Australia's new passport
The new 'R Series' passport has a different look and feel to previous Australian travel documents.
The photo page is made of tough, high-security, layered plastic, known as polycarbonate.
Polycarbonate is laser-engraved, not printed with ink.
Photos on the photo page appear in black and white rather than colour.
At the lower left of the holder's main photo is a raised map of Australia. A second photo appears in a transparent window. Other windows reveal the antenna for the passport chip, which is embedded in the photo page. The holder's photo appears in colour on the observations page, facing the photo page.
Polycarbonate is more durable than laminated paper.
It is less susceptible to tears and other minor damage that can cause difficulties for travellers when crossing borders.