One light corner fold, one light centre fold.
A great example for any collection.
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Design
1. A remarkable banknote in every way with abundant security features. This note had some extremely special features built into it as security against forgery. It was a world first and makes these notes highly desirable as collectors items.
2. The 20 dollar note embraces these following security features:
3. Within the clear window is printed a stylised image of a compass along with embossing of the number 20. These can be seen seen from either side of the note.
4. When the note is held up to the light a seven pointed star within a circle is formed by four points on one side of the note combining perfectly with three points on the other.
5. When the note is held up to the light an image of the Australian Coat of Arms can be seen under other printing.
6. The words TWENTY DOLLARS are microprinted and can be seen with the aid of a magnifying glass.
7. Slightly raised printing (intaglio) which can be felt with the fingers is used for the portraits and other major design elements.
8. Highly intricate multi-coloured fine-line patterns and images appear on each side.
9. Each notes serial number is printed twice, in black on the reverse of the note. A different font is used for each serial number. The alpha prefix of two letters is followed by two numerals representing the year of its production followed by a further six numerals. Under ultra-violet light, these serial numbers fluoresce.
10. Under ultra-violet light the notes denominational patch showing the number 20 becomes visible on the back of the note.
Obverse: Mary Reibey (12 May, 1777 – 30 May, 1855) was an Englishwoman who was transported to Australia as a convict but went on to become a successful businesswoman in Sydney. Mary Reibey, baptised Molly Haydock, was born on 12 May 1777 in Bury, Lancashire, England. Following the death of her parents, she was reared by a grandmother and sent into service. She ran away, and was arrested for horse stealing in August 1791. At the time, she was disguised as a man and was going under the name of James Burrow. Sentenced to seven years’ transportation, she arrived in Sydney, Australia, on the HMAS Royal Admiral in October 1792.
Reverse: The Reverend John Flynn, OBE (25 November 1880 – 5 May 1951) was an Australian Presbyterian minister and aviator who founded the Royal Flying Doctor Service, the world’s first air ambulance. Flynn was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1933. He is featured on one side of the current Australian 20 dollar note. The federal seat of Flynn in Queensland was created by the Australian Electoral Commission in 2006. Qantas has recently announced that they will be naming one of their Airbus A380’s after John Flynn in recognition of his contribution to the aviation industry and particularly to his achievement of founding the Royal Australian Flying Doctors Service.
Watermark: With the introduction of the new polymer banknotes we saw the end of the customary watermark. It was replaced with a Variable Optical Security Device in the bottom corner.
History
Flynn’s missionary work involved the establishment of hospitals in bush communities. This, however, did not help those who lived far from any major community. In his public speaking he would often retell the tragic circumstances that had befallen several bush settlers. The fate of Jimmy Darcy, in 1917, was one of these stories.
Darcy was a stockman at Ruby Plains, a remote cattle station in Western Australia. After being found injured, with a ruptured bladder, by some friends, he was transported over 30 miles (12 hours), to the nearest town, Halls Creek. Here, Darcy was met by FW Tuckett, the Postmaster, and the only man in the settlement trained in first aid. Tuckett said there was nothing he could reliably do for injuries so serious, and tried unsuccessfully to contact doctors at Wyndham, and then Derby, by telegraph. He eventually got through to a doctor in Perth. Through communication by morse code, Dr Holland guided Tuckett through two rather messy bladder operations using the only sharp instrument available, a pen knife. Due to the total absence of any medical facilities, Darcy had been operated on strapped to the Post Office counter, having first been made insensible with whisky. Holland then travelled 10 days to Halls Creek on a boat for cattle transport, a Model T Ford, a horse-drawn carriage, and even on foot, only to find that Darcy had died the day before. To rub salt in the wound, the operations had been successful, but the stockman had died from an undiagnosed case of malaria and a ruptured abscess in his appendix.
It was from stories such as this that Flynn, and his following at the AIM, became inspired to develop a route of communications that could solve the problem of remoteness. However, no feasible technology seemed apparent.
Victorian Lieutenant Clifford Peel had heard Flynn’s public speeches, and on being shipped out to France for World War I in 1917, sent Flynn a letter explaining how he had seen a missionary doctor visiting isolated patients using a plane. Assisted by costing estimates by Peel, Flynn immediately took the idea of using aircraft to begin his idea, and published Peel’s idea in the church’s newsletter. Peel died in combat in 1918, probably not even knowing the impact he had in the creation of an Australian icon.
*All biographical details are taken from Wikipedia for education purposes only.
