Steve Georganas (Adelaide, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

On behalf of the electorate of Adelaide, I, too, rise to acknowledge the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the sad and momentous occasion that has touched so many people. My electorate office has been inundated with calls and people wanting portraits, wanting to express their dismay or simply looking to share their thoughts or sign the condolence book that we've set up in the reception area.

Queen Elizabeth meant many things to many people. But, regardless of what role the Queen may have played in individual lives, there is no doubt that this marks the end of a very significant era. Queen Elizabeth II was the UK's and the Commonwealth's longest serving monarch. She died peacefully at Balmoral, where she had spent most of the summer and many, many summers in the past. She was aged 96, and she reigned for an amazing 70 years. During her reign, she witnessed enormous social change.

I think all people, regardless of their political persuasion, cannot but admire the life of Queen Elizabeth II. She was a constant in our lives, and her loss has been profoundly felt around the world. Queen Elizabeth II will be remembered for her tireless sense of duty—and who can forget the image of her as she swore in the new UK Prime Minister just days before she passed away? She was frail but ever present. As Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said, she embodied a timeless decency and enduring calm. For over seven decades, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was a rare constant in our lives amidst continuous, rapid change. The Queen visited Australia 16 times during her reign, and her first tour, in 1954, came just eight months after her coronation. She visited South Australia, and Adelaide, seven of those times, and her last visit was in 2002.

Since her death, we've heard countless people recall their memories of the Queen, what she meant to them and what an important role she played in their lives. My own recollection of the Queen is from two occasions, the first being in 1963, when I'd just started school at Cowandilla Primary School, which was closest to the airport. When the Queen arrived, they had lined us up with Australian flags to wave for her as she drove past, and what I remember is a big car driving past. That memory has stayed with me forever and a day. The second occasion was here in this Parliament House in 2006, when the Queen was visiting for her Platinum Jubilee. We had a parliamentary dinner in the Great Hall in honour of the Queen, and all of us who were there that night recall a great speech that she gave, her main topic being our First Nations people.

For so many people, the Queen was a symbol of warmth and hardworking dedication. We also warmly welcome King Charles III, who has, like his mother, played an important part in our shared history. There will be a time to celebrate the new King, and there will be a time for reflection on what this new era means.

But, first, we bid farewell to Queen Elizabeth II. For all she may represent in the minds of people all around the world, we shouldn't forget that she was also a wife, a mother, a grandmother and a great-grandmother, and, regardless of how deeply her death is felt around the world, her family is grieving their own personal loss. We acknowledge this with compassion and sadness. Vale, Queen Elizabeth II. After a lifetime of service, may she now rest in peace.

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