Queen makes waves on Lake Burley Griffin

By NATALIE PLUMMER

AS the Queen sped past in the Admirals barge, the lakes edge was a cluster of eager faces. In unison the crowd reached forward itching to get closer, their phones and cameras flashing and snapping to document the scene.

Some younger boys ran to catch up while the rest of the crowd turned to one another in bewilderment. She wasn’t mucking about.

For some, the hour-plus-wait was well worth a morsel like taste of the royal family. But for others half the fun was simply being out. As if hibernation had finished, all the animals had come out to stretch and sun themselves in wake of the long Canberra winter.

Earlier that morning, while the Queen prepared for her day, Canberra took to the lake in grossly large numbers.

Car parks were full. Some forced to four-wheel-drive, front-wheel-cars, over log barricades to snag a park. The gentle hum of an excited crowd could be heard coming from the water’s edge.

A lady wearing a red dress and large floppy hat walked down, followed closely by her two children. They had gotten a half day off school.

“We thought we would come and see the queen because she’s our monarch” said Thelma Johnson, mother of two. “It is quite a unique experience because she isn’t here very often.”

Johnson was surprised at the number of people that had come out.

“It’s a work day and people have to make an extra effort,” she said.

Gaurar Awadhwal, taking a break from classes, believed the crowd was not too worried about seeing the Queen.

“It’s Canberra, what else is there to do?” he said.

When asked about the Queen’s relevance to modern day Australia, the two agreed the Queen’s presence was a positive thing.

“The monarchy lacks a huge amount of relevance to current day Australia, but it’s not too big of a deal, I wouldn’t want a republic or anything,” Awadhwal said.

Johnson was more fond of the Queen and Australia’s current system.

“A monarch and a democracy create stability,” she said. “I think a lot of democracies around the world that have monarchs are very stable places and very safe places to live.”

As time passed, many began to wonder if they would actually see the Queen. Awadhwal was a bit doubtful.

“I’m not sure if we will,” he said.

The lake was now buzzing with activity, dogs, bikes, and children running with ice creams, the kind dipped in chocolate sauce and sprinkles.

Colourful hats and umbrellas dotted the lakes shore, those in the shade comfy with fold out chairs and snacks.

A small, worn out boat coasted past. “The Queen” one group exclaimed, erupting in laughter. Further out, the fountain sprang to life, shooting water in to the air like a pistol.

A woman

posed for photos with enthusiastic tourists, the English flag pulled across her body.
Out on the lake, three men slowly approached on stand up paddle boards, surfing on motionless water.

Two journalists set upon a young girl carrying a sign with the words: “lve lizzy”. The girl posed for a quick photo and then was gone.

Meanwhile, the sun continued to beat down. More people opting for the shade of large, leafy trees. A breeze began to softly blow.

For some, the Queen’s 16th trip to Australia carries with it some sentimental value. Queen Elizabeth II made her first trip to Australia in 1954. It was one of her largest tours the Queen travelled to over 70 towns and cities, spending almost two months in Australia.

Roger Amos and his wife saw her in 1954 and thought it would be nice to see her again, together, many years later. Wearing a floppy brimmed hat with a print of the Australian flag, Amos said he was surprised and happy with the number of people that had turned up to see the Queen.

This time, the Queen will be in Australia for ten days only, travelling to Canberra, Perth, Melbourne and Brisbane.

While the Queen had made Canberra wait, the public didn’t seem to mind. Those at work got a break from the office, chucking a “queenie”, and students more time off school.

It could be the Australian easy-going culture, which makes everyone so relaxed about an event like this. But when the Queen finally sped past in her barge, the crowd was instantly transformed.

All she would have seen looking back was a bunch of crazy galahs — squawking and flapping about on a hot and sunny day.

And RUSSELL AYRES wrote:

THE day could not have been planned any better, and those in attendance knew it. It was the Queen’s 16th visit to Australia and possibly her last. You could be forgiven for thinking that Canberra and the gods had been planning this visit since the Queen’s first arrival to Australia in 1954.

Not a cloud in the sky, a perfect temperature in the mid-twenties and not a breath of wind to speak of. The crowd was enthusiastically awaiting her appearance as thousands lined the shores of the Lake Burley Griffin, ready for her arrival.

People of all backgrounds had come to see the Queen — black, white, English speaking, non-English speaking. It was a day that included everyone and brought with it a real community atmosphere.

Children played on the grass while parents chatted excitedly. Work colleagues exchanged conversation, clearly pleased to be in the sun and not cooped up in the office.

The elderly stood patiently, clearly caught up in the buzz that the Queen would be arriving shortly.

The atmosphere was made better by the lack of visible security presence in the area.

While probably sprinkled through the crowd in reasonable numbers, there wasn’t the feeling in the crowd that you were meant to be aware of a heavy police presence.

Even the most hardened republicans would find it difficult not to be caught up in the atmosphere.

Andy Batstone, formerly a Briton, now a Belconnen resident waiting to see the Queen, said that people’s excitement in Australia surrounding the Queen may not be seen again for a long time.

“She’s a good role model and a good leader and when she passes on I’m not sure how Australia will feel about the next people coming through,” he said.

Angela Pinney ,of Ngunnawal, said that her family’s love of all royals was too much to ignore when it came to deciding whether or not to line the shores of Lake Burley Griffin.

“My grandmother loves them,” she said. “When she got out of her operation, her first words were ‘has Mary had her twins yet’” she said (in reference to Denmark’s Crown Princess Mary).

Out on the lake itself, you could have been forgiven for thinking it was just another beautiful Spring day.

There were rowers and kayakers gliding through the water along with the occasional commercial cruise boat.

Aside from the crowds lining the shore, one wouldn’t know that the Queen herself was about to come past in her speed boat.

The time ticked over to 11am and the famous Captain Cook Memorial Jet shot off into the sky, which was a sure sign that her majesty was about to arrive.

Crowds on the hills pushed toward the shore line, cameras at the ready.

Minutes later, in the distance, the Queen’s boat arrived, cutting through the water at a gentle pace.

Waving to the crowd, you could hear the people cheer on the other side of the lake as her boat passed them by.

Slowly but surely the boat turned away from one side of the lake and headed to the other, ready to dock at the entrance to Floriade.

Again the crowds cheered as the Queen waived, dressed in matching lilac hat and coat.

As the boat docked at the wharf, the plank from the boat was lowered and Queen Elizabeth the Second stepped foot on solid ground, ready for her visit to Floriade.

Amateur photographers battled forward with some professional photographers, all in a bid to snap that once in a lifetime photograph – such as this on by UC student JELISA APPS.

The royal party had arrived and the excitement was contagious. The Queen smiled, waived, accepted gifts from children who were eagerly anticipating her arrival, before walking slowly into the grounds of Floriade, surrounded by royal party members and security.

For most of the viewing public, the Queen’s appearance lasted merely minutes but the buzz around the crowd lasted much longer.

The crowd moved away, exchanging stories of how close they were to the Queen while journalists interviewed people for both tv and radio about their unique experiences.

It was a day that will never be forgotten by those who witnessed it.

If that is the last time the shores of Lake Burley Griffin see the Queen, it was certainly a wonderful day to finish on.

Royal perfection!