Aaron Violi (Casey, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise on behalf of the people of Casey to honour our late sovereign, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. During her reign, the Queen was a guiding light for us all. Following her coronation in 1953, our Queen said:

I have in sincerity pledged myself to your service, as so many of you are pledged to mine. Throughout all of my life and with all my heart I shall strive to be worthy of your trust.

There is no doubt that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II lived up to her pledge during her 70-year reign. The Queen had a deep understanding of and commitment to her responsibilities and duty for her country, her Commonwealth but, most of all, her people. We will miss her steadfast leadership, her gentle guiding hand and her love, because she led not just through words but with her actions.

The Queen had a deep affection for Australia, visiting us 16 times during her reign. Like many here, I represent an electorate that she visited. She visited Casey in 1954, during her first royal tour. She was greeted by 20,000 locals in Lilydale who climbed trees and fences just to catch a glimpse of their young Queen. The crowd sang 'God Save the Queen' and waved 5,000 souvenir flags. Even though the Queen only stayed for 15 minutes, the local paper termed the visit 'a truly momentous occasion for Lilydale—one that the thousands of old and young will never forget'. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh went on to spend two nights at O'Shannassy Chalet, east of Warburton, which served as one of the residences of the Queen and the Duke during the tour.

I was fortunate to attend a memorial service for the late Queen at Yarra Glen Anglican church last Sunday. One of the speakers was Noel, who saw the Queen in 1954, and he'd brought with him the two flags that he waved on the day. It was touching to see and hear the emotion in Noel's voice and face as he described the visit and how much seeing the Queen, even fleetingly, meant to him. It was a poignant reminder of the place the Queen held in so many hearts. Neil Stony from Woori Yallock told of how as a young lad he had galloped at full speed on his horse, Norrie, alongside the train carrying Her Majesty to Warburton that day. As he rode, he waved to the Queen, and, to his delight, she came out onto the carriage observation deck and waved back. He often reflects on this experience and hopes she enjoyed his jubilation and horsemanship that day. Betty McGeorge, a Casey local celebrating her 90th birthday this week, saw the coronation of the Queen 70 years ago as the dawn of a new era.

Following the horrendous Black Saturday bushfires in 2009 that impacted many in Casey, the Queen sent a message to all Victorians. She said:

I was shocked and saddened to learn of the terrible toll being exacted by the fires this weekend. I send my heartfelt condolences to the families of all those who have died and my deep sympathy to the many that lost their homes in this disaster.

The royal family then made a generous donation to the bushfire fund, with the Queen requesting daily updates about the recovery from the Premier's office. After three months of regular updates to the palace, the Premier decided to cease sending them, as they were entering the recovery phase, and he assumed the Queen would not wish to continue receiving them so frequently. The Queen quickly sent a message: 'Her Majesty would be keen to continue with the daily briefings.' Her interest and empathy meant a lot to our community. Her care and love helped our community to grieve, recover and rebuild.

The Queen deeply understood her responsibility as a leader and set an example for all of us to emulate in our lives. She put the duty to her people above her own personal needs. She epitomised servant leadership. She truly was worthy of our trust. She gave us her heart and her devotion for her entire life, and we are thankful. Vale Queen Elizabeth II. God save the King.

See this speech in context