Gold price history in AUD

How did we work out gold prices in Australian dollars?

There is no official annual Australian dollar gold price, so we combined two public datasets and show both inputs in the table below.

• Gold in US dollars: the World Bank Commodity Price Data (Pink Sheet). Its annual gold figure is the average of daily London afternoon benchmark prices for 99.5% fine gold, and an average of daily spot prices from June 2025.
• The exchange rate: the RBA's daily AUD/USD rate (US cents per Australian dollar, recorded at 4pm Sydney time), from its historical exchange rate files. The RBA publishes daily figures rather than an annual average, so we averaged every daily reading in each calendar year.

The AUD price is the US dollar average divided by the AUD/USD average. Because a true AUD average would convert each day at that day's rate, our figures are a close approximation rather than an exact series, and we round them to the nearest dollar. The table starts in 1995, the earliest year we processed from the RBA files; years we did not verify are left out rather than estimated.

What was the average gold price in Australia each year?

Sources: World Bank Pink Sheet annual nominal prices (US$ cents from the January 2026 edition; the September 2026 edition gives the same figures to the dollar); RBA daily AUD/USD 4pm rates averaged by calendar year. A$ column calculated by GoldVetted. Per troy ounce (31.1035 g) of fine gold, before premiums.

How has 2026 gone so far?

The World Bank's monthly file (updated 2 October 2026) covers January to September. Converting each month at the average of that month's RBA daily rates gives a nine-month average of about A$6,470. February was the high point at about A$7,116 (US$5,020 at 0.7055), and July the low at about A$5,849 (US$4,073 at 0.6963). On 11 October 2026 our automated check recorded spot at A$6,012.71. A full-year 2026 average cannot exist until December's data are in.

How much did gold rise in each decade in AUD?

The Australian dollar often moves with commodity prices, and it usually acts as a cushion for local gold owners. When gold fell in the late 1990s, the falling dollar absorbed part of the loss. When the Aussie dollar soared in the 2000s, it took a large bite out of the gain. In the 2010s the pattern flipped again and AUD gold rose more than three times as much as US dollar gold.

What were the big moments for gold in Australian dollars?

2001: gold's low, and the Aussie dollar's too

Gold's US dollar average fell to US$271 in 2001, its lowest since 1978 in the World Bank series. At the same time the Australian dollar sank: its lowest RBA daily reading that year was US$0.4833 on 3 April 2001, and its 2001 average was just 0.5179. The result was unusual. In Australian dollars, gold actually averaged more in 2001 (A$523) than in 1999 (A$432) or 2000 (A$480). Local buyers never saw the full depth of the US dollar slump.

2006 to 2011: the long rise, held back by a strong dollar

The AUD gold average more than doubled between 2005 (A$584) and 2009 (A$1,227), with a 37.4% jump in 2006 alone, the second-largest yearly rise in our table. Gold kept climbing through and after the global financial crisis of 2007 to 2009, but the Australian dollar climbed too. RBA data show it passed parity and peaked at US$1.1055 on 28 July 2011, with annual averages above one US dollar in 2011 (1.0320) and 2012 (1.0358). So from 2008 to 2011, gold rose 80% in US dollars but only 49% in Australian dollars. AUD gold peaked at A$1,612 in 2012.

2013 to 2016: the dollar's fall protects local prices

Gold's US dollar average dropped 15.5% in 2013 and slid further to US$1,161 by 2015. This time the Australian dollar fell harder. Its yearly mean went from 0.9029 in 2014 to 0.7524 in 2015, and its lowest daily reading of 2015 was 0.6924 on 7 September. Gold fell 8.3% in US dollars in 2015 yet rose 10.1% in Australian dollars. By 2016 the AUD average (A$1,678) had already beaten its 2012 peak, while the US dollar price was still about 25% below its own 2012 high.

2020 to 2026: record after record

The AUD average passed A$2,000 for the first time in 2019, jumped 28.0% in 2020, then rose 23.7% in 2024 and 47.6% in 2025, the biggest annual rise in the table. In October 2025 the Perth Mint said gold had broken through US$4,000 and A$6,000 an ounce for the first time, with customers queuing outside its Perth shop before the 9am opening and weekly visitors rising from about 5,000 to more than 9,000 (Perth Mint, 9 October 2025). Its December 2025 update reported a US dollar record of about US$4,549 on 26 December (Perth Mint, January 2026). Monthly averages then peaked in February 2026 and eased through mid-year.

Why does the Perth Mint matter to Australian gold prices?

The Perth Mint is owned by the Government of Western Australia and makes the Kangaroo coin and a wide range of cast and minted bars. It does not set the price: like every Australian dealer, it starts from the global US dollar price, converts to AUD, and adds a premium. What it does offer is a window on local demand. Its monthly sales updates show how Australians react to price swings, and its October 2025 queues are a reminder that buying rushes often happen when prices are already at records. If you plan to buy from it, see our guide to buying from the Perth Mint and the Gold Kangaroo coin guide.

Which years saw the biggest rises and falls?

Calculated from the annual table above.

What can Australian buyers learn from gold price history?

Two lessons stand out. First, gold can go years without a new high: the AUD average fell in 2013 and 2014 before recovering. Second, for Australians the exchange rate is half the story. A falling Aussie dollar has repeatedly lifted local gold prices, and a rising one has held them back.

What history cannot do is tell you where prices go next, and we do not publish forecasts. Gold earns no income, and the gap between what dealers charge and what they pay back means a new purchase starts at a small loss. Read is gold a good investment? for the trade-offs and what the spot price means for the number these averages measure.

To value gold you own, try the gold value calculator, the gold price per gram in AUD for jewellery or the gold price per kilo in AUD for large bars. Investment gold carries no GST, and gains on gold held for at least 12 months can qualify for the CGT discount; the Australian gold tax guide explains both. To compare dealers and premiums, see the best places to buy gold in Australia.

This page is general information, not financial advice. Past prices do not predict future returns.

Not financial advice. GoldVetted provides general information to help you compare options. It is not personal financial, tax or legal advice. Gold prices go down as well as up, and you may get back less than you pay. Check tax rules with the official source or a qualified adviser before you act.