Wollongong City Council release: Friday 9 September 2022
Images from the collections of the Wollongong City Libraries and the Illawarra Historical Society.
Wollongong City Council, on behalf of our community, extend our deepest condolences to all the Royal Family following the passing of Her Majesty The Queen.
We recognise that in her position as the head of the British Monarchy and as head of the Commonwealth, her passing will be mourned by many in our community.
“Her Majesty The Queen dedicated her life to public service and in times of change, challenges and celebration, she carried herself with grace and dignity,’’ Wollongong City Lord Mayor Councillor Gordon Bradbery AM said.
“Today, we’re acknowledging the life-long work of an individual who lived her life in the public eye who was also a wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother. We have all lived our lives with her as a constant figurehead and it’s important we consider this moment in history with the passing of the longest-lived British monarch and the longest-reigning British monarch.
“The passing of Queen Elizabeth II is a momentous occasion whether you are a monarchist or not. Her Majesty's death will be experienced on two levels; as a person of outstanding service to those who acknowledge the institution of the Constitutional Monarchy and, secondly, the passing of a significant individual in the post-World War II era.
“She represented a constant in times of great change - good and bad - in the second half of the 20th and nearly a quarter of the 21st Century. Remarkable times of rapid change and disruption - the social, political, and technological challenges of post-modernity.
“Grief is about loss and change. Her Majesty’s passing will impact us in various ways as a community and as individuals. It will prompt us to remember and revisit the loss of loved ones and so-called better times. Keep safe in your response to this sadness whether it be your grief or that you will witness around you.”
The flags outside Wollongong City Council’s Administration Building will fly at half-mast in response to her passing.
Her Majesty The Queen visited Australia on 16 occasions and came to Wollongong in 1954 and 1970, each time attracting huge crowds of well-wishers and supporters.
She was the first, and to date, the only reigning British monarch to visit Australia and her visit in 1954 saw her stop at 57 towns and cities across the 58-day tour.
In Wollongong she went to the Mount Keira Diggers’ Convalescent Camp for morning tea, Wollongong Showground and the Slackey Flat recreation ground, the Wollongong Town Hall and a civic luncheon at the RSL Hall.
On her return visit in 1970, the name City of Wollongong was adopted, and she granted the title of Lord Mayor to the city.
For this visit, she was joined by the late Prince Philip The Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Charles The Prince of Wales and Princess Anne. She disembarked from the Royal Yacht HMY Britannia, which docked at Port Kembla Harbour, and stopped at the Wollongong Town Hall and Wollongong Education Complex.
Aside from her public role, we acknowledge her as a wife to the late Prince Phillip, a mother, grandmother and great grandmother.
We encourage those who wish to sign an online condolence book to visit the website of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
Alternatively, there is a paper version that can be downloaded from the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, and sent by post to be the Federal Government who will forward this on to Buckingham Palace.
Council will also make available paper copies of the Federal Government’s condolence form available in our Administration Building’s Customer Service centre and our seven libraries for community members who wish to sign their message in person.
Information about Her Majesty The Queen’s 1954 visit
- When: 11 February 1954
- Who: Her Majesty The Queen and HRH Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh
- Mayor: Alderman JJ Kelly
- Town Clerk: Mr W H Mitchell
- Visited: Mount Keira Diggers’ Convalescent Camp (morning tea), Wollongong Showground and the Slackey Flat recreation ground, Town Hall at Crown Street Wollongong, Civic Luncheon at the R.S.L Hall
- Departed at Bulli Train Station
Information about Her Majesty The Queen’s 1970 visit
- When: 10 April 1970
- Who: Her Majesty The Queen, HRH Prince Phillip, the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Charles The Prince of Wales and Princess Anne
- Mayor: Lord Mayor of Wollongong Ernie Ford, Deputy Mayor Rube Hargrave
- Sailing up the east coast of Australia Disembarked the Royal Yacht HMY Britannia, which is docked at Port Kembla Harbour
- Visited: Town Hall at Crown Street, Wollongong Education Complex
- It was in 1970 when Queen Elizabeth II granted the title of Lord Mayor to the city and that the current name ‘City of Wollongong’ was adopted.
