Queen Elizabeth II LOOKOUT February 1974

This month is fifty years since the Royal Visit of Norfolk Island, with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and his Royal Highness the Prince Philip (Duke of Edinburgh) along with Her Royal Highness the Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips and Lord Louis Mountbatten visited Norfolk Island on their Royal Tour including New Zealand, Australia, Papa New Guinea and other South Pacific Islands on Her Majesty’s Royal Yacht Britannia.

During the Royal Visit in February 1974, Her Majesty officially opened the “Queen Elizabeth II Lookout” unveiling the bronze plaque, which is a centre piece at the beautiful Kingston, Norfolk Island lookout.

This plaque reads:

“This plaque was unveiled by her Majesty The Queen on the occasion of the Royal visit to Norfolk Island in February 1974, the Bi-Centenary Year of the Discovery of the Island by Captain James Cook on 10 October 1774.”

During the Commonwealth Games Queens Batton Relay, it is always special to photograph the Batton at the lookout, next to the Royal plaque. I always enjoy stopping at the lookout and enjoying the view and reading the information boards. This area had a recent upgrade and there are now picnic tables and

additional seats for visitors to enjoy the wonderful view across the Kingston World Heritage Area, named KAVHA, and the ocean view out to Nepean Island and Phillip Island.

In 2023 a collection of Australian postal stamps was issued which included sweeping views from Queen Elizabeth II Lookout, including the Georgian buildings of Kingston’s Quality Row, Nepean Island and Phillip Island. Queen Elizabeth II officially opened the lookout in 1974 during her Royal Visit to Norfolk Island.

In 1952 Queen Elizabeth II acceded to the throne at the age of 25 upon the death of her father, George VI, on 5 February 1952. The following year was the Coronation of Her Majesty on 5 June 1953. Here on Norfolk Island in 1952, an Avenue of Pines were planted, and the road was renamed Queen Elizabeth Avenue.

On Queen’s Birthday, 13 June 2022, a community Morning Tea Garden Party was held for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, celebrating the Diamond Jubilee. The community gathered at the Queen Victoria Gardens on Queen Elizabeth II Avenue and a tree was planted in Her Majesty’s honour as the community celebrated the special occasion and shared her history of stories of Her 1974 visit and the Royal links with Norfolk Island and Pitcairn Island.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II died peacefully at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on 8 September 2022. After the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the community on Norfolk Island shared images of the Royal visit to Norfolk Island in 1974, with fond memories of meeting Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and his Royal Highness the Prince Philip (Duke of Edinburgh) along with Her Royal Highness the Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips. The Royal visit entertainment was recorded, and the video was shared on social media, showing the delightful Sugar Plum Ballet, and Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II was recorded as laughing and enjoying the men ballerinas as they danced on stage.

Her Majesty State Funeral was organised for 19 September, UK time, and during the days following her death, Queen Elizabeth II Lay at State in the 925-year-old Westminster Hall for four days, where the public were invited to pay respect to the sovereign who was aged 96 years and had reigned for over 70 years. Her coffin was placed on a platform guarded by soldiers inside the Westminster Hall. After the funeral a special public holiday was announced for Australia for Thursday 22 September, and in New Zealand on Monday 26 September, to coincide with a memorial service for the Queen.

Elizabeth II - Wikipedia

Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022.

She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states over the course of her lifetime and remained the monarch of 15 realms by the time of her death. Her reign of over 70 years is the longest of any British monarch and the second longest verified reign of any monarch of a sovereign state in history. She died peacefully 8 September 2022 at 15:10 BST at the age of 96.

List of Commonwealth visits made by Elizabeth II - Wikipedia

I have checked out additional information regarding the:

1974 Royal Tour

28 Jan – 29 January 1974 Cook Islands

30 Jan – 8 February 1974 New Zealand and the Commonwealth Games, Christchurch NZ

11 February 1974 Norfolk Island.

Administrator: Edward Thomas Pickerd.

15 -16 February 1974 New Hebrides

18 -21 February 1974 Solomon Islands

22-27 February 1974 Papua New Guinea

27-28 February 1974 Australia

HMY Britannia - Wikipedia

HMY Britannia

Her Majesty's Yacht Britannia is the former royal yacht of the British monarchy. She was in their service from 1954 until 1997. During her 43-year career, the yacht travelled more than a million nautical miles around the world to more than 600 ports in 135 countries. Now retired from royal service, Britannia is permanently berthed at Ocean Terminal, Leith in Edinburgh, Scotland, where it is a visitor attraction with over 300,000 visits each year.

This month is a wonderful time to remember the Royal Visitors as they travelled to Norfolk Island and other South Pacific Commonwealth Countries and territories. Here are a few images of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and of the lovely Royal occasions and the Kingston Queen Elizabeth II Lookout.

Betty Matthews

9 February 2024