Queen Elizabeth II’s 1954 tour helped redeem its reputation after earlier royal disaster

A Royal tour that stopped in Bendigo in December 1867 was marred by tragedy, but the historic city’s reputation was redeemed when the Queen visited in the early 1950s.

THE glittering success of Queen Elizabeth II’s tour in 1954 helped Bendigo redeem its reputation from a royal disaster site, to that of a golden city.

The young Queen was greeted by a crowd of about 100,000 enthusiastic onlookers and she inspected the local railway.

It was the opportunity Bendigo needed to put its best foot forward, having endured catastrophes during a previous attempt to put on a fitting royal reception.

Her Majesty in Bendigo on March 5, 1954. Photo: Public Record Office Victoria

The celebrations for the feted tour of Bendigo by Prince Alfred Duke of Edinburgh in December 1867 went badly awry and were marred by tragedy.

The worst of it became known as the Galatea Float Tragedy, which claimed the lives of three young boys who had climbed into a processional float laden with fireworks and caught fire.

The second mishap occurred at the Prince Alfred Ballroom, which was built outside the Town Hall for a special reception, and was destroyed by fire the night before the event was due to take place.

The city‘s history of royal visits were recently revisited for the Rule Britannia, the golden city: royal visits to Bendigo exhibition staged by the Bendigo Art Gallery.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth leaving Bendigo Railway Station with Mayor Cr F Clayton in 1954. Photo: State Library of Victoria, supplied by Bendigo Art Gallery

The exhibition included a letter of thanks written by Queen Elizabeth II to the Mayor of Bendigo after the 1954 visit.

“I thank you for the wonderful reception you have given to me and to my husband. I greatly appreciate your references to the late King, and to my mother.

“From them I have learned much about the early history of this famous City, of the gold it has produced and of its later development as the centre of a region renowned for its primary and secondary industries.

“We are very glad to have been able to visit Bendigo and our visit here today will live long in our memories. May God bless you all.”

The City of Greater Bendigo lowered its flags to half mast this morning and shared a tribute on its public forums.

“For almost all of us, she has been the Queen all of our lives and today we have lost a selfless and timeless leader.

The Queen Elizabeth Oval was renamed in her honour following her visit in 1954, just nine months after her coronation, when Her Majesty toured 57 Australian cities in 58 days.

Vale Queen Elizabeth. We shall keep calm and carry on, but it is unlikely we will ever again see a reign so respected around the world.