PM Transcripts

PRIME MINISTER
FOR MEDIA WEDNESDAY, 27 F' 3AR,-. 98~ 7
VISIT. BY PRINCESS ALEXANDRA
It will be announced in London today that Princess Alexandra
and her husband the Hon. Angus Ogilvy will visit Australia in
late September/ early October 1980 and that Her Royal Highness
will be in Melbourne on Wednesday, 1 October, 1980 to open
the new wing of the Melbourne Exhibition Buildings.
The announcement arises from an invitation which I discussed
with Princess Alexandra and her husband during my visit
there at the beginning of this month.
At an earlier date the Premier of Victoria, Mr. Hamer on behalf
of the Government of Victoria had proposed to the Commonwealth
Government that a member of theRoyal Family visit Melbourne
in early October to participate in the one hundredth anniversary
celebrations of the Melbourne Exhibition Buildings. I was
pleased to support the proposal and to see whether such a visit
for that purpose could be arranged.
Actual dates for Princess Alexandra's visit have yet to be
decided. These details, including other States to be visited,
will be announced as soon as practicable.
Background note:
This will be Princess Alexandra's fourth visit to Australia.
The first occasion was in August/ September 1959 for Queensland's
centenary of responsible Government. Her itinerary began in
Canberra and after three weeks in Queensland there were
shorter visits to New South Wales and Victoria.
In February/ March 1967 Princess Alexandra and her husband
visited Canberra and Sydney privately.
Their last visit was in September/ October 1978 when Her Royal
Highness visited Canberra, Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland
and the Northern Territory in that sequence.
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