This weekend, Gulgong will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Australian decimal currency and 50 years of Gulgong’s reputation as the Ten Dollar Town.

Australia gave up pounds, shillings and pence for dollars and cents on Valentine’s Day February 14, 1966, with Henry Lawson and the town of Gulgong selected to decorate one side of the new ten dollar note.

The town lost its place in 1993 with the switch to polymer notes, which was met with much local protest.

However, Gulgong will be the Ten Dollar Town again on Sunday, February 14, when a town-wide celebration marks the semi-centenary of decimal currency in Australia.

“Everybody is behind this, the commmunity groups, the pubs, as many businesses as can get behind it have,” said Maureen Hall of the Gulgong Holtermann Museum committee.

The event came about when word travelled from the Mudgee Coin, Note and Stamp Club to the the Gulgong Holtermann Museum committee that the fiftieth anniversary of decimal currency was approaching.

The committee set out to organise a major festival that would cement Gulgong’s place as the ten dollar town.

Sunday’s celebrations will include commemorative photographs in the Greatest Wonder of the World building, vintage cars and motor bikes on display, live 1960s music, a currency display and 50c coin trail, and activities in Coronation Park from 10am to 2pm.

The Centennial Hotel is offering a price of $100 for the ‘Grooviest Outfit’ seen in the pub on the day, so patrons are encouraged to take their fashion inspiration from 1966. The Ten Dollar Town Motel will draw a prize of a night’s accommodation and dinner for two, which anyone can compete for by dropping their name in the competition box. 

On top of all this, there will be karaoke, raffles, competitions and $10 food and retail deals around town.

The Gulgong Pioneers Museum and the Henry Lawson Centre will be open as usual, and the Prince of Wales Opera House will open its doors for those interested in exploring for a gold coin donation.

The day has been organised by the members of the Gulgong Holtermann Museum committee, which has recruited local retail businesses, community groups, pubs, clubs, cafes and museums to join the celebration.

The Gulgong Holtermann Museum project seeks to restore two original gold rush buildings, one of which was on the original ten dollar note, and turn them into a museum to house the historic photographs known as the Holtermann Collection.

The committee has restored The Greatest Wonder of the World.  Restoration of the second building, the American Tobacco Warehouse and Fancy Goods Emporium, is now underway.