This Koala piece was released in 2011 as part of the Perth mint 's Bush Babies series. The series features the infants of some iconic Australian animals. The reverse of this particular coin features a coloured depiction of a baby Koala with the legend 'Australian Koala.' The obverse features the Ian Rank-Broadley portrait of HM Queen Elizabeth II with the legend 'ELIZABETH II - AUSTRALIA - 1/2 OZ 999 SILVER - 2011 - 50 CENTS.'
The Koala is an extremely unique marsupial native to Australia. They can be found throughout eastern Australia in open eucalypt woodlands where they subsist primarily on eucalyptus leaves. The low nutrient content of these leaves means that Koala's are forced to remain sedentary, sleeping for up to 18 hours a day. The destruction of their natural habitat has led to the Koala being classified as vulnerable under IUCN's Red List.