Since the passing of Her Majesty The Queen, many of us in Australia have been sharing memories of her many visits to our shores.
Across her 70 years of service, Queen Elizabeth II made 16 visits to Australia. Her 1954 tour brought her to Indi, to Goorambat and Benalla.
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip actually stayed the night in Goorambat on March 4, 1954, before attending a series of events in Benalla the next day.
Her Majesty slept the night in the royal train at Goorambat Station. The town was chosen as it was quiet and away from the main line and would allow for a good night’s rest.
The station had been decorated with greenery, bunting and flags, and an archway erected on the track by the Goorambat CWA members, and many people came to wave to the royal couple.
The next day in Benalla people travelled from far and wide to see the Queen and the Prince, including 101 year old Elizabeth Eustace from Wangaratta, who you can see in the below picture.
The Benalla Ensign reported she “captured the hearts of 40,000 people who thronged to town to welcome her”.
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip also visited Albury in 1988, a visit I am sure many longtime locals will have memories of. Tens of thousands of people turned out to greet the royals. The Border Mail reports the Queen was gifted flowers from Laos migrants and a coathanger from a Yackandandah woman.
The Queen also boarded PS Cumberoona, a paddle steamer on the Murray River and it was at this visit that Albury’s Civic Square was renamed Queen Elizabeth II Square.
Do you remember these visits? I would love to learn more about the Queen’s time in our region.
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