The Monopoly board is a key feature of many Australian summer holidays – and this year, the 85-year-old game gets personal.
A new limited-edition Australian Community Relief board will honour regional Australian towns that were heavily impacted by bushfires, floods and COVID-19 in 2020, replacing the Atlantic City locations featured on the original Monopoly board.
The manufacturer, Winning Moves, promises to donate $5 per game purchased to The Australian Red Cross, to assist regional communities and those in need.
Notoriously hot property like Mayfair and Park Lane will be replaced by squares highlighting local communities from across the country, including Belconnen, Queanbeyan and Batemans Bay.
A popular holiday destination for Canberrans, Batemans Bay is included on the board after surviving the 2019/2020 summer of bushfires.
And well-known tourism spots in the ACT region, Belconnen and Queanbeyan, were chosen to represent the impact on the local economy after COVID-19 closed borders for travel.
For players looking to invest, Batemans Bay is worth $120, double the price of Belconnen and Queanbeyan at $60 each.
Other Australian spots on the custom board include Gippsland, Broken Hill, Noosa, Port Arthur, Kalgoorlie and Coober Pedy.
Unique ‘Community Chest’ and ‘Chance’ playing cards will make the game experience something more contemporary and distinctly Australian.
For example, one card accuses the player who picks it up of hoarding 240 rolls of toilet paper and demands payment of $50 to the community chest as a fine.
Winning Moves representative Charlotte Waalkens said the manufacturer wanted to create something positive for Australians after a challenging year.
“Choosing which locations to put on the board was unbelievably difficult, as there are so many phenomenal places to choose from in Australia, and we wanted to showcase places above and beyond the usual cities or hotspots.
“We feel that the Australian Community Relief Monopoly board and puzzle capture the heart of Australia and shine a positive light on regions that otherwise may not normally receive such exposure.
“We hope it will also bring a bit of much needed joy to Australian families over the holidays.”
Visit winningmoves.com.au or Big W for details.
