Copyright The Grove: No100149
On the 26th March 1954 at 5.30 pm the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh landed at Perth Airport, after flying in from Kalgoorlie, for the final leg of their Australian tour. At 27 years old, the Queen was the first and only reigning monarch to have personally visited Australia. The Australian tour began a month earlier on the 3rd February 1954 when the Queen and Duke sailed into Farm Cove, Sydney in New South Wales at around 8.30am. The Queen was to visit every state and territory culminating in Western Australia. During her time in Western Australia, the Queen would visit Government house, undertake other royal engagements around Perth and travel through the western suburbs.
Coinciding with the Queen’s visit to Western Australia was a major outbreak of polio. This was a disease feared by many before an effective vaccine was developed. It was decided in consultation with the Queen to revise plans for the Queen’s visit to WA for her own personal safety. Measures included the elimination of any hand shaking, all onshore meals for the queen were to be prepared and taken ashore from the royal yacht Gothic and the Gothic was to be the Queen and Duke’s residence for their time in Western Australia, rather than Government House as originally intended. The Gothic was berthed at Fremantle at Victoria Quay between B and C sheds. The prime minister of the time, Robert Menzies, remarked that, “Residence on the Gothic, with added travel to and from the ship, would give the general public more opportunity to see the royal visitors.” Thousands of children and adults lined the routes along Stirling Highway or Canning Highway as the Queen and Duke left the ship each day on their tour of Perth and its environs. It was reported in the Western Mail newspaper that on the afternoon of March 29th, the Queen was welcomed by the biggest crowd ever seen in WA and that at Leighton, bathers left the sea, and joined in the cheering and flag waving crowd on the roadside.
Because of the polio outbreak, a children’s review at the Claremont Showgrounds was cancelled and instead the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh were to travel along two additional special routes for the benefit of the children. The different school groups would be segregated at each strongpoint along the route. At these strongpoints, the Queen’s motor vehicle would travel at a slow walking pace for the crowds to be able to get a good view of the monarch. The general public were not permitted to stand in areas designated for school children. It was estimated in newspapers that 13,000 children would line the route on the final day. Among them would be children from Cottesloe, Peppermint Grove and Mosman Park.
Mosman Park Review April 1954
Mosman Park Review April 1954
Mosman Park Review April 1954
The queen wowed the public with two or three different designer outfits daily. Here she is seen on her final day in Perth (see adjacent photo). The queen was described as wearing a canary yellow dress with matching hat. Her gloves, handbag and shoes were white. She wore a mink cape around her shoulders.
The queen’s final day in Australia was on 1st April 1954. She travelled from Government House to Fremantle through the Western Suburbs before finally being farewelled at Fremantle. The Queen’s tour of the western suburbs was the largest progress through the metropolitan area. The Queen and Duke travelled to Kings Park and through the suburbs of Nedlands, Dalkeith, Claremont, Cottesloe, Peppermint Grove, Mosman Park and North Fremantle before finally arriving at Fremantle Oval for a last civic reception of the tour.
The newspapers carried maps of the Queen’s routes together with estimated times she would be expected to pass by. The population of Western Australia did not disappoint and over 150,000 people lined the route to catch a glimpse of the Queen. Along Stirling Highway from Burt Street to Forrest Street waited children from Cottesloe North Primary School and Presbyterian Ladies College, From Jarrad Street to Irvine St were children from Cottesloe Primary and Cottesloe Infants Schools and along Stirling Highway from Willis Street to Glyde Street were children and adults from St Hilda’s, Mosman Park Primary School and Iona. The Queen and Duke travelled in an open top car as seen in the photo below.
Copyright The Grove: Mosman Park Review April 1954
On the 58th day of the Queen’s official Australian tour and her final day in Western Australia, the Queen was finally farewelled from Fremantle docks by large crowds including the Governor General Sir William Slim, Prime Minister Robert Menzies, WA Premier Albert Hawke (Uncle of future Prime Minister Bob Hawke) and other officials. As the Gothic sailed out of Fremantle harbour, she was given a 21-gun salute and an RAAF escort overhead. Thousands of boats lined the harbour including pleasure cruisers, dinghies, and cray fishing boats from as far as Lancelin and the Abrolhos Islands. The next official destination on the Royal tour was Sri Lanka and as the Gothic sailed out of Fremantle sirens echoed around the harbour to which the Gothic replied. The Queen and Duke had captured the hearts of many on their visit to Western Australia who enthusiastically showed their appreciation. The western suburbs were no exception. The royal visit was fondly remembered by those in the crowds for years to come.
Mosman Park History 