Kylea Tink (North Sydney, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today to speak on behalf of the people of North Sydney, to extend our condolences to the royal family on the passing of Her Royal Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Queen Elizabeth II was an extraordinary person who dedicated her life to public service. Her Majesty's 70-year reign as head of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth has had a deep impact on the world as we know it. As the longest-ruling British monarch in history, Queen Elizabeth II presided over a period of immense change, from the aftermath of the Second World War to the moon landing, the development of television and the internet, multiple economic crises and the recent COVID-19 pandemic.

Known for her quick wit—and generous wit—grace and fortitude, Her Majesty bore witness to some of the world's greatest medical and technological breakthroughs and was frequently a steadying presence and a source of comfort and constancy for many during turbulent and unpredictable times. Indeed, more than eight in 10 Australians have not known a world without Queen Elizabeth II.

In the North Sydney electorate, Queen Elizabeth II will be remembered fondly. She visited our community for the first time in February 1954, as part of her first official royal tour of Australia. Current Hunters Hill mayor Zac Miles described her visit as a 'cherished moment in history for our community'. He said:

Residents turned up in great numbers to wave and cheer at the open topped motorcade as out glided past Boronia Park on Ryde Road something specially arranged for the people of Hunters Hill by request of the Council of the day.

Similarly, in Lane Cove the royal entourage had planned to traverse quickly through the community by travelling from Concord repatriation hospital to Sydney via the Fig Tree Bridge and Burns Bay Road. According to the account of the current mayor, Andrew Zbik, however, the Lane Cove crowd lining Burns Bay Road was up to five people deep in places. The public reception was so immense that the car had to slow down to a snail's pace, and former mayor Alderman George Venteman was actually able to say, 'Welcome to Lane Cove, Your Majesty,' to which the Queen graciously responded, 'Thank you, Mr Mayor.'

Up at the main shopping centre, the Duke of Edinburgh spotted nine-year-old Rosemary Gardner holding a bouquet of flowers; Rosemary threw it and the duke caught it on the fly as the car moved on. At the corner of Parklands Avenue, the duke saw yet another girl, Susan Bowles, holding out a bouquet; this time the duke leaned out the car window and scooped it up as the motorcade drove past.

In the North Sydney local government area, crowds lined Military Road in Neutral Bay to see the royal motorcade, and 48,000 schoolchildren saw the Queen as she drove slowly through St Leonards Park, where a plaque was later placed to commemorate her visit. As the current mayor, Zoe Baker, has said, the Queen's long reign has been admired and respected by many, and she will be mourned and sadly missed. The Queen is also remembered fondly in the Willoughby local government area, with current Willoughby Mayor Tanya Taylor noting that the beloved Queen Elizabeth II grove in Muston Park, which features lemon scented gums and a beautiful wisteria walkway, is named in the Queen's honour and never ceases to enchant anyone who visits.

Meanwhile, in the small community of Alectown, near Parkes in New South Wales, my great-grandmother, Amy Marshall, had bought a new dress and was diligently practising her curtsy. My great-grandfather and Goobang Shire President, George Marshall, had been invited to attend the reception for Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip when they visited Dubbo on 10 February in 1954. The Queen and Prince Philip may have been on the ground for just on an hour and a half that day, but both my great-grandmother's dress and the official invitation are still with my mum in Coonabarabran, who fondly recalls her grandparents regaling her with the experience. It seems that it really didn't matter how long you had in the presence of Queen Elizabeth II; somehow, she had a way of making every person she met feel like they were the only one that mattered in that moment and that she, like they, would remember the exchange for a lifetime.

Queen Elizabeth II's legacy to us has been one where she encouraged us to be all we can be, and she modelled for us what true servant leadership looks like. Vale, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

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