22/06/2026
The Man on the Fifty Dollar Note
Born in 1872 at Point McLeay Mission (now Raukkan) in South Australia, Unaipon was a brilliant thinker from a young age. The fourth of nine children, he was raised by parents deeply connected to culture, faith and learning.
By just seven years old, his intelligence had already caught attention. As a teenager, he worked for an Adelaide landowner who encouraged his love of science, philosophy, literature and music — interests that would shape a remarkable life.
Often called the “Australian Leonardo da Vinci,” Unaipon went on to invent a revolutionary shearing handpiece, explore early helicopter designs inspired by the boomerang, and experiment with ideas around perpetual motion.
But his genius didn’t stop there.
He became the first published Aboriginal author, recording Aboriginal legends, writing on science and culture, and travelling the country as a preacher and public speaker.
In 1967, David Unaipon passed away — but today, his legacy lives on in ideas, inventions, stories… and on the Australian $50 note.
A scientist.
An inventor.
A storyteller.
A visionary ahead of his time.
Source: SBS
