queenelizabethii

In 1954, the royals visited 57 towns and cities during the 58 days they spent in Australia. They traversed the country by plane, train, ship, and car from Cairns in the north, Broken Hill in the west to Hobart in the south. Their children, Prince Charles (aged five years) and Princess Anne (aged three years) did not accompany them on the exhausting trip. Source: www.sl.nsw.gov.au/stories/1954-royal-tour-queen-elizabeth-ii

‘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

A significant proportion of the Australian population saw the Royal couple during the tour. It was an extraordinarily popular event. The Queensland itinerary featured Brisbane on 9-10 and 16-18 March, and the regional cities Bundaberg and Toowoomba on 11 March, Townsville on 12 March, Cairns on 13 March, and Mackay and Rockhampton on 15 March. The Queen traveled 2600 km by plane, and the Townsville–Cairns–Mackay legs on the Royal yacht. Despite the distance, the Queen’s trip never took her inland from the Queensland coast further than Toowoomba, but many Queenslanders traveled inland to see their Queen. Elizabeth II commented that ‘what has impressed me the most was the long distances people traveled to see me. From Brisbane, the couple visited Bundaberg, Toowoomba, and, briefly, Oakey on 11 March. This journey included a 640 km flight and a 100 km car trip. People all over the state traveled to the major regional centers to catch sight of the Queen. In Toowoomba, schoolchildren rode milk trucks, and adults traveled in trucks and buses to see the Royal couple for only a fleeting moment. The federal government's Royal Visit commemorative book published just after the tour described one of the highlights of Toowoomba as the royal couple witnessing 'the grotesque, age-old ceremonial of the corroboree performed by full-blood Aborigines who have traveled from the Northern Territory for the occasion.' Source: www.qhatlas.com.au/content/queen-queensland-1954