MoB Sunday Stories: The Queen’s first visit to Brisbane

An estimated 500,000 Queenslanders turned out to greet the newly crowned monarch. The Queen and Prince Phillip stayed at Government House in inner-west Paddington with Queensland Governor Sir John Lavarack and his wife. Lady Lavarack went on to document the visit in a two-page recollection that outlined the Queen’s convivial and pleasing nature.

The following day began with a visit to St John’s Cathedral on Ann Street, followed by various meetings and a luncheon at Parliament House. In the afternoon the royal couple was escorted to Brisbane’s Exhibition Grounds to view the School Children’s Display. Every minute of the tour was meticulously planned from the elaborate motorcade processions to the glittering Lord Mayor’s Royal Ball on the evening of 10 March, which brought a touch of glitz and glamour to City Hall.

A sepia-tinted photograph shows a rare glimpse of the opulent event. Here the Queen and Prince Phillip sit onstage beneath an elaborate setting of plants, flowers and figures. The initials ‘ER’ are visible, referring to ‘Elizabeth Regina’, the latin form of Queen Elizabeth. In the foreground a large crowd of dancing couples swirl around the dance floor in a sea of smart tuxedos, formal military uniforms and elegant evening gowns with long gloves.

The Queen’s entourage, a modest collection of 38 staff, were on hand at all times to ensure that royal protocol was upheld as Her Majesty navigated her royal duties despite what the UK newspaper’s described as a “sultry heat”. As well as several days in Brisbane, the jam-packed royal itinerary included regional visits to Bundaberg, Toowomba, Townsville, Cairns, Mackay and surrounding destinations.