The 1963 Tour

ROYAL VISITS

by Judith Sidney Hornabrook, M.A., National Archives, Wellington.

ROYAL VISITS

Far distant though it may be from the Mother Country, New Zealand has always had a reputation for patriotism and affection for the Royal Family. Royal visits over a period of 100 years have all been characterised by widespread enthusiasm and interest. A feature of each royal occasion has been the emphasis given to opportunities for children, returned servicemen, and the sick and aged to see, and be seen by, royalty.

Tours have not always been unmarred by tragedy – war and death have intervened more than once to interfere with plans. In 1867 Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, had to postpone his visit for a year as the result of an attempt on his life in Sydney. In more recent years hopes were high for a visit from George VI and Queen Elizabeth at the time of His Majesty's final fatal illness; and his daughter was in the midst of a tour which would have included New Zealand when the King's sudden death necessitated her return to England.

The Duke of Edinburgh, 1869–71

The first royal visitor to New Zealand, the Duke of Edinburgh, arrived at Wellington on 11 April 1869 as Captain of HMS Galatea. Prince Alfred Ernest Albert (1844–1900), Duke of Edinburgh, was the second son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, and was to become Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in 1893. After nearly a week in Wellington, His Royal Highness proceeded to Nelson, Christchurch, Dunedin, and Auckland, being received everywhere with great enthusiasm. In the Wellington of those days it was possible to arrange for the distinguished guest to go pig shooting on Miramar Peninsula and to picnic at Howe's Farm, Newtown. The stay in Auckland was prolonged until 1 June in an unsuccessful attempt to arrange a meeting with Maori leaders with a view to improving Maori-Pakeha relations. A notable feature of the decorations for the tour was the use of locally made and designed “transparencies” – thin fabric pennants with a variety of topical designs.

In the following year, on 27 August 1870, the Galatea with the Royal captain aboard returned briefly to Wellington, departing for Sydney on 3 September.

On a third and final visit, the Duke arrived at Auckland on 8 December 1870 and spent some time in the thermal regions and visiting the Maori people. He left for England on 16 January 1871.

The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall, 1901

The next Royal occasion was not until 1901 when Prince George Frederick Ernest Albert (1865–1936), Duke of Cornwall and York and second son of Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, arrived with his Duchess. The visit, part of an Empire tour, followed the opening of the Commonwealth Parliament in Australia and was also a tribute to the response made throughout the Empire during the Boer War. The Duke's commission had just been signed when Queen Victoria died; nevertheless it was decided that the tour should still take place.

The Royal couple left England on 16 March 1901 in the Ophir, an Orient liner of 6,910 tons specially converted for the purpose. It had a naval escort. They arrived at Auckland on 11 June, 24 hours ahead of schedule, the landing being delayed until the set time the following day.

The Duke and Duchess remained at Auckland until 13 June, and during this time laid the foundation stone of Queen Victoria High School for Girls. They also received from Sir John Logan Campbell the deeds of Cornwall Park, a gift to the people of New Zealand. Two days were spent at Rotorua, but a notable absentee from Maori receptions was the “Maori King” (q.v.). From Rotorua the party returned to Auckland to rejoin Ophir bound for Wellington. In Wellington foundation stones of the Town Hall and new Government railway offices were laid before the ship sailed on 21 June for Lyttelton. The Duke and Duchess stayed at Christchurch until 25 June when they travelled by rail to Dunedin. They returned to Lyttelton by the same route to sail for Tasmania on 27 June. Dunedin excelled itself with an elaborate series of decorations – with evergreen garlands, coloured drapings, and a line of Venetian masts. There were a number of special arches, including a Government and a City and Suburban arch, and the novel Chinese arch. At night the Octagon was a “scene of great beauty” with illuminated decorations, and fireworks were also a feature of the evening celebrations.

On their return to Britain the couple were proclaimed Prince and Princess of Wales and, on the death of Edward VII in 1910, became George V and Queen Mary.

The Prince of Wales, 1920

When addressing the Imperial War Conference in 1917, and again at the conference of overseas Prime Ministers the following year, George V had foreshadowed the visit to the Dominions of his eldest son (Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David, Prince of Wales) “when peace comes”. The matter was discussed more than once in the ensuing months until finally, on 3 January 1920, the Secretary of State for the Colonies cabled the Governor-General confirming an early visit.

After a week's delay, because of an epidemic on the ship, the 25-year-old Prince left Portsmouth on 16 March 1920 on HMS Renown, Britain's newest and biggest battleship, and arrived at Auckland on 24 April. Remaining at Auckland until 27 April he then travelled by train – the same train built in New Zealand for his parents' visit 20 years before – to Rotorua. It was here that the itinerary was disrupted by a rail strike. After a Maori reception the Royal party was able to return to Auckland where, Government House being unprepared, Prince Edward stayed on Renown until 2 May, by which time some agreement in the dispute had been reached and the programme could be resumed. To make up for time thus lost, the Prince gave up a proposed shooting expedition in the Wairarapa.

The Royal train travelled south to reach Wellington on 5 May, and five days later Renown sailed for Picton and the South Island section of the tour. Following visits to Nelson and the West Coast, the Prince reached Christchurch where he became the first to be presented with the freedom of the city. The next stage was to Dunedin and it was here that a hare enlivened proceedings by dashing through the ranks on parade at Forbury Park. On 20 May the Royal visitor left for Invercargill, returning to Christchurch the following day. Early on 22 May he sailed on Renown for Australia.

A member of the Prince's entourage on this tour was his friend and cousin, Lord Louis Mountbatten, flag lieutenant to Admiral Halsey, the Prince's chief of staff. Later to become Earl Mountbatten of Burma and to visit the Dominion more than once as a distinguished visitor, Lord Louis has further links with New Zealand Royal visits – his younger daughter, Lady Pamela, accompanied the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh, his nephew, on their tour in 1953–54.

The Duke and Duchess of York, 1927

Like the Prince of Wales, the next Royal visitors, travelled on HMS Renown. This time it was the second son of King George V and Queen Mary, Prince Albert Frederick Arthur George (1895–1952), Duke of York.

The Duke and Duchess of York left England on 6 January 1927 and arrived at Auckland on 22 February. After two days of deep-sea fishing in the Bay of Islands, they returned to Auckland to go by rail and motorcar to Rotorua where the First World War memorial to the Arawas was unveiled. On the way south to Wellington they visited most of the larger North Island towns, with a second rest period when the Royal couple and only a minimum of staff spent two days in trout fishing from a camp at Kowhai Flat, Tokaanu.

At Wellington the Duchess opened the new Karitane Home, which she was to revisit 30 years later on her second tour. Meanwhile the Duke paid an unscheduled visit to workers' homes in the Hutt Valley and was shown over woollen mills. He showed great interest in factories, several of which he inspected in New Zealand. Following a four-day stay at Wellington, the Duke and Duchess boarded Renown for Picton whence they drove to Nelson. It was here that the Duchess was taken ill with tonsilitis and forced to abandon the remainder of her New Zealand itinerary.

The Duke went on alone, travelling by road and rail to the West Coast and Christchurch where he received the freedom of the city. He also had an excursion further afield and visited the southern lakes. The Dunedin programme included the unveiling of the war memorial and the opening of the Sargood now Dunedin, Art Gallery. The Duke then proceeded to Invercargill and Bluff where he joined the Duchess on Renown, departing for Australia on 22 March. Weather conditions were so bad that the transfer to the visiting battleship had to be made by tug and not through HMS Diomede as planned.

On the abdication of Edward VIII in 1936, the Duke and Duchess came to the throne as George VI and Queen Elizabeth.

The Duke of Gloucester, 1934–35

Prince Henry William Frederick Albert (1900–), Duke of Gloucester and third son of George V and Queen Mary, after a visit to Australia, arrived at Wellington on board HMAS Australia on 15 December 1934.

Amongst other engagements during his stay in Wellington, the Duke laid the foundation stone of the new railway station. His route was by rail to Hawke's Bay and thence by road through Gisborne and Rotorua to Auckland. It was the first time Royalty had visited Gisborne. The Duke returned via New Plymouth, Hunterville, Marton, Wanganui, Palmerston North, and the Wairarapa to rejoin his ship at Wellington on 4 January 1935. At Marton he attended the Marton Jockey Club's New Year meeting and rode T. A. Duncan's Black Man to come fourth in the Ladies Bracelet.

The South Island tour included visits to the West Coast, Timaru, Oamaru, Dunedin, Invercargill, Queenstown, and Lake Tekapo where the foundation stone for the Church of the Good Shepherd was laid. Following a break at Longbeach, the Duke visited Christchurch and attended a reception for South Island Maoris. On the conclusion of the tour, at Lyttelton, HMAS Australia sailed for some fishing in the Bay of Islands before departing for Fiji on 29 January 1935.

In 1944 the Duke returned to Australia as Governor-General.

The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh, 1953–54

It was New Zealand's first visit from a reigning monarch when Queen Elizabeth II (1926–) and her husband, Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (1921–), arrived at Auckland on 23 December 1953 on the Gothic, specially chartered as a Royal yacht for the occasion of an Empire tour. The arrival of this elder daughter of George VI and Queen Elizabeth, who had succeeded her father in 1952, brought a third generation of Royalty to the Dominion.

The Royal couple spent Christmas at Auckland and it was from Government House that the Queen made her Christmas broadcast. The excitement of the occasion and the festive season was marred by the appalling railway accident at Tangiwai on Christmas Eve. While in Auckland the Royal visitors met some survivors of the disaster, and later the Duke broke off his itinerary to attend the State funeral at Wellington of many of the victims.

In each of the four main centres events had a similar pattern. Apart from the usual receptions and ceremonials, there was a command film performance or concert, except in Wellington; a race meeting; and opportunities to inspect local industry or development schemes. A number of special gatherings was addressed by the Duke – in Wellington he spoke before representatives of scientific organisations. Colours were presented to the Royal New Zealand Navy at Devonport and to the Royal New Zealand Air Force at Whenuapai.

Flying to Kaikohe, the Royal party called at Waitangi, Whangarei, and Warkworth. The next part of the tour lay through Pukekohe to Huntly, Hamilton, Te Kuiti, and Waitomo. On the way the Queen was able to meet the Maori “King”, Koroki, at Turangawaewae, a gesture much appreciated. The Queen and Duke then travelled through Te Awamutu and Cambridge, with a stop at the site of the Karapiro hydro-electric project, before passing on to Rotorua which was the scene of a stirring Maori reception on 2 January. For some five days the Royal couple spent a rest period at Moose Lodge on the shores of Lake Rotoiti, and then flew from Rotorua to Gisborne. A journey by road to Napier and Hastings and thence by rail through Palmerston North, Feilding, Marton, Wanganui, and Taranaki, was followed by the flight to Paraparaumu.

Highlights of a stay of six days in Wellington included a special session of Parliament and for this historic occasion Her Majesty wore her coronation gown. It was the first time the sovereign had opened a New Zealand Parliament and, when the Queen was later shown over the House, the first time a reigning monarch had stepped on the floor of a Commonwealth House of Representatives. Her Majesty assented to one Act, the Judicature Act. A Privy Council was also held – it was the first time the monarch had presided over one outside the United Kingdom. (In 1920 at the instigation of the Prince of Wales, himself newly made a Privy Councillor, a meeting had been called in Wellington in order that the Earl of Liverpool, who had recently been called to the Council, could be sworn in.) While in Wellington Her Majesty also laid the foundation stone of the new Anglican cathedral.

Flying to Blenheim and Nelson, the Queen and Duke next visited the West Coast and then proceeded to Christchurch. After a break of a few days at Longbeach, the tour was resumed by road to Timaru and then by rail to Dunedin where the floral decorations were particularly impressive. From Dunedin the Royal party travelled to Invercargill and on 30 January left from Bluff on the Gothic, calling in at Milford Sound before finally leaving the Dominion.

The Duke of Edinburgh, 1956

Prince Philip returned to New Zealand on a flying visit during the course of his world tour, 1956–57. Arriving by air at Ohakea on 11 December 1956 he travelled to Wellington and, after brief visits to Rotorua, Wairakei, Kawerau, and other places of interest in that area, left for Auckland and Norfolk Island. The stay on Norfolk Island was limited to 15–16 December and the Duke then flew to Christchurch on 16 December to join the royal yacht Britannia bound for the Chatham Islands and thence on to the Antarctic.

In February 1957 the Duke of Edinburgh regained the right to be called Prince. The son of Prince and Princess Andrew of Greece, he had relinquished his title when he became a naturalised British citizen in 1947 and took the surname Mountbatten, his mother's family name. Later in that year he was created Duke of Edinburgh at the time of his marriage to the then Princess Elizabeth.

Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, 1958

Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, arrived by air at Auckland on 1 February 1958. Three days later she continued her tour, travelling to Kaitaia, Hamilton, Napier, New Plymouth, Palmerston North, and Wellington. Her Royal Highness spent some four days in the capital and then flew to Blenheim and to Dunedin for a further three days. The visit ended with stops at Invercargill and Christchurch before her departure from Harewood Aerodrome for Canberra on 14 February.

The 1963 Tour

On 6 February 1963, the anniversary of her accession to the Throne and also the one hundred and twenty-third anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, Queen Elizabeth II, accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, returned to New Zealand. They arrived at the Bay of Islands in the Royal Yacht Britannia, escorted by HMNZS Otago, and on the following day, after attending the Waitangi celebrations, they sailed for Auckland. After a two-day stay at Auckland Britannia sailed with the Royal visitors for Mount Maunganui and thence to Napier for a brief visit to Hawke's Bay. A feature of the stay in Wellington, the next port of call, was the opening of Parliament and a special meeting of the Privy Council. Whilst in Wellington Her Majesty presented a silver chalice and paten to St. Paul's Cathedral – these had been used by her grandparents during their tour in 1901.

From Wellington the Queen and Duke sailed for Nelson, whence the Duke visited the Outward Bound School at Anakiwa before joining Her Majesty at Blenheim. The next stage of the tour lay via Picton to Port Chalmers and Dunedin, and finally to Christchurch. On 18 February the Queen and Duke flew to Canberra to commence their tour of Australia.

Among the notable measures to commemorate this Royal occasion were the establishment of the Queen Elizabeth the Second National Arts Council and the Queen Elizabeth the Second Post-graduate Fellowship which provides an annual fellowship under the administration of the Maori Education Foundation.

Because of ill health, Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, was forced at the last moment to cancel her proposed visit to Australia and New Zealand which was planned for early 1964. In November 1965, however, it was announced that the Queen Mother's tour would take place in April-May 1966.

by Judith Sidney Hornabrook, M.A., National Archives, Wellington.

ROYAL VISITS 23-Apr-09 Judith Sidney Hornabrook, M.A., National Archives, Wellington.