Queen Elizabeth II - 1954 Visit to Australia

In 1954, Queen Elizabeth II became the first reigning monarch to tour Australia.  Western Australia was the last stop on her itinerary with visits organised in Kalgoorlie, Perth, Busselton, Albany, Northam, York and Fremantle.  With the visit of the Queen scheduled to open the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in two weeks, we thought it timely to reflect on her first visit as monarch in 1954 and the role of the RSL in the visit.

The State Director of the Royal Visit in WA, Mr R H Doig, charged the RSL in WA with the task of organising a wreath laying service at the State War Memorial and organising a march of ex-service personnel.

The photograph above has been identified by one of our members as taken on the occasion of the Royal Visit in 1954. The President of the League in WA at the time commented, "The success of the Wreath Laying Ceremony and the review of ex-servicemen was due to one simple fact.  This was the spirit of co-operation that existed.  The intense desire of all to assist on this historic occasion gave the organising committee a feeling of pride, that the spirit that built the League between wars is still with us."