A horse, a dog and a soaring wedge-tail eagle share the frame with the battlers who work under them every day. Now their story is stamped forever on a brand new coin from the Royal Australian Mint.
The coin is called Heart and Soul of Australia: International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists. It honours the people and places of the land, from the dusty tracks of the Diamantina to the tropical north and the beehive domes of the Bungle Bungles.
The design is packed with detail. A horse and rider, with a dog by their side, capture the spirit of pastoral work, while two sheep and a cow sit nearby. A gnarled gum tree and a wedge-tail eagle frame the scene, and the words “Rangelands and Pastoralists” wrap around the edge, a nod to just how big this land really is.
Royal Australian Mint director of Museum and Public Engagement Stuart Baines said the coin told a story most Australians never think about.
“This release recognises the Australians whose hands shape the land and sustain our way of life,” Mr Baines said.
“Our pastoralists and rangeland communities carry generations of knowledge while caring for some of the world’s most remarkable landscapes.”
“Whether people realise it or not, all Australians benefit from their work.”
The rangelands cover about 75 per cent of the country, and they’re home to pastoralists, graziers and Aboriginal communities who manage the land with skill and deep respect. Millions of cattle and sheep graze there, and it’s where Australia’s famous food and fibre starts.
The rangelands also hold generations of Indigenous knowledge, which still shapes how the land is cared for today and helps protect some of the oldest living cultures on Earth.
The Australian Rangeland Society says the special year will spread the word on sustainable farming and put Australia’s rural know-how on the world stage.
Australasian chair of the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists committee Dr Dana Kelly said the coin was like a time capsule of the country’s pastoral story.
“The International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists deserves national recognition in Australia because these lands are not a side story,” Dr Kelly said.
“Rangelands are where food security, biodiversity, climate mitigation and knowledge from lived experience, all meet.”
“Pastoralists are the people holding those threads together every day.”
Dr Kelly said the coin carries a message for every Australian, not just those who live on the land.
“I hope this coin quietly reminds every Australian that when we buy beef, lamb, goat, or grain, or when we wear wool or cotton, we’re connected to families and communities who manage the vast outback country with skill and care.”
The United Nations declared 2026 the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists, putting a global spotlight on these huge landscapes and the people who spend their lives on them.
This coin stands alone as the only one in the world marking the special year, showing just how much rangelands and pastoralists give to communities, economies and ecosystems everywhere.
The coin comes in two versions, a 2026 $1 Uncirculated coin in card and a 2026 $1 Silver Proof coin, both on sale now through the Royal Australian Mint and approved sellers.
Find out more at the Royal Australian Mint website, www.ramint.gov.au.
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