queen

Representatives of the UQ Senate, staff and students gathered at short notice in March 1954 to catch a glimpse of Prince Philip, as the Duke of Edinburgh made a whirlwind tour of the St Lucia campus. The informal UQ visit was a late addition to the 1954 royal tour of Australia, during which Prince Philip joined Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, on her first tour of Australia as British monarch. Prince Philip arrived at UQ shortly after 6 pm on 17 March and spent about one-and-a-half hours at the University, where he was received by Queensland Deputy Premier John Duggan, Chancellor Dr. Otto Hirschfeld, and Vice-Chancellor John Story AO. The Duke was then escorted to the John Darnell Art Gallery, where he was presented with a souvenir of bound photographs of UQ buildings, before moving to the library, where he met and greeted about 50 student union representatives. The visit concluded with a stroll through the Great Court cloisters to the Geology building, where Prince Philip stopped to admire a collection of minerals, murals, and seismographs Source: alumni.uq.edu.au/contact-magazine/article/2021/04/remembe... The photo may not be related to this article, yet it was just in addition to describing some details of the Royal visit to Queensland.

The Brisbane GPO was built in 1872 to replace a temporary post office that operated elsewhere in Queen Street. A central tower, southern Telegraph Wing and clock were added in 1879. The complex held Brisbane’s first telephone exchange (1880) and was the telegram central distribution centre. A replacement clock was installed in 1908, when a three-storey building facing Elizabeth Street was added. Minor extensions occurred in 1911, 1943-44, 1957 and 1975. During World War II, its front was used as a saluting dais for military parades. A replacement clock was installed in 1982. In 1983, a postal and telecommunications museum was included within the GPO. Located in Queen Street, the original GPO building by FDG Stanley is an Italianate-influenced design with a near square plan form. The building is constructed of brick, porphyry (Brisbane Tuft) and sandstone. It has an arched sandstone colonnade at street level above which is a verandah whose roof is supported on Corinthian columns. The main entry of the building was marked by a triple bay projecting slightly forward and surmounted by a pediment enclosing a clock. The three central projecting bays of the arcade have vermiculated rustication below the line of the arches. Source: heritage.brisbane.qld.gov.au/heritage-places/408

‘In Brisbane’s sunshine’ Thousands of Queenslanders greeted the Queen with great enthusiasm and informality. Through speeches and exhibitions, Queensland was portrayed as rich in natural resources and agriculture with great potential for long-term prosperity. At a parliamentary luncheon held in Brisbane on 10 March, the Premier talked of the major rural industries of Queensland including wool, sugar, beef, and dairy, as well as the coalfields of Blair Athol and the Callide Valley. Although the Royal couple were in the State for only nine days they covered a significant distance and the areas they visited displayed the resources and achievements of that region. In Toowoomba, prized livestock of the district was paraded for the Royal couple at a reception at the Athletic Oval. At a Civic Ball held at the Brisbane City Hall on 10 March, flora and fauna of Queensland were brought directly to the Royal pair where a representation of a rainforest, complete with flowers, foliage and waterfall was set up. The simulated gum tree provided a temporary home for nine koalas. Source: www.qhatlas.com.au/content/queen-queensland-1954