Twelve months on from the devastating bushfires that swept the country, the Royal Australian Mint presents this 2020 $2 Coloured Circulating Coin-in-Card as a poignant reminder of the bravery and sacrifice of Australia’s firefighters. From our career ‘fireys’ in the city, to the thousands of volunteers in the towns and bush, this coin commemorates and honours their dedication and commitment to protecting all Australians.

Australia is a continent shaped by fire. Ancient ecosystems have evolved needing fire to regenerate and renew, while many Indigenous nations have used fire to manage and maintain the land for millennia.

While charting the east coast of Australia in 1770 Captain James Cook viewed bushfires inland almost daily, describing the land as ‘This smoking continent’.