The Governor-General, Her Excellency Ms Sam Mostyn AC, officially opened the newly refurbished facilities at the Royal Australian Mint in Canberra today.
The $6 million upgrade of the public spaces aims to elevate the Mint as an iconic Australian cultural heritage tourism destination.
His Royal Highness Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh first made history when he opened the Mint in 1965. Now, 59 years on, the Governor-General also makes history officially re-opening the Mint and taking a tour of the new facilities.
Royal Australian Mint CEO Leigh Gordon said the Mint was not only one of Canberra's premier tourist attractions; it was also a working factory.
"It is amazing to think that every Australian circulating coin since 14 February, 1966 was produced right here, in a factory, in a quiet Canberra suburb," Mr Gordon said.
"The Visitor Experience Enhancement Project - or VEEP as we have known it - is a refurbishment of the Mint's public spaces with the aim to deliver improved experiences that showcase Australian stories through coin, and celebrate the people, artistry, precision engineering and unique skills of its workforce.
"The refurbishment project has also enabled the introduction of creative interactive installations, where visitors can use their imaginations and play.
"The trading ways installation tells the story of how trade existed in Australia well before colonisation. It was critical that this story be produced by an Indigenous-led team, and was developed in consultation with local First Nations groups, the Ngunnawal and Ngambri people," Mr Leigh said.
"Some of the highlights - and there are many - include the coin column that you walked past as you came in. As a feature, it contains 24,432 new dollar coins and took two people on a full time basis two weeks to glue into place.
"There is a lot to experience… the Mint team invites all Canberrans, their family and friends to visit and see how we've changed."
The Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury, The Hon. Dr Andrew Leigh, represented the Government at the event.
"As one of my portfolio responsibilities, I am proud to be a part of this significant occasion in the Mint's long history," Dr Leigh said.
"We are here today to celebrate new museum that allows Australians to discover the Mint's history and storytelling firsthand."
About the Royal Australian Mint
The Mint is an award-winning, world class Mint and a global leader in the mint industry. The Mint produces circulating coins for Australia and other countries, collectible and investment coins for domestic and international customers, and custom-made medals, medallions and tokens for individual or corporate clients.
The Mint is also a national cultural attraction that educates millions of Australians and international visitors on the history of Australia's decimal currency, and the significance and value of coins.
The Royal Australian Mint is a government Non-Corporate Commonwealth Entity, under the PGPA Act and operates under the Currency Act 1965 (Cth). The Mint does not receive an appropriation from Government, but instead is self-funded through the sale of coins. The Mint is governed in accordance with a charter with Treasury and a supporting memorandum of understanding. The Mint Chief Executive Officer (CEO) has appointed an Advisory Board and an Audit and Risk Committee to assist in the discharge of the CEO's responsibilities.
