Rod and Gabi VS Women's Weekly Coin Launch BONUS

Today’s the day! The iconic cakes from The Australian Women’s Weekly Children’s Birthday Cake Book have been turned into collectible coins. From the legendary Choo-Choo Train to the jelly-filled Pool, lolly-covered Candy Castle and cuddly Koala it’s a sweet tribute to a true Aussie classic. Rod and Gabi were joined by Acting CEO at the Royal Australian Mint Emily Martin to chat all about it. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hit one of four point seven's Rod and Gabby great
heavy on board this morning. I said it a couple
of months ago. I think on a scale of zero
to bluey Coin, we've found our match today.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Yeah, absolutely, today's it.

Speaker 1 (00:13):
We've been counting down. The Royal Australian Mint announced that
the Australian Women's Weekly Birthday Cake cookbook is turning into
coin form and we've been captured our imagination.

Speaker 2 (00:26):
Absolutely, because there's so many cakes that we all relate
to or have some connection to because of our childhood.

Speaker 1 (00:33):
I don't know that there's a single Australian publication, and
there's been many, and there's been so many incredible books,
but one book that has so many sign posts in
every Australian kid's life.

Speaker 2 (00:46):
Just so I'm about to buy one to start making
the cakes for my daughter. The book, the book, it
just goes through generations.

Speaker 1 (00:55):
I'm in the ballot. I'm hoping to get the coins
because you know the poema I had with Blowe, I'm
not to let that happen again. Emily Martin, the acting
see of the Royal Australian Mint, is today the busiest
day of your year.

Speaker 3 (01:10):
It's a pretty busy day, Rod. There's so much excitement
about these coins, and there's a good reason, because they're
really beautiful and they're really special.

Speaker 2 (01:18):
They're so gorgeous, and I'm actually on the side of
the moment looking at all the different ways you can
buy these. The coolest one that I saw it's like
an old school Nana recipe box.

Speaker 1 (01:28):
I got tingles and when I looked at it, it's
good right, It took me back.

Speaker 2 (01:32):
Queen goes with a recipe card that has a little tab,
so you line them all up in the box and
you can, you know, file through them to find the
recipe you want that has the coin attached.

Speaker 1 (01:43):
Ellie, when your creative team comes to you, do you
marvel at this? Can you believe how smart they are?

Speaker 3 (01:49):
They're very creative, aren't they. From our designers to our
graphic designers who work on the packaging. There's a lot
of creativity here at the Mint. And the coins also
have some little hidden things in them that are really special,
such as gummy bears. And it's the first time we've
represented the dollar value as a candle, so there's a

(02:12):
one dollar candle on the coin as well.

Speaker 2 (02:15):
Oh, I didn't even notice that. But yeah, now I'm
looking at it, it's the one flame. I love that
so much. I'm looking at the pool coin and the
detail is incredible, Like you've got the little dolls within
the pool cake amongst all the swirly jelly, Like you
can just see every little tiny piece of what that

(02:36):
cake would look like in real life.

Speaker 3 (02:37):
Absolutely, they were designed by Lydia Ash, one of our designers,
and she's put so much effort into all those little
details so that people can marvel over how creative these
coins are.

Speaker 1 (02:48):
I mentioned that all of us have a connection with
at least one cake from this amazing book. Is there
one for you that you remember from when you were
a little Emily?

Speaker 3 (02:59):
Absolutely, I grew up with this book. My sister and
I would pour over its pages trying to choose our
next birthday cake. I've had a few of them, but
probably my strongest memory is that swimming poolcake with the
green jelly. And what I learned was that blue jelly
wasn't actually available when this book first came out, so

(03:21):
that's why we all had green jelly swimming poolcakes. Oh wow,
And I've also made one myself. I made my daughter
the Dolly Varden, which I have to say is my favorite,
oh and one.

Speaker 1 (03:31):
Of the most ambitious, well done.

Speaker 3 (03:34):
And I made it when we were living in London,
so I'm not sure it exactly translated perfectly to the
other guests at the party that suddenly all the little
girls were marveling at that Barbie doll in the cake.

Speaker 1 (03:46):
Isn't that a really interesting perspective when we talk about,
you know, things that are iconically and uniquely Australian. It
had never occurred to me that, yes, how do these
cake how do these cakes land parties in other countries?
And the cakes cack. Everyone's pretty happy about it.

Speaker 2 (04:03):
Everyone's gonna eat it.

Speaker 1 (04:04):
But as far as that nostalgic connection, yeah, that wouldn't
have been there over there for those those British kids, right.

Speaker 3 (04:11):
That's right. And this is a truly Australian iconic book
that so many of us grew up with on our bookshelves.
It's forty five years old this year, so it's just
a really wonderful time to pay this tribute to those
beautiful cakes.

Speaker 2 (04:27):
I can't pick what one I want to, I'll be
honest with them.

Speaker 1 (04:30):
All I'd forgotten about the Humpty Dumpty on the wall.

Speaker 2 (04:33):
Cake, I forgot about Robert the robot.

Speaker 1 (04:35):
Yeah, and this is the think. We're looking through the
coins because you can see them on the website before
we actually get to hold them in our hands. And
straight away it takes you back and there's the two
jew train, it's all there.

Speaker 2 (04:45):
Oh my god. There is a colored one with the
is that right? There's a colored one for the clock.

Speaker 3 (04:50):
There's a very special colored two dollar coin. Now that
coin is only available when you make a cash purchase
at a participating news Express store. So that's very exciting.
I'd encourage people to get down to news Express. You
can buy the coins there and if you pay cash,
you've got the chance of getting one of those colored

(05:11):
two dollar coins in your change.

Speaker 2 (05:13):
Oh my god, you've made it even more exciting.

Speaker 1 (05:15):
I'm googling news Express and near me. Let's work out
how close we are here with the studio, and I'd forgot.
I can't believe you know, you remember the iconic ones.
But then it's incredible. It takes you back, and honestly,
it kind of it gives you tingles. The racing track,
the number eight with the kind of the bridge, the ramp,

(05:35):
goes over the middle so that the cars can actually
go in. We could go on, Emily. We know you're
so busy. You're doing all the TV this morning and
all the stuff, and there's been a huge build up
to this. Thank your amazing team for us. You make
us very proud, as Canberan's with the work that you
do and today is just another reason why. Have a
great day and we will see you again at the Royal.
Australian means great.

Speaker 3 (05:54):
Thank you so much, Rod and Gabby