Queen’s Birthday Weekend 2022

Queen’s Birthday weekend has arrived, and this is a public holiday on Norfolk Island. This year is a very special celebration, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is celebrating her Platinum Jubilee, 70 years as the Monarch of the Commonwealth countries across the world.

This year, Monday 13th June is the day Norfolk Island, as part of the Commonwealth, celebrates our Monarch’s birthday. During the past weeks celebrations preparation have started on Norfolk Island. There are special Platinum Jubilee purple flags, and they can be seen in town at Foodland Mall and Hands Up for Democracy grassed area. There are Union Jack British UK flags and images of our Queen Elizabeth II also on display around town.

Last weekend a group gathered on Sunday afternoon at Hands Up for Democracy hand display in town and as locals celebrated the 70^th Anniversary, photos and videos were taken to send to Windsor Castle for Queen Elizabeth II.

On Queen’s Birthday, Monday, 13^th June 2022, a Community Morning Tea Garden Party will be held at Queen Victoria Garden, Queen Elizabeth Ave. The event gathering time 10:30am to 12pm. Morning tea will be available to purchase from 10:30 to 11:30am, and at 10:45am will be the official welcome and history will be given. The commemoration of the occasion will include a tree planting, singing and reflections, and the mornings festivities will close at 12pm. This party will be filmed and sent to Her Majesty, so bring your best wishes, cards, and posters. Please dress in smart garden party wear, along with hats and fascinators for this special event. Parking arrangements has been generously agreed by the Paradise Hotel in the grass car park. This community organised celebration made possible by the generosity of the Council of Elders, Charles and Kim Christian-Bailey. Hope I get to see you there, I am sure it will be a very special morning.

Norfolk Island has strong links with the monarchy.

http://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC5H23T_queen-elizabeth-lookout

“The first visit to Norfolk Island by a reigning Monarch was on the 11^{th of} February 1974 when Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II visited Norfolk Island. The

Royal yacht Britannia anchored in Sydney Bay in the early hours on 11 February 1974 and Her Majesty was transported ashore in an Administration Launch. Her Majesty was accompanied by His Royal Highness the Prince Philip (Duke of Edinburgh), Her Royal Highness the Princess Anne, and Captain Mark Phillips. The Royal Party made a tour of the historic areas in Kingston during which the Queen laid a wreath on the cenotaph and named the “Queen Elizabeth Lookout”.”

The “Queen Elizabeth II Lookout” is another favourite place to stop when travelling down Rooty Hill Road, the viewpoint has a magnificent view of Kingston Historic Area, the Norfolk Island Golf Club and ocean views out to Phillip and Nepean Islands. In March 2022 I photographed the Queen’s Baton at the lookout as it traveled around Norfolk Island as part of the 2022 Commonwealth Games Queen’s Baton Relay.

Queen Elizabeth Avenue is named in the Queen’s honour upon Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II coronation on 2nd June 1953. A wonderful sign can be viewed, at the beginning of the avenue where the road meets Taylor Road. The plaque celebrates the occasion of the Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on 4th June 2012.

Queen Birthday Awards.

Each year members of the public are acknowledged and shown recognition for the lifetime achievements, individuals’ personal bravery, achievements, or service to their community or country and they are awarded honours, decorations, and medals.

A list of medals and honours are listed on this internet site:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orders,_decorations,_and_medals_of_the_United_Kingdom

Norfolk Island citizens have been recognised with Queen Birthday awards, and in 2015, some of these special Norfolk Islanders when they gathered on Queen’s Birthday. In honour of Queen Elizabeth II granted by the Sovereign's command the most excellent order of the British Commonwealth Awards to Greg Quintal MBE, Eric Craig MBE, Bonnie Quintal MBE, and Maureen King QSM.

A special lunch was organised at Bounty Lodge in June 2015 for Bonnie, Eric, Maureen and Ron and they were joined by the Honourable Lisle Snell MLA Chief Minister of the Norfolk Island Legislative Assembly and the Honourable David Buffett AM MLA and Speaker of the Norfolk Island Legislative Assembly. It was lovely to see these special friends have time together to celebrate the Queen’s birthday in June 2015 commemorative week.

I was invited to photograph the group and I enjoyed chatting with them and took a couple of photographs. They each shared the dignity of receiving these

special Queens’ award, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II invested upon each of them, "to have and to hold". Greg, for his years and years of valiant service to the Norfolk Island community, Eric for his over thirty years of service to the youth orchestras and education in New Zealand, Bonnie for her services, over many years to St John Ambulance here on Norfolk Island and her flying around Australia all those years ago, then Maureen, for her pioneering work in work experience (now recognised world-wide) and her services to education in New Zealand.

It is often questioned why do we celebrate the Sovereigns birthday in June when she was born on 21^st April 1925? When searching on the internet, I found the suggestion that “June is summertime in the United Kingdom and hopefully settled fine weather for outdoor activities.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen%27s_Official_Birthday

“The day has been celebrated since 1788, when Governor Arthur Phillip declared a holiday to mark the birthday of the King of Great Britain. Until 1936, it was held on the actual birthday of the monarch, but, after the death of George V, it was decided to keep the date on the second Monday in June. This has served well to space out public holidays somewhat evenly throughout the year. While George V's successor, Edward VIII, also celebrated his birthday in June, the two sovereigns since have not. George VI's birthday was in December, close to public holidays for Christmas, Boxing Day and New Year’s, while Elizabeth II's birthday falls shortly after holidays for Good Friday and Easter and very close to ANZAC Day.”

Here are a few images of the links to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the flags on display around Norfolk Island. Gaelene Nobbs Quintal also shared a fantastic image on Facebook, the photograph “Hands UP for the Queen” from last weekend’s gathering. Enjoy our Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and have a nice Queen’s Birthday weekend on Norfolk Island. Everyone is invited to join the celebrations at Queen Victoria Gardens on Monday morning.

…… Three Cheers for the Queen ……

Betty Matthews

June 2022