$100 NZD Polymer note

Series 7 $100 banknotes were released in May 2016.$100 is red.

Lord Rutherford of Nelson

Ernest, Lord Rutherford of Nelson (1871 – 1937) is internationally recognised as the ‘father of the atom’. He changed the basic understanding of atomic science on three occasions. He explained the perplexing problem of naturally occurring radioactivity, determined the structure of the atom, and changed one element into another.

Nobel Prize Medal

Lord Rutherford was awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 1908 “for his investigations into the disintegration of the elements, and the chemistry of radioactive substances”. Overlaying the medallion is a graph plotting the results from Lord Rutherford’s investigations into naturally occurring radioactivity.

Tukutuku panel “whakaaro kotahi”

The pattern used as a background on the $100 is called Whakaaro Kotahi from the Wharenui Kaakati at Whakatū Marae in Nelson.

Whakaaro Kotahi is a representation of the unity and consensus of the six Iwi of Whakatū Marae in the Nelson area. Rutherford identified strongly with the Nelson area and when he accepted his peerage he took the title Lord Rutherford of Nelson. He always considered this part of New Zealand home.

Ko te tauira e whakamahia nei hei kaupapa mō te moni pēke $100 ko Whakaaro Kotahi, mai i te wharenui o Kaakati, i Whakatū Marae, i te Tauihu o Te Waka.

Ka noho ko Whakaaro Kotahi hei whakaahuatanga mō te kotahitanga me te noho pipiri o ngā iwi e ono o te marae o Whakatū, i te takiwā o Whakatū. He kaha tonu te piringa o Rutherford ki te takiwā o Whakatū, ā, nō tana whakaaetanga ki te tūranga rangatira ka taunahatia e ia te ingoa Lord Rutherford of Nelson. Ka noho tonu i roto i a ia tēnei whakaaro, ko tēnei rohe o Aotearoa tōna kāinga, ā, mate noa.

The Alexander Turnbull Library licensed the use of the Lord Rutherford portrait.

Yellowhead/Mōhua

The Mōhua or Yellowhead (Mohoua ochrocephala) is sometimes known as the Bush Canary. This small and colourful bird nests in tree holes, making it vulnerable to predators. It can be found in small isolated populations in the South Island and Stewart Island/Rakiura.

Eglinton Valley

Eglinton Valley is located within the Fiordland National Park on the Te Anau-Milford Sound highway. It is home to a red beech forest interior and the Yellowhead.

Red Beech

Red Beech or Tawhairaunui (Fuscospora fusca) grow up to 30 metres high and are named for the colouring of their young leaves. They are the favoured habitat of the Yellowheads in Eglinton Valley.

South Island lichen moth

The South Island lichen moth (Declana egregia), also known as the zebra moth, is found in Fiordland beech forests. The moths blend perfectly with the lichens that cling to the trunks of the trees.