Centenary of the Age Pension Commemoration

The Centenary of the Age Pension Commemoration, located at the northern corner of the Treasury Building in the National Triangle, was unveiled by The Hon. Jenny Macklin MP on 6 July 2009.

The seating alcove celebrates 100 years of the Age Pension. Its design is based on the 1910 Australian shilling. An outline of the Commonwealth Coat of Arms and perimeter patterning which appeared on the ‘tail’ or reverse side of each shilling has been sandblasted into the concrete pavement surface. The sandblasted Coat of Arms is the Commonwealth’s first, officially granted by King Edward VII on 7 May 1908.

By July 1910, there were 65,492 age pensioners receiving a maximum single rate of up to 10 shillings a week. This is represented by stainless steel ‘shilling’ discs and carvings found throughout the bench seat.

An interpretive plaque set on a raised rusticated plinth includes a brief historical account of the Age Pension in Australia. The plaque and plinth, which provides a focus for the commemoration, is bounded by the embedded words, Security, Dignity and Support, long term values behind the Age Pension.