The genuine Australian $100 note features two significant Australians: Dame Nellie Melba, the opera singer who became one of the most famous performers of her era, and Sir John Monash, the military commander and civil engineer who led the Australian Corps in the First World War. Their portraits sit alongside imagery tied to their achievements — musical and theatrical motifs for Melba, engineering and military detail for Monash.
Like every Australian note since the 1990s switch to polymer, the $100 uses a clear window and raised print details as security measures against unauthorised reproduction — features genuine currency needs and that a compliant prop reproduction deliberately does not replicate.
It's the least commonly seen note in everyday transactions but the most requested in film and theatre work, because a stack of $100s reads as "significant money" on camera without needing an enormous pile of paper.
If you're sourcing a prop version for a shoot, gift, or novelty use, our $100 Prop Notes are reproduced to differ from the genuine note by at least 25% in size, carry no replicated security features, and are clearly marked NOT LEGAL TENDER.
For productions building toward a big reveal — a briefcase, a duffel bag, a vault scene — the $100 denomination is almost always the one to use, since it lets you hit a large face value without an unrealistically bulky prop.
Frequently asked
Who is on the real Australian $100 note?
Dame Nellie Melba and Sir John Monash.
Is the $100 note the most common in circulation?
No — it's actually one of the less frequently used notes day-to-day, despite being the highest standard denomination.