GBP/AUD Chart | British Pound / Australian Dollar Rate

GBP/AUD

What is the GBP/AUD currency pair?

The GBP/AUD pair is made up of the United Kingdom’s pound (GBP) as the base currency and the Australian dollar (AUD) as the counter currency. From the price, an investor can learn how many Australian dollars are needed to buy one British pound.

The UK’s official currency has one of the highest trading volumes globally, after the Euro, the US dollar and the Japanese Yen. The Australian dollar is one of the most liquid currencies as well, because the Australian Forex market is included in the top ten biggest Forex markets worldwide. The GBP/AUD is considered a ‘minor’ currency pair.

A brief history of the Great British pound

With 1,200 years’ existence and a history dating back to Ancient Rome, the British pound is one of the world’s best-known currencies. Originating from the old Latin word ‘poundus’ meaning weight, its symbol derives from the L in Libra.

Despite being in existence in continental Europe, it wasn’t until 928AD that the coin became the currency of England, under Athelstan, the country’s first king.

By 1717, the country began to define the value of the coin in gold, instead of the previously used silver. This was further reinforced in the 1800s by the initiation of the ‘official gold standard’ in Germany, making international trade easier as currencies were based on a standardised value. This was suspended in 1914 (WWI), reinstated in 1925 and removed completely in 1931.

After this time, the pound saw itself valued against the United States dollar. The past century of the pound’s history has been marked by dramatic price fluctuations, including high unemployment rates in 1976, the UK’s exit from the Exchange Rate Mechanism in 1992, the 2000s DotCom bubble, 2008 economic crisis and most recently the dive following the shock result of Brexit.

What’s the story behind the Australian dollar?

The official currency of Australia, like its US counterpart it is abbreviated to the symbol $, but to tell it apart often features A$ or AU$ at the start. It is also the official currency of Australia’s external territories – Christmas Island, Norfolk Island and the Cocos Islands – and independent states including Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Vanuatu, among others.

The history behind the Australian dollar dates back to 1966, before this the state used pounds, shillings and pence, introduced in 1910 and similar to the United Kingdom but with a distinctly different value due to continuous devaluation from 1931.

In order to integrate the decimal currency system, Australia decided to introduce a new currency, with a new moniker. Initially, the name ‘royal’ was suggested, and later approved. However, it wasn’t to last, the name proved so unpopular that before its release it was changed to the ‘dollar’.

As the world’s 5th most traded currency, it is a popular choice for Forex traders, in particular due to the stability of Australian politics and freedom of the exchange market.

What influences the GBP/AUD pair?

The historical connection between the two currencies makes for an interesting Forex market. As the 4th (GBP) and 5th (AUD) most traded currencies this pair presents excellent opportunities for traders to capitalise on the markets.

The AUD has been traditionally seen as a stable currency, with very few price fluctuations, although the economy is heavily influenced by commodity prices, unemployment rates and other economic factors.

Conversely, the pound, in recent years has experienced volatility, especially in the wake of Brexit. Other factors that affect its value include UK monetary policy, market conditions and Gross Domestic Product (GDP).