That was when the toll went from two bob to a dollar in 1989. The campaign was called "pay your toll with common cents" and protest drivers showed up with deal bags full of 1c pieces.

The Currency Act was on the NSW Government's side however. Whilst it stipulates that cash cannot be refused for payment, it is a widely breached law. NRMA kiosks don't take cash for payments and neither do ISPs, real estate agents or Centrelink, which is a Commonwealth Government department. The Act also states the limits that a vendor needs to abide by when accepting payments in specific denominations. EG: A vendor only has to accept a certain number of each denomination for a given payment.

For the record, every coin ever struck in Australia except the Holey Dollar and Dump, and every banknote ever printed here, is still legal tender. At the time of Federation, four different banks were printing and issuing pound notes just in NSW. I doubt anyone would be silly enough to use them though as they are too valuable to spend.

Some pundits reckon the Bridge will last at least another 900 years, providing it continues to be correctly maintained.