This twenty cent piece was released by the Royal Australian Mint in 2001 as part of their extensive program celebrating the Centenary of Federation. This piece commemorates the inclusion of Western Australia in the Australian federation. The reverse was designed by student, Janice NG, from Forrestfield Senior High School in Western Australia. It features an outline of the state in Western Australia and overlaying this is the rabbit-eared bandicoot also known as the Bilby. The legend Centenary of Federation curves around the bottom and the denomination 20 CENTS overlays the map. The obverse features the Ian Rank-Broadley portrait of HM Queen Elizabeth II with the legend ELIZABETH II AUSTRALIA 2001.
The coin was included in two sets issued throughout the year - the Western Australian three coin set, and the twenty coin Centenary of Federation Collection. Each set was issued in both proof and uncirculated varieties.
In 1890 Western Australia was granted with a constitution by the British Parliament. It was the final Australian colony to gain responsible government. (State Library of Western Australia, 2017) At the time the colony had a population of less than 50,000 colonists and was connected to larger Australian colonies by one telegraph line. The distant convict colony exploded with immigration following the discovery of gold in 1892. At the beginning of the twentieth century the colony had grown to a population of nearly 200,000. In July 1900 Western Australia voted if it would join the Federation. The colony had lagged behind the Eastern Australian states causing it to be committed from the preamble of the Australian Constitution which had already been proclaimed by Queen Victoria. (State Library of Western Australia, 2017) The Western Australian vote quickly fell in favour of joining the federation and when the commonwealth was officially created six months later Western Australia was a member.