EMBARGO: 6 p. m. Sunday 18 January 1970
FOR PRESS: P. M. No. 7/ 1970
PROGRAMME FOR ROYAL VISIT
Statement by the Prime Minister, Mr. John Gorton
The Queen has been pleased to approve a detailed
programme for the Royal Visit to Australia later this year.
The Visit, Her Majesty's third to this country, will begin
in Sydney on Monday 30 March and end in Sydney on Sunday 3 May. The
Duke of Edinburgh and The Princess Anne will be accompanying The Queen
throughout the Visit, while The Prince of Wales will be here for the first
days. Celebrations marking the Cook Bicentenary will be
highlights of the tour, which will take the Royal Visitors-~ to New South
Wales, Tasmania, Victoria, Queensland and the A. C. T. In Sydney,
The Queen will attend the re-enactment of the landing of Captain Cook
and, at Her Majesty's request, the programme generally features those
aspects of the Australian way of life that have historic links with the days
of the first settlement, such as agriculture, mining and transportation.
As well, the importance of education and hospitals in the development of
the country will be recognised.
In agriculture, for example, the Royal Family will visit an
apple orchard in Tasmania to see crops being picked and prepared for
overseas markets, inspect a wool store in Victoria, and attend the National
Sheep Dog Trial Championships in Canberra.
In Queensland, the tour will include a visit to the Mt. isa
mines, while in Townsville Her Majesty will give Royal Assent to the
Bill granting autonomy to the University of North Queensland.
The Queen will lead the nation in the observance of Anzac
Day at a ceremony at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, and will
give a talk to the nation over television and radio on Sunday 26 April.
Her Majesty will undertake a final official engagement
only an hour before departure for London. This will be the opening of
the new International Terminal at Sydney Airport.
4 -2-
In planning the tour, organisers have kept in mind the
wishes of The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh to meet as many people
as possible from different sections of the community. Informality will
be the essence of the visit.
On some occasions, The Prince of Wales and The Princess
Anne will have their own programmes. These engagements have been
designed to enable Their Royal Highnesses to meet young people and to
find out for themselves something of the community and recreational and
other interests of Australians of their own age.
I am confident that I speak for all Australians when I say
we are delighted that The Queen and members of her family will be
visiting us and helping us to celebrate our 200th anniversary. They are
assured of a warm welcome.
CANBERRA 18 January 1970
Note: The programme of engagements for the A. C. T. is attached.
The Premiers of the States being visited are making
simultaneous release of their respective programmes.
A comprehensive programme of the visit to Australia is
being made available to news media in the capital cities
being visited.