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That must be relatively new. When my wife and I relocated to Melbourne in 1995 there was no specific type of license depending on what kind of transmission you had. You just took the written and driving test and that was that. One thing I do remember is sitting waiting for the driving tester to call my name when the door opened and the DMV guy asked 'who is waiting for the Burmese interpreter?' So you didn't have to speak or read English to get licenced at that time.
No many many moons ago when I got my license, in the fair state of Victoria @ 1979, there were automatic and manual licenses then, only wimps got a auto license in those days.
As my test was in a small country town, it was the local copper doing the driving test, he was severely hungover from a big night before, he was looking pretty green around the gills!
He just got me to drive down the street to the chemist shop, he went in to get some pills to ease his sore head, and got me to drive straight back to the cop shop to fill out the paperwork!
I think when you went for yours, as you'd already held a license they just probably didn't worry about the difference and gave you a manual one anyway.
And you still don't have to speak English now, they will still have an interpreter for you if required
123 T station wagon ;-)