Memories of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, in Wollongong in 1954

Kicking off on February 3, Wollongong was one of the early stops on the two-month tour.

On February 11, the Queen and Prince Philip arrived in the city, travelling down Crown Street and into town along streets choked with people keen to catch a glimpse of the royals.

This photo of the Queen accompanied by Wollongong RSL sub-branch president F Marsh gives an idea of just how many people came out.

The pair are walking down Church Street past what is now City Diggers. The spectators have left the footpath for the Queen, crowding onto the roadside as she passes.

The crowds were similar along the whole route, with some at the back using periscopes to catch a glimpse of the young monarch.

It was a similar sight later at Bulli showground, where school children sat in the centre of the arena, with adults in the grandstands or concourses, all watching as the Queen did a circuit of the track.

"The room in which the Queen and Duke, with their attendants, relaxed was furnished with a cane lounge, coloured rug squares and natural toned furnishings.

"Two turtle doves in a cage were quite unconcerned, and the Duke found a great deal of interest in a four feet by three feet enlargement of a photograph of Wollongong from the air.

"The setting must have agreed with the Queen, who enjoyed her morning tea of chicken sandwiches and scones. A member of the Royal household was reported as saying 'That was a terrific snack. Nobody held back'."

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"An unofficial request, made through the Duke's equerry, Michael Parker, resulted in both the Queen and the Duke signing the visitor's book at the Rest Home. Such 'on the spot' signings are rare occurrences for Her Majesty."

This account of a 1954 royal visit to the Diggers' Rest Home at Corrimal, in Wollongong, appears in "The Royal Visit to Wollongong", a 1954 booklet put together by the Wollongong RSL sub-branch.