Vale Queen Elizabeth 11

Queens visit and drive through Mundaring in 1954

Mundaring Post Office decorated for the Queens drive through Mundaring

This week our media is full of images and stories on Queen Elizabeth's life and death. We thought we would show you the pictures and we have in archives on the Queen's drive through Mundaring in 1954 on her way to Northam.

At the start of 1954 the country was already planning for the Queen's first visit to Australia. This was slightly tempered by the outbreak of Poliomyelitis (Polio). Polio is an infectious and sometimes paralytic disease. Amongst other measures, people were encouraged to wash their hands and the gathering of crowds was discouraged. Even swimming lessons at Lake Leschenaultia were cancelled.

Mundaring War Memorial decorated in pink belladonna lillies

The Queen and Prince Phillip were to spend seven days in Australia and 60,000 schoolchildren were meant to gather at Claremont Showgrounds. This gathering was cancelled due to the health concerns. Instead the health authorities agreed that groups of schoolchildren should assemble along the roads that the Queen's entourage was to travel.

One the 8th February each child was given a Union Jack flag to wave as the Queen drove past. The date for the entourage to visit Mundaring was the 31st March.

The Mundaring Post Office from another angle

The royal couple left Government House at 10.20am and was scheduled to arrive at Northam for an official reception at 12.20pm.

The Mundaring townsite was decorated with Zamia palm fronds and flowers of many colors. Because of the many positive diagnoses of the virus, only children from Mundaring, Mundaring Weir, and Parkerville were permitted to gather at Mundaring with gaps of 9 metres between each group. Glen Forrest and Darlington children gathered at the junction of Darlington Road and Great Eastern Highway.

Another patriotic business - Digby's Store decorated for the visit

The entourage sped through Midland, Mundaring and Chidlow where it slowed down to allow the tuberculosis patients at the state Sanatorium in Wooroloo to see their Queen.

After the receptions at Northam and York, the group stopped on the side of the York Road and a picnic rug was laid down to allow the royal couple to have a cup of tea under the shade of some jarrah trees.