Living History

Falling for Queen Elizabeth II

I was born in Wollongong in 1946, which makes this year my 60th birthday. In 1954, on the 11th of February, Queen Elizabeth II came to see our beautiful coastal town of Wollongong, New South Wales.

I remember seeing pictures of her in beautiful full-length gowns, tiaras, nipped waist and flared skirts.

Queen Elizabeth II met our Lord Mayor and spoke to an assembly of children. Once I knew that she was coming to Wollongong, my 3 sisters and I decided that we were going to see her, come rain or shine. Little did we know that neither rain nor shine would stop us, but a case of one being clumsy.

We woke up very early on the morning of the 11th, and I remember struggling to do up the buttons of my dress as I was eager to see the Queen. My father was working so it was my mother that ran with us down the street and into town on that warm summer’s day.

Have you ever tried to run in a dress and young ladies shoes?

Well, it was not to be. As I rounded the corner, and in full view of the gathering crowd, I tripped on the sidewalk and fell hard to my knees.

To my great distress, and that of my sisters, I was bleeding from both knees and hands. I was not fit for a Queen, and not one member of my family ended up seeing the Queen! Of course, we heard about it from every friend and neighbour, to which we all would painfully smile.

Bell, Wollongong, New South Wales

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