Seventy years of Australian television, marked in colour on a 50c coin.

Broadcasting began at 7pm on 16 September 1956, when Bruce Gyngell looked into a camera and welcomed the country to television. The Melbourne Olympics were weeks away, which was rather the point.

Black and white gave way to colour in 1975, and with it came Countdown, and later Neighbours, Play School and Four Corners, shows that shaped what the country talked about. Satellite and regional broadcasting carried the signal to communities that had been beyond reach.

The 2026 50c First Television Broadcast 70th Anniversary Coloured Uncirculated Coin is available in Australia from Direct Coins - leading authorised distributor for the Royal Australian Mint since 2012.