The $5 faces – 1
People a nd po li
tics
Each person depicted on an Australian banknote has contributed, in some way, to the development of the nation. Sir Henry Parkes appeared on the front, and Catherine Helen Spence on the reverse, of the special centenary of Federation $5 note issued on 1 January 2001.
Sir Henry Parkes
Catherine Helen Spence
r o e t s BHelen r Catherine Spence was born in Scotland e o p o in 1825 and moved to Australia with her u parents and siblingsk in 1839. She knew from S a young age that she wanted to write and in Grand old woman of Australia
ew i ev Pr
Teac he r
Father of Federation
1854 her first novel was published.
She became Australia’s first professional female journalist, reporting regularly for the Adelaide Register and occasionally for other South Australian newspapers.
Sir Henry Parkes was born in England in 1815. He and his wife moved to Australia in 1839, Catherine Helen Spence was a tireless social where Parkes began a successful political and political campaigner and, as a popular public speaker, she travelled the world giving career for which he was knighted in 1877. many lectures and speeches to full capacity He was involved in developing policy on a crowds. number of important social issues, including health and education, and played a major role Through her efforts, South Australia became in ending the transportation of convicts to the first state in the world to give women the right to vote and to stand for a seat in Australia. federal parliament. In 1897, she became the Sir Henry Parkes was an excellent, flamboyant first female political candidate in Australia speaker who always aimed to convince an to stand for federal election, audience that he was the man who should be although her attempt was listened to, believed in and voted for. His most unsuccessful. memorable speech is the Tenterfield Oration, delivered in October 1889, in which he pledged Catherine Helen Spence died in 1910, leaving his full support for Australian Federation. her autobiography Centennial Park is the legacy left to the people uncompleted. A statue of Sydney by Sir Henry Parkes. It is fitting that honouring her contribution this is where the Federation celebrations were to public life was erected held on 1 January 1901, almost five years after in Adelaide’s Light the death of the Father of Federation. Square in 1986.
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Primary Australian history
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