P. M. 11/ 1965
FOR PRESS: 65/ 01
Visit of Their Royal Highinesses The Duke and Duchess
of Gloucester
Statement by the Acting Prime Minister, The Right Hon. John McEwen, MP.
The Acting Prime Minister announced today that His Royal
Highness The Duke of Gloucester had been pleased to appoint
Lieutenant-Colonel R. M. C. Cubis, and Major M. W. S. Fleming
as Equerries to Their Royal Highnesses during their forthcoming visit
to Australia. Lieutenant-Colonel Cubis of the Royal Australian Artillery
was Australian Equerry to The Queen for her visit to Australia in
February/ March, 1963. Major Fleming is a member of the British
Defence Liaison Staff in Canberra and is at present at Australian
O Army Headquarters. He is a member of the Duke's Regiment the
Royal Hussars.
Mr. McEwen also announced that The Duke of Gloucester had
been pleased to approve the appointment of Mr. K. B. Ready, as
Press Liaison Officer for Their Royal Highnesses' visit. Mr. Ready
is News Editor of the ' Mercury', Hobart.
Mr. McEwen added that Mr. Ready and Lieutenant-Colonel
Cubis would take up duty with the Commonwealth Royal Visit Orgariisatian
in. the Prime Minister's Department on Tuesday, 2nd February, and that
Major Fleming would take up duty when Their Royal Highnesses arrive
on Saturday, 13th March.
The Commonwealth Director for the visit is Mr. J. H. Scholtens,
Director of the Ceremonial and Hospitality Branch in the Prime
Minister' s Department.
The foregoing persons will be in attendance when Their
Royal High~ nesses are undertaking public engagements during their visit
from 13th March to 26th April-. VI,
Accompanying the Duke and Duchess from London will be
Major Michael Hawkins, their Private Secretary, and Miss Jean
Maxwell Scott and Mrs. Hawkins as Ladies-in-Waiting.
Canberra 27th January, 1965.
Canberra, Thursday, 28th January, 1965.
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
Lieutenant-Colonel R. M. C. Cubis, R. A. A.
Graduated from the Royal Military College, Duntroon
11.12.46 as a Lieutenant in the Staff Corps; Branch
Royal Australian Artillery.
Served A. I. F. from 11.12.46 to 30.6.47; Saw active
service in Korea with Commonwealth Division from 3.11.51 to
10.12.52. Instructor at Officer's Cadet School, Portsea, Victoria
from 12.2.53 to 29.9.55.
In the United Kingdom for Artillery Training from
26.9.55 to 15.12.57.
Attended Australian Staff College during 1960.
Currently serving in the Directorate of Personnel
Administration, Army Headquarters, Canberra.
Appointed M. V. O. ( 4th Class) for services as Equerry
to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second during the
Royal Tour of Australia in 1963.
Lieutenant-Colonel Cubis is unmarried.
BIOGRAPTICAL N OTE
Mr. K. B. Ready, O. B. E.
News Editor and Deputy Editor of " The Mercury"' Hobart
since 1946. Journalist for forty years.
Press Relations Officer for Royal Visits to Tasmania
by Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke
of Edinburgh, 1954, and in 1963; Her Majesty Queen
Elizabeth The Queen Mother, 1958; and Their Majesties T~ he
King and Queen of Thailand, 1962.
Press Relations Officer to His Royal Highness The
Duke of Edinburgh, 1956. Was a member of Royal Household
and travelled in HM. Y. Britannia from Malaya.
Press Liaison Officer to Tasmania's first overseas
Industrial Mission to United Kingdom and Europe.
Served five years in R. A. F. and R. A. A. F. in Malaya
and New Guinea.
Awarded O. B. E. in 1957.
Mr. Ready is married and has four daughters.