history. Read about the stories of some of the greatest Australians who through their dedication created a great nation. : 9”x12” Format • 352 pages • Full color • Beautifully hard bound • Slip Cover
David White | Dec 2, 2007 | Reply
Yes, it certainly is beautifully presented—this accounts (partly) for the hefty price. The project is heavily flawed as Australian history is rarely reflected in the banknotes themselves. The title says 1901 to 2001 and yet the first 50 pages deal with pre-1901 notes. After 1901 the connections are somewhat tenuous. The best thing about the book is the wonderful collection of notes displayed. As for the history, some of it is just plain incorrect. Former PM Stanley Melbourne Bruce is called Stanley Melvin Bruce—this is corrected in the errata but they then give him a knighthood he never received. They have King George VI becoming king in 1937, instead of 1936. PM William McMahon apparently never served as Foreign Ministerbefore being PM and Bob Hawke was elected in 1984 instead of 1983. I sure there are other errors like this in this “history” book. If you want to spend $250 for a coffee table book with some beautiful pictures of notes, go ahead. Don’t buy it for the “history” text and don’t buy it for the many blurry scans of non-note subjects. To sum up—a very mixed bag.
Tim Parsons | Aug 12, 2009 | Reply
Before taking David’s comments too seriously, there are inaccuracies in his comments.
Given that the National Archives of Australia website (an Australian Government website) gives Stanley Bruces’ middle name as Melbourne it is understandable how this error was published.
Yes, George VI did become King in 1936 after Edward VIII abdicated on 11 December 1936 but he was not coronated until 12 May 1937.
William McMahan was Minister of External (Foreign) Affairs from 1969 to 1971.
Bob Hawke was elected PM after the double disolution election on 5 March 1983.