Convert GBP to AUD Pound sterling ↔ Australian dollar Free Online Secure
Type an amount in Pound sterling and read it in Australian dollar at once. The page uses the European Central Bank's reference rate, and tells you which day that rate is from.
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Common amounts — Convert GBP to AUD (Pound sterling ↔ Australian dollar)
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The last thirty days
Where these codes and rates come from
The three letters in EUR, USD or JPY are not an abbreviation someone invented for a website: they are ISO 4217, a standard in which the first two letters are the country's own code and the third is usually the initial of the currency. The figures on this page come from the European Central Bank, which publishes one set of reference rates each working day, around 16:00 Central European time, agreed between the central banks of the Eurosystem. They are a daily snapshot meant for statistics and accounting, not a live trading feed — which is exactly why they are the same number for everyone, rather than whatever one bank happened to quote at one moment.
Where you meet an exchange rate
You meet an exchange rate four or five times a year without thinking about it: booking a trip, paying an invoice issued abroad, buying from a foreign shop, reading a salary offer in another currency, or checking what a card charge really cost. In all of these the reference rate is the honest middle, and the price you actually pay sits a little to one side of it. Knowing the middle is what lets you see how wide that margin is.
Questions people ask
Is this the rate my bank will give me?
No, and no page can promise one. This is the European Central Bank's reference rate: the midpoint published once a day for statistics. A bank, a card scheme or an exchange office adds its own margin on top — usually between half a percent and three percent, sometimes more at an airport counter. Use this figure to judge the offer you are given, not to predict it.
How often does the figure change, and what happens at weekends?
The European Central Bank publishes once each working day, in the afternoon, Central European time. There is no publication on Saturdays, Sundays or TARGET holidays, so on those days the page shows the last working day's rate and says which day it belongs to. The chart alongside is one year of the same daily series.
Is the answer exact?
Where both units are defined in terms of one another by whole numbers, yes — the page says so above the figure, and the only rounding is in how many digits are shown. Where the ratio has no finite decimal, the page shows twelve significant digits and says the relation is approximate rather than pretending otherwise.
Does anything I type leave my device?
No. The arithmetic runs in your browser; nothing is uploaded and there is no server to upload it to. Load the page once and it keeps working with the network switched off.
From the ten-pound fare to the working holiday: British money in Australia, 1788 to today
No two countries are linked by money as long and as tangled as Britain and Australia. The first European settlers arrived in 1788 on British ships. The Australian colonies used the pound sterling for more than a century, and for decades the Australian pound was tied to the British one. In 1966 Australia switched to decimal currency and introduced the dollar at a rate of two dollars to the pound. Since 1983 the Australian dollar has floated freely, and today it is among the most traded currencies in the world. For anyone with pounds in hand and Australia on the horizon, the question is simply what a pound will buy. This page answers it. It takes the European Central Bank's reference rates, in which the pound and the Australian dollar are each quoted against the euro, combines them into a pound-to-Australian-dollar rate and shows the date beside the result. Your amount stays in your browser. The text below follows the history of British money in Australia, stop by stop, and each stop is a reason to Convert GBP to AUD.
Using the converter
Pounds in, Australian dollars out
For any amount, from a coffee to a flight, you can Convert GBP to AUD in one step and read the date under the result.
Type an amount in pounds sterling and the page shows the equivalent in Australian dollars, with the date of the rate underneath. At weekends the page uses Friday's figure and says so. A table of round amounts and a line chart for the last thirty days complete it. To go from Australian dollars to pounds, use Convert AUD to GBP.
The reference rate as a benchmark
The reference rate is the middle of the market, set once a day. It has no margin for any bank. The rates offered to you in practice are a little worse, and the difference is the price of the service. Each time you Convert GBP to AUD here, you obtain the figure against which any offer should be measured: a gap under one per cent is excellent, two or three per cent is typical for banks, and more than four should prompt you to look elsewhere.
1788: the First Fleet and the pound in a penal colony
Eleven ships at Botany Bay
It is hard to imagine a colony without coins; today a visitor can Convert GBP to AUD in seconds and pay with a tap.
The First Fleet, eleven ships carrying about a thousand people, most of them convicts, reached Botany Bay in January 1788 and settled at Sydney Cove. There was almost no coin in the colony. Rations, rum and promissory notes served as money, and the British pound was the unit of account. A shortage of coin was so severe that Spanish dollars from the Americas were cut up and stamped to make small change. The colony's first banks arrived in the early nineteenth century.
What a pound meant
A labourer in early Sydney might earn a few pounds a year plus food and shelter. That tells us little about modern prices, but it shows how the pound was the common measure from the beginning. Anyone who wanted to know the value of land, wool or a ship's cargo in Australia reasoned in pounds, shillings and pence.
The gold that changed everything
In 1851, gold was found in New South Wales and Victoria, and the colonial population soared. Prospectors from Britain, Ireland, China and the United States arrived in their hundreds of thousands. Gold was exported to London and turned into sovereigns, and for a while Australia was the world's largest producer. The pound was backed by Australian gold, and the relationship between the two economies deepened.
1910 and 1966: the Australian pound and the dollar
A pound of its own
After federation in 1901, Australia took control of its currency, issuing its own pound from 1910. It was linked to sterling at par, so that an Australian pound and a British pound were interchangeable. In the economic crisis of 1931 the link was broken, and the Australian pound was devalued against sterling. Throughout, the two currencies remained close relatives.
Decimal Currency Day
After 1966, two dollars to the pound was an easy sum; today you must Convert GBP to AUD every time, because the rate floats.
On 14 February 1966, Australia replaced pounds, shillings and pence with dollars and cents. Two dollars were worth one pound. The change was announced with a catchy jingle featuring a character called Dollar Bill, and the public took to it quickly. Banknotes were redesigned, and the first dollar notes appeared in a range of colours that people still recall fondly. Today, coins and polymer notes are used across the country.
1945 to 1982: the ten-pound Poms
The assisted passage scheme
After the Second World War, Australia wanted to populate its vast country, and Britain wanted to rebuild. The assisted passage scheme allowed adult British migrants to travel to Australia for a fee of ten pounds, with children travelling free. Over a million people took part between 1945 and 1982. They were nicknamed Ten Pound Poms, a name that began as an insult and became a badge of pride. Many arrived by ship, a journey of about six weeks, and lived in migrant hostels until they found housing.
What ten pounds meant then and now
To get a sense of cost today, Convert GBP to AUD for the visa, the flight and the first month's rent, and compare it with the ten pounds of the old scheme.
Ten pounds was a modest sum in the 1950s, about a week and a half of average wages. Modern equivalents are different, but the scheme was a bargain for the migrants, who needed only to commit to staying two years. Some returned home, a group the Australians called Boomerang Poms, but most stayed. The families they built form part of the link between the two countries today, and many modern Britons have Australian cousins.
The modern version
A young traveller planning a year away should Convert GBP to AUD for a savings target and review it every few months.
Today's equivalents are working holidays, student visas and skilled-migration routes. A young Briton can apply for a working holiday visa for a year, with options to extend it by doing specified work in regional areas. Costs include the visa fee, the flight, health insurance and a deposit for accommodation. Convert GBP to AUD for the whole budget and keep a reserve in pounds for the return journey.
1983: the float and a new kind of volatility
Why Australia let the dollar float
In December 1983, the Australian government floated the dollar, letting the market set its value. Until then the rate had been set by officials, which made the currency stable but vulnerable to speculation. After the float, the rate began to move daily. It became a currency traders watch closely, because it is exposed to commodity prices, Asian demand and global risk appetite. The Australian dollar is sometimes called the Aussie, and, because of its link with risk, it often falls when markets are nervous.
What drives the pound-dollar rate
The pair is driven by British and Australian interest rates, commodity prices, growth in China, and risk sentiment. When iron ore prices rise, the Aussie often rises with them. When British rates rise faster than Australian ones, the pound tends to gain. These forces can pull in opposite directions, so the rate can move several per cent in a month. Anyone planning a large transfer should check the thirty-day line on this page.
1882: the Ashes and the price of a ticket
A mock obituary
In 1882, Australia beat England at The Oval in London, and a newspaper printed a mock obituary for English cricket, noting that the body would be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia. The following winter an English team went to Australia to win them back, and the Ashes were born. A small urn that supposedly contains them is kept at Lord's. The series is played every two years, alternately in each country.
Following the team
For a Test series, Convert GBP to AUD on the whole package and compare it with the cost of buying tickets locally.
Thousands of English fans travel to Australia for the series every other winter, buying packages that include flights, tickets and accommodation. A five-Test tour can cost several thousand pounds. Match tickets are priced in Australian dollars, and the cost of a day at the Melbourne Cricket Ground or the Sydney Cricket Ground is often cheaper than a day at an English Test ground. Convert GBP to AUD for tickets, hotels and meals and compare with the package price.
Today: Britons in Australia and Australians in Britain
The expatriates
Those with a pension in Britain Convert GBP to AUD each month and note the date, which helps when the tax office asks.
More than a million Australian residents were born in Britain, and about a hundred thousand Australians live in the United Kingdom. Many British expatriates keep a pension, a bank account or a property in Britain, while their income and spending are in Australian dollars. They convert regularly, and some choose a fixed day each month. Choosing a specialist transfer service rather than a high-street bank can save hundreds of pounds a year.
Soap operas and sunshine
For decades, British television has shown Australian soaps such as Neighbours and Home and Away, creating a picture of beach life and backyard barbecues. Real life in Australian cities involves high housing costs, long commutes and strong coffee. A flat in Sydney can cost as much as a flat in London. Weekly grocery bills are higher than in Britain, but meat and fresh produce are good value.
Pensions and tax
Whichever pension you receive, it is a fixed sum in pounds, so Convert GBP to AUD at the start of each quarter and plan accordingly.
People who have worked in both countries may be entitled to pensions from each. Britain and Australia have a social security agreement that helps, but the rules are complex. State pension payments to Australia are not uprated annually, so pensioners in Australia may receive a frozen amount. A tax adviser who knows both systems is worth consulting.
A fortnight across the continent, city by city
Sydney: five nights
The harbour city is the usual arrival point. A decent hotel near Circular Quay costs 250 to 450 Australian dollars a night, a ferry to Manly a few dollars, a tour of the Opera House about 45 and the climb over the Harbour Bridge around 300 to 400. Eating out costs 25 to 40 dollars for a main course. Five nights, with sights and meals, might total 2,500 to 3,500 dollars for two. Convert GBP to AUD for the figure and add the flights.
Melbourne: three nights
A coffee habit is cheap to calculate: Convert GBP to AUD for the price of one and multiply by the number of days.
Australia's second city is known for coffee, street art, trams and sport. The free tram zone in the central district saves money, and a day at the Melbourne Cricket Ground museum is cheaper than at most European stadia. Laneway cafés charge about 5 dollars for a flat white and 20 for brunch. Three nights cost about 1,400 to 2,000 dollars for two, with a day trip along the Great Ocean Road adding around 150 per person on a coach tour.
Hiring a car for the coast road
If you drive yourself, hire costs 60 to 100 dollars a day, plus fuel, which is sold by the litre. Stay on the left, keep to the limits, and watch for wildlife at dusk. Distances look short on a map but take longer than you expect, so build in time.
Cairns and the Reef: four nights
A flight from Melbourne to Cairns takes three and a half hours and may cost from 150 to 400 dollars one way. A day trip to the outer reef costs about 250 to 350 dollars, and snorkelling gear is included. A rainforest tour in the Daintree adds another 150 to 250. Hotels in Cairns cost 150 to 300 dollars a night. Four nights, with excursions, can reach 2,500 dollars for two.
Uluru: two nights
The red centre is remote, and flights are costly. A return from Sydney can be 500 to 900 dollars. The national park fee is about 38 dollars per adult for three days. A sunrise tour of the base walk costs 100 to 150, and a sunset dinner 200 or more. Accommodation near the rock is expensive and books out; plan well ahead.
Buying property or renting from Britain
Rents and deposits
Renters in Sydney and Melbourne usually pay weekly rent in advance, and a bond equal to four weeks' rent is held by a state authority. A one-bedroom flat in a central suburb costs 550 to 800 dollars a week. Applications are made online, and landlords expect references and proof of income. If you are moving from Britain, you may need to show savings in Australian dollars. Convert GBP to AUD for the bond and the first month's rent before you arrive.
Buying a home as a foreigner
Foreign buyers need approval from the Foreign Investment Review Board for most purchases and pay additional state taxes. Many are limited to new properties. These rules change, so take legal advice before you commit. The deposit and the stamp duty are paid in Australian dollars and can be a large sum.
Investment property in Britain
Australians with property in Britain receive rent in pounds and pay costs in pounds. Their taxable income is calculated in Australian dollars. They normally keep a British account, accumulate rent and transfer it once or twice a year. A consistent routine keeps the paperwork simple.
Study and research
Fees and living costs
International student fees in Australia run from 25,000 to over 50,000 dollars a year, with higher rates for medicine and some other degrees. Student visas require proof of funds and health cover. Scholarships exist for postgraduates. Living costs add 25,000 or more a year, depending on the city. A family that plans several years of study should build a budget with a margin and Convert GBP to AUD at least twice a year to check it.
Working while studying
Student visa holders may work a limited number of hours per fortnight during term, and unlimited hours in breaks. Minimum wages are set nationally and are high by international standards, with casual loading for non-permanent employees. Hospitality and retail jobs are plentiful, though competition is strong in big cities.
Practical travel money
Cards, cash and tipping
Before you travel, Convert GBP to AUD for your weekly card limit and check it is high enough for the largest bill.
Contactless payment is nearly universal in Australia, and many small shops have stopped taking cash. A card with no foreign-transaction fee is the best companion. Tipping is not expected, though rounding up the bill is welcome. The goods and services tax of ten per cent is included in prices.
Distances, heat and sun
Australia is vast. By road, Sydney to Perth is about 3,900 kilometres, and Convert km to mi turns this into just under 2,400 miles. Summer temperatures often exceed 35 degrees Celsius, and Convert °C to °F turns the forecast into Fahrenheit. Uluru stands 348 metres above the surrounding plain, and Convert m to ft gives about 1,140 feet.
Time differences
Sydney is nine to eleven hours ahead of London, depending on the season and daylight saving. A call to relatives is best in the evening for Britain and the morning for Australia.
Related conversions
Other currencies on the way
Flights to Australia often go via the Middle East, Asia or North America. For Canada, there is Convert GBP to CAD; for the American dollar, Convert GBP to USD; for the euro, Convert GBP to EUR. If you hold American dollars, Convert USD to AUD gives their Australian value, and for euros there is Convert EUR to AUD.
Mistakes to avoid
Mixing the dollars
Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States all have dollars. Check the code AUD before you compare prices.
The terminal's offer
If a card machine offers to charge you in pounds, say no. Pay in Australian dollars and let your bank convert.
An old rate
A rate noted last month may be several per cent out of date. The date beside the result protects you.
Down under, and home again
The page downloads only the table of daily reference rates. The amount you type never leaves your device, and no account is needed. From the First Fleet to the working holiday, the habit is the same: Convert GBP to AUD, read the date, compare any offer against the figure and keep a note.