Media Release

Last night at a special dinner, in the Great Hall, New Parliament House, the Prime Minister the Hon John Howard presented The Prime Minister's Prize for Science Medallion and other prestigious science awards.

The Royal Australian Mint announced today that it would present a special award to each Australian athlete who broke a world record at the Commonwealth Games in Manchester. The award, in the form of a plaque, will show the athletes name, event and details of the new record.

The Royal Australian Mint will release on 16 July 2002 the 8th coin in its FLORAL EMBLEMS OF AUSTRALIA series featuring the Northern Territory's emblem, Sturt's Desert Rose. The Floral Emblem will be struck on solid gold collector coins of two different dimensions; one coin will contain ? ounce and the other 1/3 ounce of pure 24 ct gold.

The Royal Australian Mint today released five collector coins to celebrate Australia's participation in the 17th Commonwealth Games in Manchester in July and August 2002.

Senator Ian Campbell, Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer, said "These beautiful coins are a fitting commemoration of this epic battle and serve to honour those brave crew members of both the Perth and the Houston, some of whom are still with us today, who fought valiantly against overwhelming odds".

A long-forgotten 17th Century ship that brought the first known Europeans onto Australian shores is finally being remembered thanks to the Royal Australian Mint.

The little-known Dutch scout ship Duyfken (the 'Little Dove') is one of four ships which helped set the course of Australia's early European history to feature in a silver Crown size proof coin set.

The special Australian collector coin issued to celebrate the life of the Queen Mother is now available from the Royal Australian Mint.

The Royal Australian Mint announced today that it will release a special proof coin to commemorate the life of Her Majesty The Queen Mother, who passed away on Saturday 30 March 2002. The coin, a 1oz pure silver coin with a face value of $5.00, is planned for release in the middle of the year.