A campaign is being launched today to put a New Zealander on the Australian $5 note.
Fred Hollows with patient Tran Van Giap. Photo: Fred Hollows Foundation/Michael Amendolia
The widow of Fred Hollows, the Fred Hollows Foundation and a range of celebrities want a picture of the noted New Zealand eye surgeon to replace an image of Canberra's Parliament House.
Fred Hollows, who was born in Dunedin and worked as an opthamologist in New Zealand and Australia, created the foundation to end avoidable blindness.
The foundation has helped restore eyesight to about two million people across the world.
High profile Australians, including former Prime MInister Bob Hawke and Olympic gold medallist Cathy Freeman, will launch a petition called 'Put Fred on a Fiver'
With a push for Australia to become a republic, Fred Hollows Foundation chief executive Brian Doolan has moved to assure the Queen they did not want to push her from the note.
"I mean we'd be suggesting that we put Fred on the side that currently has a picture of the old Parliament House and the new Parliament House."
Mr Doolan said it would be fitting to make the change because a new roll out of bank notes will have a tactile feature to assist the vision impaired.
- ABC
