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Souvenir Scarf #2006-0191

Yellow commemorative scarf printed with a likeness of Queen Elizabeth II, surrounded by iconic buildings from four Australian capital cities and a variety of Australian flora and fauna, all encircled by multicoloured bunting; with inscription ‘Our Queen’.

History

In 1954 Queen Elizabeth II became the first reigning monarch to visit Australia, arriving on the Royal Yacht S. S. Gothic and setting foot on Australian soil on 3 February 1954 at Farm Cove, Sydney. The Australian tour was part of a wider tour throughout the Commonwealth following the Queen’s coronation in 1953. Accompanied by her husband Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, the visit travelled through the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Tasmania, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia. The extensive tour was met with an enthusiastic and passionate public response, and enabled an estimated 75% of the Australian population to see the Queen at least once during her visit. Highlights of the tour included opening the third session of the twentieth Parliament in the Senate chamber at Provisional Parliament House on 15 February 1954.

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Statement of values

This souvenir scarf has historic significance through its association with the royal visit by Queen Elizabeth II in 1954, the first reigning monarch to visit Australia. Travelling to all state and territory capitals, excluding Darwin, and over seventy regional centres, the tour enabled a vast proportion of the public to see her. As a young, glamorous and fashionable new Queen the tour left a lasting impression on an adoring public and reaffirmed Australia’s ties to Britain. This scarf is decorated with a likeness of the Queen, surrounded by images from four of the capital cities visited during the tour as well as a variety of Australian flora and fauna and inscribed ‘Our Queen’. This scarf is representative of the vast array of commemorative material and domestic ware that was produced to celebrate the Queen’s visit to Australia, enabling personal engagement with this historic occasion long after the tour had ended.

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Details

Width 720mm
Height 695mm
Medium Printed textile
Creator’s name Unknown
Impression -
Date created c. 1954