Birds of Australia 2026 $100 Kookaburra 1oz Gold Proof Coin

A paragon of purity, presentation and prestige, we are delighted to present the Birds of Australia 2026 $100 Kookaburra 1oz Gold Proof Coin!

Famous for its raucous laughing call, the Kookaburra is known as ‘the King of the Bush’. Found throughout eastern Australia, the Kookaburra is happy in a variety of environments – from tropical rainforests to arid plains to suburban backyards. Taking its name from the indigenous word ‘guuguubarra’, this distinctive bird has appeared on stamps & coins, in movies, songs, books, television & radio, and as an Australian sporting mascot.

An eye-catching tribute to an internationally renowned Aussie icon, this official legal tender coin is struck to the pinnacle of Proof quality from 1oz of 99.99% gold. Spanning an imposing 38.60mm, the pure gold flan bears a superb kookaburra design based on an illustration from The Birds of Australia. Created by ‘the Father of Australian Ornithology’, John Gould, after whom the Gould League was named, The Birds of Australia was the first comprehensive ornithological survey of Australia.

A prestigious addition to any collection, and a must-have for those with a passion for ‘the world’s favourite precious metal’, the Birds of Australia 2026 $100 Kookaburra 1oz Gold Proof Coin is to be enjoyed by a tiny band of collectors. The limited edition has been set at an astonishingly low FIFTY coins!

With a sell-out assured, immediate action is strongly recommended. Click add to cart now!

John Gould – the Father of Australian Ornithology

Rising from humble beginnings, John Gould (1804-81) became one of the finest and most influential ornithologists of the 19^th century.

Born the son of a gardener in southwest England, it is believed that Gould had little formal education. His father’s vocation inspired a love of nature, however, and birds in particular. Having trained under his father at the Royal Gardens of Windsor, and worked as a gardener at Ripley Castle in Yorkshire, Gould established a taxidermy business at the age of 20.

Gould’s expertise in taxidermy saw him appointed the first ‘Curator & Preserver’ at the museum of the Zoological Society of London, and in this position, he came into contact with Britain’s leading naturalists. As a consequence, Gould was often the first to see new natural collections, including those comprising birds. Throughout the 1830s, Gould published several key works on birds, including A Century of Birds from the Himalaya Mountains, Birds of Europe and Icones Avium.

Having worked with Charles Darwin, and played a role in the formation of Darwin’s theory of evolution through natural selection, Gould set sail in 1838 for Australia with his wife and ornithological artist, Elizabeth Gould. Aiming to be the first to publish a major work on Australian birdlife, Gould spent the best part of two years collecting specimens from right around Australia.

The result was The Birds of Australia – a seven-volume collection published from 1840 to 1848, representing the first comprehensive ornithological survey of the Great Southern Land. Comprising descriptions of 681 bird species, including 328 that were previously unknown, this extraordinary work was highlighted by Elizabeth Gould’s magnificent artwork, with nearly 600 lithographic plates in The Birds of Australia being produced from her illustrations.

Described as ‘undoubtedly the greatest of Gould’s eighteen major works’ (Australian Dictionary of Biography), The Birds of Australia ensured eternal fame for Gould in Australia. Having had the Gould League named after him in 1909, and honoured with the issue of commemorative stamps in 1976, John Gould is rightly known as the Father of Australian Ornithology.