A History of Royal Tours Down Under

     Over the past 150 years, Australia and New Zealand have proven themselves to be popular and important destinations for the Royal Family. Here's a look at past Royal tour's Down Under.

     Such visits began with Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, the second son of Queen Victoria.

     As a captain in the Royal Navy, Alfred was on a world tour while in command of the HMS Galatea, and he landed at Glenelg, South Australia, on October 31, 1867. Over the next five months, he visited Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Tasmania, and Brisbane and was met with enormous warmth and enthusiasm. To mark the occasion of his visit to Adelaide, Prince Alfred College was named in his honor.

Prince Alfred in 1865, two years before his trip Down Under.

     However, the Prince was almost cut down by an assassin's bullet on March 12, 1868, when an Irishman named Henry James O'Farrell shot Alfred at a picnic in Sydney, where he had been invited to help raise funds for the Sydney Sailors' Home. Fortunately, the Prince recovered from the back injuries he sustained and was able to resume command of Galatea and leave Australia by early April. Following this, the most influential people in Sydney voted to build a monument commemorating his recovery, which eventually resulted in the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. 

     Aside from this incident, the first Royal Australian tour was a success, and Alfred returned home to the UK after seventeen months at sea. 

     In the following year, the Prince was still in command of HMS Galatea when he became the first member of the Royal Family to also visit New Zealand when he landed in Wellington. From there, he toured Nelson, Christchurch, Dunedin, and Auckland, being received everywhere with enthusiasm.

     Thirteen years later, Prince Albert Victor (aged 17) and Prince George (the future George V, aged 15) visited Albany, Melbourne, and Sydney whilst serving in the Royal Navy as Midshipmen aboard the HMS Bacchante.

     George - now heir to the throne - would return to Down Under in 1901 as the Duke of Cornwall and York with his wife, Princess Mary of Teck (the future Queen Mary). They were touring the British Empire and visiting the overseas dominions in the name of the new king, Edward VII.

     In Australia, they visited Melbourne to open the first Federal Parliament. There was a grand ceremony going about the occasion, as the Duke and Duchess marked a new chapter in Australia’s history as a country in its own right within the Empire.

The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York (later George V and Queen Mary) are at the center and just to the left of this photograph taken at Brisbane during their 1901 tour.

     In New Zealand, the couple visited Auckland, Rotorua, Wellington, Lyttelton and Dunedin. The Duke praised the military values, bravery, loyalty, and obedience to duty of New Zealanders, and he witnessed New Zealand’s development as a modern country with its adoption of up-to-date British standards in communications and processing industries.

     With the exposure it received from the tour, New Zealand's attractiveness to tourists and potential immigrants was extensively advertized, and in a speech at London's Guildhall, George warned of  "the impression which seemed to prevail among [our] brethren across the seas, that the Old Country must wake up if she intends to maintain her old position of pre-eminence in her colonial trade against foreign competitors."

     Nearly twenty years later, King George and Queen Mary's eldest son, Edward, Prince of Wales made his own tour of the Empire on behalf of his parents, and arrived in Victoria, Australia on April 2, 1920.

Edward, Prince of Wales (later Edward VIII) going through the streets of Sydney in 1920.

     His mission was to thank Australians and New Zealanders for the part they played in World War I, and in return, they warmed to his humor, modesty, and charm. This was made all the more significant by Edward making light of a rail accident in which his carriage overturned in Western Australia. The uninjured Prince thanked the officials for arranging the "harmless little railway accident," and became known as the "Digger Prince."

     Seven years later, the Queen's parents, as Duke and Duchess of York, took their own tour of the Empire. Their first child, Princess Elizabeth - the reigning Queen - had just been born in the previous year, and they were sad at having to leave her behind in the United Kingdom.

     However, Royal duty called, and they arrived at Sydney Harbour in Australia aboard the HMS Renown, attracting a crowd of over a million. It was by this time that the Duke had improved is speech communication and he opened the new Parliament House in Canberra. Prince Albert and Elizabeth also extensively spent time in Tasmania, Queensland, New South Wales, Western Australia, Victoria, and South Australia. One of the highlights of this visit occurred on May 9th, when Albert reviewed over 2,000 Australian troops with various air squadrons flying overhead.

Albert, Duke of York and Elizabeth, Duchess of York on their Down Under tour in 1927.

     In New Zealand, the Royal couple arrived in Auckland aboard the Renown. Among their activities was the unveiling of a World War I memorial to the Arawas in Rotorua. They also visited many North Island towns and enjoyed the local fishing in the Bay of Islands, accompanied by Australian sports fisherman Harry Andreas before arriving in Wellington.

     Unfortunately, the future Queen Mother was taken ill with tonsillitis and forced to abandon the trip. Albert continued alone by road and rail to the West Coast, Christchurch, Dunedin, Invercargill, and Bluff.

     Aside from this, the tour was hailed as a success, and the Duke and Duchess endeared themselves to the people of this far-flung corner of the Empire.

The Duke of Gloucester as Governor-General of Australia

     In 1934, Albert's brother, Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester extensively toured Australia for three months, with his chief purpose being to open and oversee the centenary celebrations of Victoria on October 18th. In November he dedicated the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne and also opened the ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) War Memorial in Sydney. During World War II, Henry was appointed by his brother, now George VI, to be Governor-General of Australia. He served in this post from 1945 to 1947, and is thus far the only Royal Australian Governor-General.

     Five years later in January 1952, Princess Elizabeth and her husband, Philip Mountbatten, Duke of Edinburgh, left the UK for a tour of the Commonwealth on behalf of her father George VI, who was suffering from illness. Among the countries to be visited were Australia and New Zealand.
 
     However, the Princess and the Duke were unable to make it to Down Under that year, for George VI passed away on February 6, 1952, and she became Elizabeth II whilst in Kenya, necessitating her to return to Britain without delay.

     Following the spectacle of her coronation in June 1953, the new Queen, accompanied as usual by the Duke of Edinburgh, went on a six-month tour of the Commonwealth, which was basically a continuation of the unfinished tour of 1952.

A stamp issued by New Zealand commemorating the 1953-54 visit.

     The Royal couple landed first in New Zealand towards the end of 1953. She was the first reigning monarch to tour the country and to open its Parliament, and she made her Christmas broadcast for 1953 from Government House in Auckland.

     From there, they sailed to Australia on February 3, 1954 aboard the SS Gothic and landed at Farm Cove, Sydney. Driving through the streets of the city, they were met by over a million people who lined the streets to catch a glimpse of them. In the course of the Australian leg of this tour, the Queen and the Duke visited all of the Australian states and some territories. She was the first reigning monarch to visit the country, and open a new session of the Australian Parliament in Canberra. The Queen and the Duke also met 70,000 former servicemen and women at the Melbourne cricket ground. At Leurella, they were welcomed by sports fisherman Harry Andreas, who had been a fishing guide to the Queen's parents when they visited in 1927 as the Duke and Duchess of York.

Queen Elizabeth II addressing the crowds gathered in Mackay, Queensland, Australia.

     By the numbers, the Queen and the Duke traveled 10,000 miles by air (making approximately 33 flights), 2,000 miles by road (130 hours in cars in 207 trips), and - save for Darwin - visited all capitals in Australia, as well as 70 country towns, and many of those visits were by special "Royal trains." The result was that about three-quarters of Australians were able see the Queen at least once during the tour, which was viewed as a success as the young monarch was starting out her reign.

     As the Queen's reign progressed, air travel became more reliable and efficient, making Royal tours Down Under more frequent. The Queen and the Royal Family also made the use of the Royal Yacht Britannia to maintain contact with these overseas realms.

     In 1956-57, the Duke of Edinburgh opened the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne while traveling around the world in the Britannia, whilst Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother conducted a three week-long tour of Australia in February-March of 1958, and in 1959, Princess Alexandra helped to celebrate Queensland's centennial.

     The Queen returned in 1963 for a tour which included the 50th anniversary celebrations of the establishment of the Australian capital, Canberra. During this visit, she made a unique broadcast to people in remote communities over the Royal Flying Doctor network in Alice Springs.

      In New Zealand, the Queen attended celebrations at Waitangi to mark the signing of the 1840 treaty - which established British sovereignty over New Zealand - and on that visit, the Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council was founded as the nation's gift to the monarch.

     Other members of the Royal Family would make their way Down Under during this decade, including Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent (the Queen's aunt) in 1964. In the following year, former Australian Governor-General Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester (the Queen's uncle) and his wife Alice visited the country, where they - among other things - opened a hydro-electric power station in the Snowy Mountains. Prince Edward, Duke of Kent (the Queen's cousin) and his wife Katherine also toured there for 25 days in 1969, and the Duke opened the South Pacific Games at Port Moresby.

The Royal Standard of New Zealand

     In March 1970, the Queen, Prince Philip, Princess Anne, and (for part of the tour) Prince Charles joined in the celebrations marking Captain James Cook's discovery of Australia and circumnavigation of New Zealand 200 years earlier.

     Three years later, Elizabeth II returned to Australia to open the Sydney Opera House, as well as in 1974 to open a new session of Parliament. She also visited New Zealand - along with Prince Philip, Prince Charles, Princess Anne, and Captain Mark Phillips (Anne's first husband) -  to attend and close the Commonwealth Games in Christchurch, as well as to participate in New Zealand Day events at Waitangi and visit the Cook Islands. The Queen's part of the tour had to be cut short because of the need to return to London for the General Election on February 28th.

     In another three years, the Queen was back in New Zealand - this time at the start of the Commonwealth tour during her Silver Jubilee, marking 25 years on the throne, and following this was an extended three-week tour of Australia.

     Australia and New Zealand proved to be popular destinations for the Royal Family in the 1980's, especially the Queen, who visited Down Under five times.

The Royal Standard of Australia

     At the beginning of the decade, the Queen and Prince Philip visited Australia to open the new High Court building in 1980, attend the 1981 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Melbourne, as well as to attend the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane, and open the new National Gallery of Australia.

     In the following year, the Prince and Princess of Wales (Charles and Diana) and a nine month old Prince William made their own historic tour, and the couple themselves returned in 1985 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Australian state of Queensland. The Duke and Duchess of Kent also made a visit to Queensland that year, where they opened the Performing Arts Complex at Southbank.

     1986 marked a year of significant constitutional development. Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia traveled for another tour of the country, and on March 2nd, signed a proclamation at Government House in Canberra which stated that the Australia Act that was passed in the Australian Parliament would take effect at 5:00AM GMT, at the same time that similar legislation passed by the UK Parliament would also take effect. These two acts ended the last remnants of constitutional links between the United Kingdom and Australia.

The Australia Act given Royal Assent by the Queen.

     This same visit Down Under also witnessed the Queen opening Parramatta Stadium in Sydney, Australia, as well as marking the centennial of New Zealand's national police force.

     Two years later, the Royal Family came out in force to celebrate Australia's bicentennial. The Queen, accompanied by Prince Philip, presided over the opening of the World Expo in Brisbane before also opening the new permanent Parliament House in Canberra in May. Other visits in 1988 were made by the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Duke and Duchess of York (Andrew and Sarah), the Duke and Duchess of Kent, and Princess Anne.

     In February 1990, Prince Edward (the Queen's youngest child) opened the Commonwealth Games in Auckland, New Zealand. The Queen was also in the country to visit Wellington, Christchurch, and Auckland, where she spent time at the Games, and presided over the closing ceremony. She also opened a session of Parliament and, along with Edward, took part marking the sesquicentennial (150th anniversary) of the Treaty of Waitangi. Princess Anne also visited the country to participate in the ANZAC Day commemorations for the 75th anniversary of the Gallipoli landings during World War I.

     Two years later, the Queen was in Australia to commemorate the sesquicentennial of the incorporation of the city of Sydney. This would be her last visit to Australia before the referendum on the monarchy in 1999, which resulted in over half of Australians voting to retain it.

     Meanwhile, the Queen made her last Down Under journey of the 20th Century to New Zealand in November 1995. She attended the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Auckland and opened the newly refurbished Parliament buildings in Wellington.

The New Zealand Parliament Buildings. From left to right, the Executive Wing (a.k.a., the Beehive), Parliament House, and the Parliamentary library.

     In the first year of the new millennium, the Queen made an extended tour in the states of Australia well after the referendum of the previous year, and this was followed by another visit in 2002 during her Golden Jubilee year when she attended the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Coolum, Queensland.

     Before Australian visit, the Queen made her most recent visit to New Zealand as part of the global Golden Jubilee tour, visiting Christchurch, Auckland, and Wellington.

     Three years later, Prince William made his first official solo tour of New Zealand, which lasted for 11 days, and saw William representing the Queen at the VE and VJ Day 60th anniversary commemorations.

The Opening Ceremony of the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games, over which the Earl of Wessex presided.

     Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex followed his nephew Down Under in the following year when he visited Australia to award the Commonwealth Writers' Prize and attend to other engagements before his parents arrived to open the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. The Queen, Prince Philip, and Prince Edward attended events at the Games, had meeting with government officials, met with firefighters (who been dealing with recent brush fires), and the Queen herself made a speech marking her 80th birthday at an official dinner at Parliament House.

     In 2009, Princess Anne was back in Australia to attended the memorial service at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne for victims of the Victorian bush fires that year. Prince William made his own three-day visit to Sydney in the following year, and in New Zealand, he opened the new Supreme Court building in Wellington.

     William also made visits to Queensland and Victoria in Australia in early 2011 to witness areas damaged by recent flooding, and also toured Christchurch, New Zealand, which had suffered from an earthquake.

The Queen shakes hands with her 12th Australian Prime Minister, Julia Gillard in 2011.

     Later that year, Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia made her most recent trip to that country. Her personal tour also coincided with the 2011 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Perth, which she opened as Head of the Commonwealth. During this visit, then-Prime Minister Julia Gillard described the Queen as "a vital constitutional part of Australian democracy."

     For her part, the Queen praised Australia for its resolve in facing the challenges resulting from the recent floods, as well as for the country's rapid growth and development in the course of her reign. It was also here that the plans for changing the laws of succession in the Commonwealth realms were announced.

     In the Diamond Jubilee year of 2012, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall represented the Queen in her Down Under realms of Papua New Guinea, Australia, and New Zealand during the autumn.

     Last year, Prince Harry made a two-day visit to Sydney to represent the Queen of Australia at the centenary celebrations of the Royal Australian Navy. From HMAS Leeuwin, he took the salute alongside Governor-General Quentin Bryce at the Fleet Review, and also visited the Special Air Service (SAS) regiment in Perth.

     Over the years, these Royal tour's have been meant to help maintain and strengthen ties between the monarchy and its far-flung overseas realms Down Under. In fact, a disgruntled Australian republican once complained that every time a member of the family (especially the Queen) comes to visit, it sets his anti-monarchy cause back by 20 years.

     Surely, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince George are likely to have a similar effect this time around.




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