Perth Tourism News: Perth-ect Aussie Farewell for the Queen

The 'Big Aussie Barbecue' was the State of Western Australia's 'sizzling' farewell to the Royal couple who were in Perth for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).

Held at the Perth Esplanade on the banks of the picturesque Swan River, event organisers couldn't have wished for a more perfect day with the sun shining brightly, clear blue sky and a top of 25 degrees.

Crowds gathered steadily throughout the morning, with the sound of The Swan Bells ringing out from the Bell Tower as The Queen's motorcade arrived.

The Queen paid tribute to the beauty of WA's Margaret River region and the Kimberley in her address to crowds and congratulated Premier Colin Barnett and the WA community for hosting CHOGM.

"Over the years I have seen how this State has developed; Western Australia has evolved in its own unique style which is distinctive yet complementary.

"I can think of no more fitting way to end my visit here than in this idyllic Swan River setting which I have enjoyed on so many occasions.

"The rich diversity of this vast state has never been more apparent, from Margaret River wine to the rugged beauty of the Kimberley.

The Queen also made comment about Western Australia's economic potential and professionalism as the host city of CHOGM.

"And, your proximity to Asia has created opportunities for Western Australia to lead the nation's economic future in this region.

"This past week the world has come to Perth as host of the 2011 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

Perth-ect Aussie Farewell for the Queen

Giant Aussie Barbecue Farewells the Queen

Australia threw a giant barbecue in perfect weather to farewell the Queen after an 11-day visit in which she opened Perth's CHOGM and bolstered the stock of the monarchy in the face of Australia's apparent indifference to becoming a republic.

The Queen and Prince Philip left Australia on Saturday for the 16th, and possibly final, time following a community barbecue on the banks of the Swan River attended by an estimated 100,000-plus people.

The picture-postcard scene - under a "big blue Australian sky" as West Australian Premier Colin Barnett noted - was not lost on the Queen.

"I can think of no more fitting way to end our visit than in this idyllic Swan River setting," the Queen told tens of thousands of flag-waving Aussies whose sausage sizzle purchases were all going to charity.

"Once again we return to the UK with fond memories of our warm welcome on our 16th visit to this beautiful country."

The Queen praised Australia for hosting a "most successful" CHOGM, saying the nation had endeared itself to the international community through its professional excellence, generosity and goodwill.

"We have enjoyed our visit immensely," she said.

"We have been overwhelmed by your kindness and support."

The Queen is no stranger to barbecues, either as a guest or host.

When Prime Minister Paul Keating visited her at Balmoral castle in Scotland in 1993, to tell her most Australians felt the monarchy was an anachronism, she offered him the choice of a formal dinner or a barbecue.

Mr Keating took the Aussie option.

The Queen, dressed down to tweeds, drove him in her Land Rover to a remote hut on her estate where Prince Philip was busy cooking the steaks.

Mr Keating has told how the Queen asked him to help her fetch the plates from the boot.

And when the barbecue was over she asked him to help with the dishes, which he did.

This time the hosting duties were reversed, and Lyn Barnett, the WA premier's wife, gave Prince Philip a gift which will come in handy if he has another Keating moment - an Aussie barbecue cookbook.

The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh waved at throngs lining the streets on their motorcade from Government House.

Perth's Bell Tower rang in welcome as they arrived on the Swan River foreshore, where the Queen addressed the crowd and enjoyed a leisurely walkabout.

Wearing a pink and white silk dress, she spoke with celebrity chef Anna Gare, and told her she was very excited about the fresh food movement among Australian youngsters.

"I told her England's Jamie Oliver has had a huge influence on cooking in Australia," Ms Gare said.

Jill Bishop, from Gidgegannup, told the Queen: "It's been wonderful to have you here" and Her Majesty replied: "It's been wonderful to be here."

Lord Mayor Lisa Scaffidi, the last person to farewell the Queen, said: "She was just adorable."

During her Australian visit the Queen had audiences with Governor-General Quentin Bryce, Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott.

She paid tribute to Australia's fallen soldiers at Canberra's War Memorial, and had lunch with a number of notable Australians including Oscar winner Geoffrey Rush, horse-racing legend Bart Cummings and indigenous leader June Oscar.

Perth easily turned on the biggest crowds of her visit, but in Brisbane, where she met flood and cyclone victims, an estimated 45,000 well-wishers cheered her on a boat trip.

In Melbourne she officially opened the new Royal Children's Hospital almost 50 years after opening the original.

In Perth she visited an Aboriginal college and opened CHOGM with an appeal to leaders of more than 50 countries to implement bold reforms to rejuvenate a beleaguered Commonwealth.

Republicanism has been on the wane in Australia since the failure of the 1999 referendum, and the Queen's visit capped a purple patch for the royals, highlighted by Prince William's marriage earlier this year to Catherine Middleton.

Many commentators have been calling this her last tour of Australia in light of the 85-year-old monarch's age.

But a Buckingham Palace spokeswoman insisted the tour did not have the feeling of a final event, and the monarch was "delighted" with the warmth of the reception she received.

"It's almost a coming home for the Queen," the spokeswoman said.

"She has a huge fondness for Australia.

"A lot of Australians have worked in her household.

"There's no sense at all of 'Thank you and goodbye'."

(By Doug Conway, AAP Senior Correspondent, ninemsn.com.au )

Perth Tourism News: Forget the BBQ - Record rains soak Perth

Spring may be here, but it feels like winter with Perth's wettest October in 12 years.

Perth is in for its wettest October in 12 years after last night’s rains took the monthly total past the long-term average of 52 millimetres to 64 millimetres.

In the city's wettest three-day period since July, Perth received 29 millimetres earlier this week and another 22 millimetres overnight.

It is the wettest three-days in October since 1999, when 55 millimetres fell, with a total of 96 millimetres for the month.

The bad weather has had CHOGM organisers holding their breath, with activities such as the Queen's Big Aussie Barbecue fast approaching.

Luckily meteorologists have predicted fine weather for this Saturday, when 100,000 people are expected to attend the event at Langley Park.

Perth hasn't been the only place in WA to have record rainfall.

Geraldton picked up 48 millimetres, its heaviest rain since May and heaviest October rain in 64 years.

Soaking rain has also affected much of the south-west land division in the past week with traditionally dry Salmon Gums area receiving record falls.

Forget the BBQ - Record rains soak Perth

Queen Bids Farewell to Melbourne After Whirlwind Visit

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh left Melbourne's sunny skies and arrived to inclement weather in Perth.

A crowd of more than 400 people braved the wet weather to sneak a peek at the royal pair touching down at Perth International Airport at 4.20pm, five minutes ahead of schedule.

WA Premier Colin Barnett and his wife Lyn, as well as Defence Minister Stephen Smith, were on the tarmac waiting for the Queen to arrive.

As she emerged from the plane, the Queen was greeted by loud cheers from the waiting crowd who had been gathering all afternoon.

Earlier in the day during her whirlwind tour of Melbourne, the Duke of Edinburgh was every inch the exasperated commuter when he took a tram ride through the city with the Queen.

As soon as the royal couple stepped aboard the public transport vehicle he waved his hand and ordered driver Joyleen Smith to set off as they were running late.

It is the first time the monarch has travelled by tram since she boarded one during the Manchester Commonwealth Games in 2002.

In honour of the royal passengers the white Z3-Class vehicle had been transformed with a red, white and blue exterior colour scheme and inside it had been refurbished and restored.

A dot-matrix screen at its front displayed the words "royal tram" while a smaller one was lit up with the monarch's initials "ER''

Ms Smith, a tram driver for almost seven years, described today's event as an honour.

She added: "When they got on I said hello to the Queen, and Philip said 'come on driver lets go, were running late', so I thought we better go.

"He said it with a smile on his face and I know hes got a wicked sense of humour."

The pair boarded the tram at Stop 13 in Melbourne's Federation Square and travelled along St Kilda Road to a reception and lunch with local politicians at Government House, before flying to Perth late this afternoon.

Earlier they had been held up during a walkabout through the square as dozens of well-wishers had wanted to hand flowers and presents to the royals as tens of thousands looked on.

The royal couple sat facing each other with the Premier of Victoria, Ted Baillieu, and his wife Robyn sat side by side close by.

The monarch may be more used to travelling in a chauffeur driven state Bentley or Rolls Royce but she appeared at home on public transport.

They used a myki - a pre-paid travel card - but it is not known if they chose the two-hour zone one fare costing $3.80 or opted for the cheaper $2.80 senior citizen option.

Four mounted officers from Victoria Police escorted the royal tram which travelled at walking pace, around 3mph, during the eight minute journey.

Among the two horses that led the way was Super Impressive, a former racehorse that had earned around $1.5 million during its former career.

The royal couple waved at the thousands who lined their route and the crowds cheered and screamed in response.

The Queen is greeted with a letter as she walks through Federation Square. Picture: Alex Coppel

Their journey took them along part of the route of the number eight tram which runs from the Brunswick depot to Toorak.

Ms Smith, who drives trams along the inner-city routes one, eight and 19, said she had taken commuters along the stretch of track used by the royals hundreds of times.

She added: "A couple of times I got a little overwhelmed and thought I was going to cry - all the people were waving at her. At one point I even waved at someone I recognised.

"But despite being nervous at first it was overwhelming, what an honour to drive the Queen."

Before boarding the tram the Queen was met by a forest of flags and a sea of smiles as she swept through Federation Square.

Some staked their places beside the metal barricade flanking the red carpet four hours early, excited children bearing bouquets at the front.

And others brought home-made signs, hoping they would be a magnet to the monarch.

The welcome was warm, in fact too warm for some as a few onlookers seemed to succumb to heat stroke after hours in the full sun.

But the Queen's arrival eclipsed even that as thousands almost filling the square fell respectfully silent.

Children perched on shoulders and in the few trees. Arms in the crush stretched high to photograph Her Majesty, aiming vaguely towards an occasionally visible pink hat.

"She's so short, damn it,'' one woman complained, but for most in the crowd, near enough was better than good enough.

Cecelia Egan held a sign. Australia Loves Our Queen, and the Queen returned the love, moving close and appreciating the handiwork.

"I said 'thank you for coming','' Ms Egan said.

"I am so pleased she read the sign. I could see her eyes reading it, then she gave a beautiful little gracious sign and moved on.

"My life's complete ... now I can die.''

Eliza Comerford, 9, staked a spot near the metal barriers at 8.30am, and was rewarded for her patience when the Queen saw a Welcome Queen Elizabeth sign, came over and took her flowers.

"She said 'Thank You','' Eliza said excitedly.

After about 20 minutes walking the red carpet, taking bunch after bunch of flowers, the Queen waved and moved on to the royal tram.

After the Occupy Melbourne protests, black glove-wearing police checked men who didn't look to fit in, running checks on their names.

No details of arrests were immediately available.

After a short ride down St Kilda Rd the Queen was then driven in her Range Rover to Government House for a reception and lunch.

A group of anti-carbon tax protesters assembled near Government House, armed with banners reading "Welcome, your Majesty, please dissolve parliament," and "carbon tax corruption".

Inside Government House the Queen mingled with everyday Victorians, current and former politicians and former governors.

But there was a clear focus on everyday Victorians, particularly flood and fire victims.

The Queen then had a lunch with 60 VIPs in the state drawing room before signing a guest book and an official photograph

She left Government House at about 2.45pm, making her way back to the airport where she flew to Perth for the final stop on her royal tour.

The Queen visits the Clontarf Aboriginal College and attend a state reception at Government House in Perth hosted by WA Premier Colin Barnett.

Keep reading more

Melbourne Tourism News

After opening the new Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne, the Queen went for a short hop aboard the Royal Tram on the eighth day of her state visit to Australia.



Melbourne Tourism News

Hail Victoria! Long May Melbourne's Royal Reminders Reign

Doing away with monarchy's monuments would be madness - even for a republic.

WHEN the Queen arrives this morning on her visit to the state named in honour of her great-great grandmother, it is worth recalling Queen Victoria's profound influence on a place she never visited, but probably thought of occasionally.

India may have been her jewel in the crown - this at a time when the crown was clustered with imperial gems - but I am sure little old Melbourne, tucked down among the garnets, below the diamonds and sapphires, warranted an occasional look through the royal loupe.

Melbourne is really Queen Victoria's town. Not perhaps as much personally - even if her majesty had visited, it would have been hard to imagine her taking the No. 8 tram down St Kilda Road - but more in terms of civic heritage and the very formation of this great city. Melbourne's beginnings were more or less contemporaneous with Queen Victoria's: our settlement began two years before she ascended the throne in 1837. Our inner-suburban terrace housing, along with the parks and gardens that allow the city breathing space, evolved with stately enterprise and care, providing grace and dignity.

The apogee of Victorian Melbourne was William Wardell's Government House, which surmounts the Royal Botanic Gardens like the topmost tier of a wedding cake. I think of William Delafield Cook's painting of the house's belvedere tower poking up through the foliage of the surrounding gardens - a view now destroyed, in modern actuality, by the Eureka building, whose erectile presence would not have amused Queen Victoria.

The present Queen will be at Government House today for lunch. Although the menu, fashion and guest list might have changed, the architecture itself remains absolutely of its period. Even though it is Italianate in style, the house is a prime example of mid-Victorian splendour, as outrageously dignified in its own sedate way as the Royal Albert Hall, in London's Kensington, is a monument to the more adventurous realm of arts and sciences. The difference is that while the hall is a public venue, frequently jammed up to the last letter on its rooftop frieze, Government House is still a vice-regal citadel; it should, as I have said before, be open more to the public.

Thank heavens, though, that other parts of Victorian Melbourne are more accessible: in fact, this city is Victoriana personified. The name - her name - is part of the way we are. Think of Victoria Parade, Victoria Street, the Queen Victoria Market - these are names engraved in the memories of Melburnians, never to be effaced by even the most zealot-like republican. Nor should they be. If, in time, we become truly independent, it would be a form of revisionist madness to rid ourselves of such poignant and meaningful remembrances of things past.

Not that we are always conscious of such provenance. We drive down Royal Parade or Queens Road or King Street or Elizabeth Street without thinking of the origins of their names. We go to the Princess or Her Majesty's theatres not out of monarchical respect but simply to see a show. In the same way, we might run through Royal Park or the Alexandra Gardens, walk across Princes Bridge, or marvel at the Royal Exhibition Building, taking their names for granted yet still extracting infinite pleasure simply because they are there.

Yet, in some other areas of life, we have shown independence and common sense. It was not that long ago that Sir Robert Menzies unilaterally decided to call Australia's unit of decimal currency the Royal; just as well the dollar prevailed. Maybe that was the tentative beginning of republican sentiment. But the Queen still appears on our coinage and on the $5 note - which is correct, as the Queen is still our head of state.

When I last checked, Australia was still a constitutional monarchy, and, whatever one's views on how long this should continue, proper respect and traditions have every reason to be upheld as well as preserved. That, in the end, is the whole point of maintaining heritage rather than feeling compelled to reinterpret it or, worse, deny it.

Monuments, it should be remembered, serve a double purpose: to remind as well as enlighten. Such reminders, though, are not always pleasant. In Moscow some years ago, I visited the Graveyard of Fallen Monuments, a cemetery without a single human body. This hybrid of necropolis, playground and sculpture park is reserved for the detritus of the Soviet era: the statuary, symbols and signs of the once-feared, now disgraced people who ruled back in the USSR. Thus a statue of Stalin, on its side, rubs stony shoulders with a chipped bust of Brezhnev. Not so far away, there stands in brooding isolation the statue of Felix Dzerzhinsky, founder of what became the KGB, which was toppled outside the Lubyanka in the revolution 20 years ago.

For all its doom and gloom, this graveyard was encouraging as it represented a sense of cultural preservation essential to remind generations of terrible times as well as the good. For the same reason, this is why a goodly chunk of the Berlin Wall still stands where it was first erected, in 1961.

In this part of the world, it is also crucial to keep our heritage intact. Not to remind us of despotic rule, but, conversely, of a system that has held us in good stead and enabled us to reach this stage of self-determination.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/hail-victoria-long-may-melbournes-royal-reminders-reign-20111025-1mi0t.html#ixzz1bq4Fhpfb

Brisbane Tourism News: Queen Elizabeth's Four-Hour Visit to Brisbane Leaves Lasting Impression

SHE spent just over four hours in the state that bears her name but the Queen's visit left a lasting impression on a recovering Brisbane.

More than 45,000 people crowded into South Bank to welcome Her Majesty and the Duke of Edinburgh to Queensland for maybe the last time.

Despite soaring temperatures, the crowd swelled - as many as 30-people deep in some sections - waiting for a glimpse of the Queen.

After a trip down the Brisbane River, she later comforted flood and cyclone victims and thanked volunteers who helped the state through its summer of disasters.

Ben Conway, 8, was one of the lucky ones to meet the monarch. The last time he wore his Queen's Guard's outfit, it was among his school mates at a Rochedale State School cultural day.

Yesterday, the little boy from Daisy Hill got to don the ceremonial uniform of the palace foot guards again.

But this time he got to meet the Queen.

Ben was among a handful of excited children plucked from a crowd of more than 45,000 at South Bank to meet Her Majesty.

The 85-year-old monarch and the eight-year-old Queensland boy may not have exchanged many words, but they shared smiles and a photograph instead.

Asked about whether he was nervous, Ben declared "not at all", insisting "I had fun".

It was Ben's mother, Barbara, who was more overawed by the occasion.

The family emigrated from England a decade ago to settle in southeast Queensland.

Mrs Conway, 44, said she made the outfit for Ben to wear to a cultural day where students wore costumes from another country.

Brisbane Tourism News: Queen Elizabeth's Four-Hour Visit to Brisbane Leaves Lasting Impression

Melbourne prepares for the Queen

MELBOURNE will have a distinctly royal flavour tomorrow, when the Queen arrives in town.

Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh will start their public tour of Melbourne at 12.30pm.

Their walk will start from the Ian Potter Centre through Federation Square, and they will then board the Royal Tram.

The tram will travel south down Swanston St to Government House Drive.

The Queen and the Duke will then transfer to a car to make their way to Government House for a state reception.

Public viewing access will be at Federation Square, along the eastern side of Swanston St and the eastern side of Government House Drive.

The Royal Tram will run on Melbourne’s networks for a year after the Queen’s visit.

“Melburnians have always been proud of our tram network and the Queen’s tram ride in Melbourne will add to its rich history,” Premier Ted Baillieu said.

While there have been reports of Occupy Melbourne protesters disrupting the visit, their intentions will not be known until this evening.

The group claims on their Facebook page the Queen has never been discussed in its general assemblies.

But minutes posted on its website show her visit came up in discussion in its fourth and seventh meetings.

“Mitch (affiliated with Socialist Alliance, Resistance, Refugee Action Group, Climate Action…) proposed that we occupy a space before the Queen comes to Melbourne,” state minutes from the seventh meeting.

Group members did not reach a decision, but it is expected they will come up with one tonight.

Brisbane Tourism News: The Queen's Arrives in Brisbane

Queen Elizabeth has arrived in Brisbane for what could be the monarch's last visit to her namesake state.

The Queen, wearing a pale green coat and matching hat, and Prince Philip touched down at Brisbane airport just after 11am (AEST) on a flight from Canberra.

Hundreds of people gathered outside a security fence to watch the Queen's arrival, many waving Australian flags.

The royal couple was greeted by dignitaries including Queensland Premier Anna Bligh and Queensland Governor Penelope Wensley, who will accompany the royal couple on a cruise up the Brisbane River.

Ms Bligh, wearing a scarlet suit and cream hat, has said she'd do her best to paint a picture of the damage the surging river did to the city in January.

Governor Wensley greeted the Queen with a traditional curtsey, but Ms Bligh followed Prime Minister Julia Gillard's lead and bowed to the monarch.

The royal couple then climbed into a vehicle, bound for their river cruise.

Ms Bligh earlier admitted to being nervous about meeting the royal couple and said she'd look to the Queen for conservational cues during the river cruise, due to leave from Bretts Wharf ferry terminal at 11.30am (AEST).

'She'll be able to see a city that's well and truly recovered,' Ms Bligh told ABC radio earlier.

'I'll be pointing out the worst hit areas for her to see just how much things have improved since then.'

Royal watchers began staking out viewing positions early on Monday at sites along the river, including at the ferry terminal.

Among the scores of wellwishers at the site is die-hard royal watcher Shirley Rogers, who's brought along an elaborately wrapped tea towel as a present for the Queen.

Decked out in her finest pearls and a red hat, Ms Rogers said the Queen, who is 85, continued to show remarkable energy.

'I've always loved her. She's down to earth, so natural, a colourful person,' she told AAP.

Also there is Janice Warriner, who turned out to see the Queen on previous visits in 1954, 1970 and 1988.

'I like her as a person and I like the idea of a monarchy. I think it's not broken, so why fix it.'

The royal visit will focus heavily on Queensland's deadly summer of natural disasters.

On Monday afternoon, after arriving at South Bank, the Queen and Prince Philip will meet with flood and cyclone victims who lost family members and homes.

Ms Bligh said the Queen had expressed a strong desire to meet with people who'd suffered the most, and would see that beyond the 'shiny veneer' of recovery, many people were still hurting.

The royal couple will explore the river aboard the cruiser Pure Adrenalin, alongside the premier, her husband Greg Withers, Governor Wensley and her husband Stuart McCosker.

It should be a comfortable ride, the 27 metre luxury wave piercing catamaran is fully air conditioned with spacious viewing decks.

After her engagements at South Bank, the Queen's last stop will be Government House for a private lunch hosted by Governor Wensley, before he jets off.

The Queen's Arrives in Brisbane

Off With Her Head: Gillard's Greeting a Royal Mess

"The wobble" is how Prime Minister Julia Gillard's greeting to Queen Elizabeth II is being described after they met in Canberra yesterday.

Ms Gillard chose not to curtsy and instead opted for a head bow when she met the Queen, who had just arrived for her 16th tour of Australia.

But Australia's queen of etiquette, June Dally-Watkins, has strongly disapproved of Ms Gillard's greeting.

"I saw the Prime Minister kind of wobble and I didn't know, did she try to curtsy? I didn't know what she was doing. I just laughed," she said.

"I was laughing out loud because I thought it was really hilarious and of course very rude.

"But I just couldn't understand what that movement was. What was she doing?"

The Queen spent this morning cruising Canberra's Lake Burley Griffin and visiting the Canberra flower festival, Floriade.

She has no further public engagements today, but Her Majesty will spend this afternoon on a tour of the gardens at Government House in a solar-powered golf cart.

The monarch has asked to be taken to see the kangaroos in the grounds so she can take a photo.
'No obligatory code'

This morning, Ms Gillard said she chose to bow her head as she shook the Queen's hand because that is what she felt comfortable with.

"The advice to me was very clear - that you can make a choice with what you feel most comfortable with," she said.

"That's what I felt most comfortable with. The Queen extended her hand, and I shook her hand."
Audio: June Dally-Watkins critiques the Royal meeting (ABC News)

The official advice on meeting with the Queen is that there are "no obligatory codes of behaviour - just courtesy".

"However, many people wish to observe the traditional forms of greeting," the official Royal website says.

"For men, this is a neck bow (from the head only), whilst women do a small curtsy. Other people prefer simply to shake hands in the usual way."

But Ms Dally-Watkins says as Prime Minister, Ms Gillard should have gone with the traditional greeting.

She described yesterday's greeting as the lowest part of Ms Gillard's life and said instead of bowing her head, she should be hanging it in shame.

"I think it was not only funny, but it was shameful," she said.

"If she isn't a royalist, it's not a matter of that; it's a matter of paying courtesy, good manners to a queen, to the Queen.

"That was the expected thing to do and I thought not to do that shamed her tremendously."

Read on: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-10-20/gillard27s-royal-greeting-slammed/3581254

Queen Arrives for 16th Australia Visit

Canberra student James Rhodes received a nod from the Queen - but the 11-year-old may have cost himself the chance of a personal word with Her Majesty.

James was one of more than 200 children who lined Canberra's RAAF Fairbairn airfield on Wednesday to greet Queen Elizabeth II as she touched down in a British Airways 777 for her 16th visit to Australia, along with the Duke of Edinburgh.

Two students from every local school were asked to be part of the official welcoming party.

As they waited, James - unwilling to hold on to the bunch of flowers he'd brought for the Queen any longer - passed them to his Charles Conder Primary schoolmate, Emily Prior.

Emily was summarily handpicked to meet Her Majesty for a quick chat.

"He was the one that brought the flowers, but he didn't want to hold them," the excited 11-year-old told AAP.

"He's such a gentleman."

She told the story to the Queen, who thanked them and said that she was pleased to be in Australia.

James was hard-pressed to say if he was entirely happy he'd palmed the flowers off, but was still pleased he'd come within arm's reach of Australia's monarch.

Asked what Her Majesty meant to him, he said: "She's a nice old lady that's the same age as my grandmother, so be really nice to her!"

The Queen and Prince Philip have arrived in Australia for a 10-day visit, which will take in the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Perth and day trips to Brisbane and Melbourne.

The tour kicked off smoothly on Wednesday afternoon, with the pair greeted not only by schoolchildren and the obligatory pack of photographers, but also several hundred bystanders who lined the fence of the airbase, about 400m away.

There was a small scheduling hitch when the plane landed 20 minutes ahead of its 6pm arrival time, with the big Boeing forced to wait on the tarmac for at least 15 minutes until the arrival of Governor-General Quentin Bryce.

When the Queen emerged, she looked fetching in a blue/green coat and matching hat (plus black accessories - tote, heels and gloves), despite what is usually a 20 hour-plus flight from England.

She and Prince Phillip then descended the stairs to greet the VIPs - receiving a curtsy from Ms Bryce, but just a handshake and slight bow from Prime Minister Julia Gillard and ACT Chief Minister Katy Gallagher.

They listened to the standard 21-gun salute and both the British and Australian national anthems before the Queen met the official welcoming party.

She received more flowers - this time from Margaret Cunningham, who presented a similar bunch to the Queen when she first visited Australia in 1954.

The Queen then met the waiting children and their parents.

An "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie" and three cheers for the Queen later, it was into a shiny black Range Rover and off to Government House, which will be the official royal residence in Canberra.

The royal duo have a big itinerary planned, which starts in earnest on Thursday with a visit to the capital's famed flower show, Floriade.

Crowds are expected to gather on the shore of Lake Burley Griffin from 10.30am (AEDT) to catch a glimpse of the couple as they make their way by barge.

More official meetings are planned for Friday, while church and a special banquet for invited guests at Government House are expected to feature on Sunday.

They will travel to Brisbane on Monday, back to Canberra on Tuesday and onto Melbourne on Wednesday before attending the opening ceremy of CHOGM in Perth on Friday week.

The royal couple will leave Australia on Saturday, October 28

By Crystal Ja

(Source: news.ninemsn.com.au)

Going Gaga for Queen Elizabeth

Queen Elizabeth II begins this week her 16th official tour of Australia, competing with Lady Gaga and Oprah Winfrey as the biggest celebrity visitor down under in the past year as her fame outweighs her political relevance in a country where she is officially the head of state.

Arriving late Wednesday in the capital Canberra, where she will meet Prime Minister Julia Gillard—who publicly supports Australia's becoming a republic—the queen will take trips to Brisbane and Melbourne before traveling to Perth to open the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

"The queen's visit now is less a factor in politics than it is popular entertainment," Richard Stanton, senior lecturer in political communication at University of Sydney, said. "She is seen today by a generation in the same way Lady Gaga is seen."

Still, it's hard to picture the queen's hand-waving and flower-show excursions inspiring the hysteria that celebrities do. Lady Gaga, for instance, was granted honorary citizenship to Sydney when she flew in for a single concert in July, and Oprah Winfrey's visit last December was celebrated with a giant "O" installed on the Sydney Harbor Bridge.

The queen's visit isn't expected to reignite a debate over cutting the links that make her Australia's head of state—as much as Australia's Republican Movement wishes otherwise. The lobby plans receptions in each of the major cities the 85-year-old queen plans to visit to push for a constitutional change making Australia a republic, with an elected president as head of state.

Support in Australia for the constitutional change is falling despite weakening cultural and economic ties to the U.K. China is now Australia's top trading partner, with the U.K. at No. 10 last year.

Australians overwhelmingly voted against becoming a republic in 1999, and while a poll two years later showed 52% favored the change, since then the trend has been down: to 45% in 2007 and 41% earlier this year, according to a Newspoll survey ahead of the royal wedding of the Queen's grandson Prince William and Kate Middleton.

A representative for the queen was unreachable for comment on the subject, though the queen herself has previously said that she wouldn't oppose Australia's becoming a republic.

And while the ruling Labor party is pro-Republican, it's not exactly firebrand. "I support Australia becoming a republic, but I have said that realistically that will only occur when the current monarch's reign ends," Defense Minister Stephen Smith said in an interview ahead of the queen's visit. "It is a sensible thing for Australia to become a republic, that is an inevitable process. I have never seen or envisaged that occurring in advance of the current monarch's reign ceasing."

The conservative coalition led by Tony Abbott is wholly against the country's becoming a republic. His office said he wouldn't support it even in the event of a change in monarch.

Australia's relationship with Buckingham Palace hasn't always been so easy-going. In 1975 the queen's then-representative in Australia, Governor-General Sir John Kerr, forced a near political coup when in an unprecedented act he used his royal powers to dismiss Prime Minister Gough Whitlam and his entire government over a financing crisis. That left a bitter taste and began a significant change in Australian political culture away from the U.K. and the royal family.

"There was a strong perception that the monarchy had played a role and that Sir John was doing the bidding of the royal family," Mr. Stanton said.

Still, the governor general—now Quentin Bryce—remains in place, continuing a system of governance that dates back to the first colony in 1788. She consults with and represents the monarch on matters from the royal image on stamps and coins to ceremonial colors for military units.

This royal trip isn't expected to be a news maker, unlike the tour by then-Princess Elizabeth in 1952; it was while en route to Australia via Kenya she learned her father had died, making her queen. Nor is it likely to match the 1868 visit by her ancestor Prince Alfred, second son of Queen Victoria, who was shot in Sydney by an Irishman named Henry James O'Farrell. He recovered quickly, and a hospital in the city was named in his honor. (On this visit, the queen has chosen to skip Sydney.)

But any royal visit will deliver some ceremony—perhaps an argument for the royalist side in the constitutional debate. "It's nice to have a bit of color instead of the dullness of republicanism," said ardent monarchist John Armfield, a 50-year-old barrister who lives on Sydney's North Shore.

There also may be a couple of constitutional developments during the queen's trip, such as changes to the centuries-old rules governing royal succession. British Prime Minister David Cameron is seeking the consent of 15 Commonwealth nations in Perth to allow the first-born women in the royal line to ascend to the throne ahead of their brothers (Queen Elizabeth's father George VI had only daughters) and for those in the line of succession to be allowed to marry a Catholic without forfeiting their claim.

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Perth to serve 120,000 Snags at Queen's 'Largest-Ever' Barbecue

About 120,000 sausages and 1500 litres of tomato sauce will be served at the Queen's Big Aussie Barbecue in Perth later this month.

Tens of thousands of West Australians are expected to crowd Perth Foreshore to share a snag with Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip on October 29, in what Premier Colin Barnett said would be an internationally historic event.

The royal couple will travel in a slow motorcade before stepping out to "mingle" with families, albeit behind a roped off path.

At least $250,000 is expected to be raised from gold coin donations for the sausage sizzle.

The money will be donated to the Australian Red Cross, Legacy, Clontarf Academy and Activ Foundation.

The Queen will be in Perth to open the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, which runs October 28 to 30.

She will also attend a state dinner and visit Canberra, Brisbane and Melbourne before arriving in Perth.

Mr Barnett said families were encouraged to make the most of the public barbecue – which will include free entertainment – and bring picnic baskets and blankets.

Ten screens would be set up throughout The Esplanade and Langley Park to maximise viewing.

"This is a very rare, unique and special opportunity for West Australians to take part in a great Aussie barbecue and to see the Queen and Prince Philip first hand," he said.

"I don't believe there are any other public events of this scale [involving the Queen] in history.

"This is a wonderful public event for all West Australians. I don't think there are many precedents for that."

The state government will fund infrastructure and entertainment for the event, while Bunnings will provide 120 barbecues that will later be donated to WA charities, and Coles will donate the food and drink.

About 600 volunteers will man the barbecues.

Alcohol will be banned and Mr Barnett urged protestors not to cause trouble but conceded security would not be tight.

"Why would a morning tea barbecue get rowdy? This is Perth, Western Australia," he said.

"West Australians are fun loving, good people and they will come along with the right attitude."

The event will run 9am to 12.15pm, while the Queen and Prince Philip will attend for an hour.

Visitors are encouraged to use free public transport.

Source: http://www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/perth-to-serve-120000-snags-at-queens-largestever-barbecue-20111013-1lmp1.html#ixzz1ai5xXVm1

Australia's Royal Love Affair

When Britain's Queen Elizabeth arrives in Australia next week, protocol says she should be addressed as Queen of Australia - something that will grate with republicans who want to sever ties with Britain and appoint an Australian president.

The royal tour, possibly the queen's last to Australia given her 85 years and the long distance from Buckingham Palace, will reignite debate on whether the nation should become a republic.

Australia is a constitutional monarchy, with the British monarch its head of state who acts in predominately a ceremonial manner but has the power to approve the abolition of parliament, which happened in 1975 toppling the then government.

But republicans concede any debate will be short lived and their dream of an Australian republic and president will remain just that - for many years to come.

Time, politics and apathy have all conspired against Australia's republicans. And republicans know there is no appetite to put the issue back on the national agenda.

An opinion poll this week revealed support for the monarchy had risen to 55% of the population, while support for a republic was at its lowest level in 23 years at 34%.

"Politicians on both sides say they believe in a republic but none of them is confident of its electoral appeal to bring it forward," said Mike Keating, chairman of the Australian Republic Movement.

"It makes me feel personally, and the republican movement generally, a bit despondent about the state of Australian politics."

In contrast, Australia's monarchists, who defeated a national vote to become a republic in 1999, are giddy with excitement about Queen Elizabeth's 16th "Down Under" royal tour.

"The magic of monarchy still has a place and we saw that at the royal wedding and we will see it during the royal visit. There is great affection for the queen," said Professor David Flint, head of Australians for Constitutional Monarchy (ACM).

After their 1999 defeat, republicans thought they were given a second chance when Labor Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was elected in 2007, promising another plebiscite on a republic.

But Rudd was toppled in a 2010 party room coup by current Labor Prime Minister Julia Gillard, and although a republican, she heads a minority government struggling to survive and has no desire to raise the divisive republican issue.

Gillard, like many republicans, now says Australia will not become a republic until Queen Elizabeth dies, such is the affection for the queen in Australia.

Keating says "it's essentially just putting the issue off", while monarchists say no future government would dare raise the issue in the wake of a royal funeral or coronation.

"It is completely off the public agenda," said Flint. "The republican politicians say they want a plebiscite. They won't get it."

If opinion polls are correct, then Gillard will be ousted at the next election in 2013 in favour of conservative opposition leader Tony Abbott, a staunch monarchist. If that is the case, the earliest republicans can expect another vote would be after the 2016 election, and only if a republican is prime minister.

Republicans-in-waiting?

Australians have fought alongside Britain in every major war, but there has always been an anti-British streak running through the country.

Gold miners staged the failed Eureka stockade rebellion against British taxation in 1854. During a royal visit in 1868, Queen Victoria's son, Prince Alfred, was shot in an assassination attempt as he picnicked on Bondi Beach.

Twenty years ago, a small band of Australians met in Sydney to form the Australian Republican Movement. On a wet and miserable night in Sydney in July, many of the same people held a 20th anniversary dinner.

It was a "sodden night when only fools and fanatics would venture out, 150 rusted-on believers in an Australian republic gathered for an evening of warm reminiscence", founding member Mark Day wrote of the event.

"But the warmth could not hide the bleak reality. We held a party, few came and fewer noticed," said Day.

Day recalled the black humour talk of treason and sedition when the movement was formed, the optimism in the 1990s that a republic would be formed, and how the nation's "heart was broken" when the republic vote was lost.

"Twenty years on from the original push and a dozen on from the referendum, when will the time be right to have another go? Certainly not now. There is a toxic mood in public affairs at present," said Day.

"The Gillard government has its back to the wall and it appears the voters have stopped listening."

Australia's royal love affair

During Queen Elizabeth's 1963 Australian royal tour, then Prime Minister Sir Robert Menzies said: "I did but see her passing by, and yet I love her till I die."

For most, Queen Elizabeth is the only monarch they have known and the emotional connection resonates with many, especially older, Australians.

Monarchist Jai Martinkovits, 24, says many young Australians also have a soft spot for the queen, just like they would their grandmother, and now a growing affinity with the young royals, like Prince William, Kate and Harry.

"The young royals are huge in raising awareness about what this institution is and why it is relevant. I think with that will flow further support for the monarchy," he said.

Martinkovits is the youngest executive director of the ACM and reflects a push to attract young Australians to the cause. ACM's Facebook has 22,000 fans and its website 12 million hits.

But it is apathy towards politics amongst young Australians that is the main reason they do not support a republic, said Martinkovits, who admits he became involved by accident when he dated the ACM secretary.

"If we look at the polls, there are two categories of people who have very, very little support for a republic. The elderly are passionate monarchists and young people are apathetic and generally conservative to change," he said.

Flint said support for the monarchy was support for Australia's stable political system and not directly driven by a desire to have a queen or king as head of state.

"I think there is strong support for the existing system which incorporates the crown," he said.

"They don't completely understand the precise role of the crown, but they have a sense that this is something that is not political and understand that you need checks and balances on power."

Australia is a nation of immigrants with one in four people born overseas and Flint believes many migrant Australians oppose a republic because of past experiences in countries where presidential power was abused.

The zenith of the republic debate in the 1990s was wrapped around the issue of national identity as it coincided with a time of reflection as Australia neared the 2000 Sydney Olympics and its centenary as a nation in 2001.

The past decade has seen the national focus shift to more pragmatic issues, bracketed by global economic woes.

Some republicans hope that from 2014, Australians will enter another period of self-examination and rekindle the republican dream.

The ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) centenaries starting in 2014 will mark Australia's greatest military battles, especially the defeat under British command at Gallipoli during World War One.

"In the years ahead we will surely reflect on the critical elements that contributed to the Australian psyche," said Day.

"Republicanism and the ANZAC image - laconic self-reliance and insolence towards the British generals - are easy bedfellows."

Source: http://tvnz.co.nz/world-news/australia-s-royal-love-affair-4460454

Queen to Get a $2m Aussie Party

TAXPAYERS will spend nearly $2 million to entertain the Queen, world leaders and delegates attending the opening ceremony of the CHOGM talks later this month.

Government tender documents confirm Australians have already been handed a bill for $21 million to stage the talks, a cost expected to nearly triple to $58 million.

The Great Big Events company, which produced the Sydney Olympics, has secured the contract for the 2011 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) to be held in Perth later this month.

A further $500,000 will be paid to Globecast Australia to organise broadcast services.

Luxury hotels in Perth will secure a $10 million payday. But the majority of that money will eventually be reimbursed to Australian taxpayers by member states attending the talks.

Leaders from 54 nations including British Prime Minister David Cameron will fly into Australia for the meeting which will run from October 28 to 30.

While the government will foot the accommodation bill for world leaders, foreign ministers and one senior official to attend the talks, member states will be asked to reimburse taxpayers for the cost for additional delegates.

"The Commonwealth currently has contracts in place with a number of accommodation venues worth approximately $10.1 million," a spokesperson for the CHOGM Taskforce said.

"The figure represents the total contract value. Deposits were paid in order to secure accommodation in Perth for member states and operational staff, and the deposits will be refunded to the Commonwealth. The majority of rooms held under these contracts will be paid for by the attending member states."

World leaders will stay at the Pan Pacific and the Hyatt which has secured $3 million in contracts. But the cost to taxpayers of world leaders accommodation is expected to be around $500,000.

Responsibility for security arrangements for CHOGM 2011 is shared between the Australian government and the Western Australian government. Preparations are in full swing in Perth with motorcades operating practice runs at 3am this week.

The total cost of the security operation will not be known for months.

Princess Mary to Pay Official Visit to Melbourne & Sydney

Denmark's Crown Princess Mary will attend two Alannah and Madeline Foundation events in Melbourne as part of her official visit to Australia in November.

Tasmanian-born Princess Mary and her husband, Crown Prince Frederik, will attend a lunch supporting the foundation's eSmart cybersafe program and its Starry Starry Night gala ball.

Princess Mary is the international patron of the Alannah and Madeline Foundation, a charity aimed at protecting children from violence.

The November 26 events will fill the last day of the royal couple's week-long official Australian visit.

Alannah and Madeline Foundation chief executive Judith Slocombe said the foundation was honoured to have the royal couple attend their events.

"In her role as international patron, the Crown Princess was instrumental in helping to gain initial support for eSmart during her visit to Australia in 2008," Dr Slocombe said in a statement.

The eSmart program is a framework for helping schools manage cybersafety and deal with cyberbullying and has been tested in 159 schools.

The foundation is working with the Victorian and Queensland governments to install it in all government schools in those states.

Princess Mary has been the Alannah and Madeline Foundation international patron since 2005 and in 2008 attended a dinner to help raise money for the development of eSmart.

The foundation says key business leaders and philanthropists from around the country will join the royal couple for next month's eSmart lunch, while the Starry Starry Night ball is already sold out.

Princess Mary and Prince Frederik are visiting Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra as guests of the federal government from November 19 to 26, in their first official visit to Australia as a couple since 2005.

They will also lead a business delegation focused on green energy, sustainable living and food technologies during their visit, which the government says is an opportunity to enhance trade and business ties in these areas between Australia and Denmark.

View source: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/princess-mary-to-pay-official-visit-to-melbourne-20111011-1li9d.html#ixzz1aRgQybbF

West Australians to have the chance to see The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh in Perth

Premier Colin Barnett today welcomed the announcement by Buckingham Palace that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will also undertake a State Royal Visit to Western Australia when she travels to officially open the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) next month.

“West Australians will have the chance to see the Royal couple during their visit and we hope to announce details of this as soon as possible,” Mr Barnett said.

“The itinerary will include public appearances. This is a wonderful opportunity for the State to show our vibrant capital city at its best to the world.

Last night Buckingham Palace announced that The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh would arrive in Canberra on Wednesday October 19 before travelling to Perth on Wednesday October 26 for CHOGM 2011. They will depart Australia from Perth on Saturday October 29.

"This will mark The Queen’s eighth visit to WA and detailed planning for the Royal couple's visit to WA will now be stepped-up following this exciting announcement," the Premier said.

CHOGM 2011 will be the biggest event to be held in Perth for almost 50 years, with the leaders of more than 50 Commonwealth nations set to participate.

“This announcement today reinforces just how important a year 2011 will be for us in WA. The State Government has been working on a series of events which will allow West Australians to be part of the excitement of CHOGM 2011,” Mr Barnett said.