A state fit for a Queen: Elizabeth’s long relationship with South Australia, and each of her visits

The Queen visited SA seven times between 1954 and 2002, travelling to a remarkably broad cross-section of the state. Look back at her visits – and all the photos.

Buckingham Palace is more than 16,000km from Adelaide, but Queen Elizabeth II had a long and enduring relationship with our city and state.

An entire suburb, then more a satellite city in its own right, was named in honour of the young queen in 1955, and – fittingly – Elizabeth became the new home for a generation of British post-war immigrants hoping to start a new life in Australia.

The Queen made seven visits to our state, in 1954, 1963, 1977, 1981, 1986, 1992 and 2002, giving several generations of South Australians a personal memory of a warm and personable monarch.

A YOUNG QUEEN ARRIVES – 1954

Her first visit was in 1954, with the new queen and her husband Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, touching down at Parafield Airport on March 18.

They were met by Premier, Thomas Playford, and an estimated 200,000 people lined the route from the airport to Government House to catch a glimpse of the glamorous young couple. The visit came two years after the then-Princess Elizabeth had to cancel her first visit to Australia after she was forced to rush back to Britain following the death of her beloved father King George VI.

On Friday, March 19, even more people turned out to watch the Royal Progress through Adelaide, with 300,000 people gathering on the footpaths and in the parks – an incredible fact given the city’s population at the time was around 480,000.

In the afternoon the Royal couple were taken to the races at Morphettville and to the Adelaide Oval for a cricket match between country teams.

During the following week the Royal couple visited Whyalla, Port Lincoln and Renmark, saw children gathered at the Wayville Showgrounds, with the Queen also opening parliament.

HOLDENS AND SCHOOL CHILDREN – 1963

On the Queen’s 1963 tour she visited the General Motors-Holden car factory in the suburb named in her honour, greeted schoolchildren at Ridley Reserve and unveiled a fountain in Windsor Green.

According to a newsreel from the time, the Queen and Prince Philip inspected a Holden sedan “broken down into its 17,000 parts” before getting a look at two new vehicles – an EH sedan and wagon that had just rolled off the line.

The Queen is greeted by the Lord Mayor Mr John Glover at the Adelaide Town Hall in 1963.

A LOVE OF HORSES – 1977

In 1977 the Queen took a stroll down the newly opened Rundle Mall with Premier Don Dunstan and his wife Adele Koh and visited Glenelg with Prince Philip, again drawing huge crowds.

During the rather hectic visit the royal couple also found time to officially open the Festival Theatre and visit Colin Hayes’s Lindsay Park Stud in the Barossa Valley, where the Queen was able to indulge her love of horses and horse racing.

While there she met and bonded with a dashing stallion called Without Fear, with the Australian Government later sending a filly sired by the horse to England for the Queen to race.

Queen Elizabeth II in Adelaide: 1954, 1963 & 1977

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The Queen with racehorse owner-trainer Colin Hayes (left) photographing the horse Without Fear at Lindsay Park stud, Angaston.

A BRIEF VISIT – 1981

The Queen’s 1981 visit to South Australia with Prince Philip was something of a whistlestop tour, spending just a few hours in the state to meet with air force personnel and their families at the RAAF Base Edinburgh before continuing on to Perth.

The Queen with SA Premier David Tonkin and Prue Tonkin, meeting children from Adelaide at the Adelaide Country Club in 1981.

HEYSEN, THE PORT AND ABERFOYLE HIGH – 1986

South Australia received much more attention on the Royal visit of 1986, with the Queen and Prince Philip spending five days in the state.

While here they planted a tree at the Old Gum Tree at Glenelg, attended a dinner with the other Donald Dunstan – the Governor – viewed an exhibition of paintings by Hans Heysen, and went to the opera.

The Royal couple also visited Aberfoyle Park High School before travelling to Whyalla where they had lunch in the Council Chamber, visited Yeltana Nursing Home. Before leaving the state the following day the Queen and Prince Philip took time to visit Port Adelaide.

Queen Elizabeth II in SA: 1981 & 1986

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The Queen and Prince Philip aboard the Royal barge, which almost made it to the Glenelg jetty but was forced back due to strong winds and swell.

LUNCH AND LION ARTS – 1992

On the 1992 tour the Royal Couple were in Adelaide for just one day, having lunch with the Premier John Bannon and Lord Mayor Steve Condous before opening the Lion Arts Centre and having afternoon tea with the Governor Dame Roma Mitchell.

Queen Elizabeth II meeting the people in Adelaide in 1992.

A NEW MILLENNIUM – 2002

After a gap of ten years, the Queen and Prince Philip returned in 2002, meeting with the Prime Minister John Howard, greeting the public on Kintore Avenue and meeting representatives of the Adelaide Hills Kennel Club at Government House.

The following day they visited Gawler and the Barossa Valley, with the Queen opening Chateau Barossa Rose Garden and the High Care Facility at Tanunda Lutheran Home.

Queen Elizabeth II in South Australia: 1992 & 2002

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Queen Elizabeth II is greeted in Gawler. Picture: Tricia Johnson

During her reign South Australia has had 15 premiers – Playford, Walsh, Dunstan, Hall, Corcoran, Tonkin, Bannon, Arnold, Brown, Olsen, Kerin, Rann, Weatherill, Marshall, Malinauskas – and 14 governors.

On every visit huge crowds turned out to show their love and respect for the monarch, lining our streets with flags and flowers in hand, wishing her well.

While our capital city may have been named in honour of another queen, the hearts of South Australians very much belonged to Elizabeth.

Originally published as A state fit for a Queen: Elizabeth’s long relationship with South Australia, and each of her visits