1953 Queen Elizabeth II arrives for summer tour

For New Zealanders old enough to have experienced it, the visit of the young Queen and her dashing husband, Prince Philip, in the summer of 1953–4 is a never-to-be forgotten event. Some still regard the royal tour as New Zealand’s greatest public occasion.

Thousands greeted the first reigning monarch to visit this country in Auckland’s aptly named Queen Street. In scenes reminiscent of a modern-day rock concert, hundreds of people had camped out overnight to get a good spot for the occasion.

The Queen visited 46 towns or cities and attended 110 separate functions during her stay. It was said that three in every four New Zealanders saw her.

The country was gripped with patriotic fervour; sheep were even dyed red, white and blue. New Zealanders made sure that the Queen saw the country at its best. Screens were erected to hide unsightly buildings, and citizens were instructed when and how to plant blue lobelias, red salvias and white begonias. It was hard to spot a car that did not sport a Union Jack, or a building in the main cities that was not covered in bunting and flowers during the day or electric lights at night. This was truly a remarkable event.

Sadly, the Queen’s triumphant arrival would be swiftly followed by one of New Zealand’s darkest moments, when disaster struck at Tangiwai on the following night, Christmas Eve.

Image: Queen Elizabeth II reading her Christmas message, 1953