This is a guest post.
If I hadn’t rediscovered these photos after over 40 years I would still believe that a photographic career could have been mine! It was 11th April 1970, a sunny Saturday and a crowd of 20,000 (more were expected) eagerly awaited the royal visit.
For my last birthday my grandfather had given me $2 which I had ‘wasted’ (according to my mother) on a toy box camera. Said camera had proven itself to actually take photos and was now loaded with it’s first role of colour film for the big event. The fact that my mother was using black and white film was touching because I’m pretty sure I didn’t pay for the developing of the film (not on my allowance)!
It was a six hour visit by the Queen, Prince Philip and Princess Anne with the royal yacht moored in the harbour. (Is that a naval escort waiting outside the harbour?). No one had said that it wasn’t a good idea to take photos into the sun but I swear the royals were there somewhere! They were off to morning tea so we headed for town centre to await the royal procession.
My mum’s photos showed the anticipation of the crowd but my photo of the chauffeur and the royal wave taken with my arm stretched above the people in front is my favourite!
Next it was off to Park Beach for the royal march past and after while the royal procession headed to a banana plantation (the big banana?) we headed to Bruxner Park to once again await them.
Unfortunately once again the scoop royal picture eluded me as my last two photos were taken of 1970 Coffs Harbour and my 12 shot 127 size film was finished.
Lucky mum was there to capture the royal party on her camera when they arrived.
All in all an exciting day for Coffs Harbour and a very exciting day for a 12 year old who never did get into photography.
Acknowledgements:
Paul Rogan, Museum Volunteer
Photos Joyce and Paul Rogan.
I think I was at the Jetty when the Queen and Princess Anne visited Coffs Harbour in 1970. I would love to see any photos taken at the Coffs Harbour Jetty. I was 17 at the time and my father decided that we had to see the Queen, so we drove a distance of 100 miles (160 kilometres) and arrived in time to see the Queen arrive, together with Princess Anne and others. I would like you to confirm:
1)Was this the only Royal visit to Coffs Harbour at that time ( i.e. in the 60s and 70s)?
2)I remember the Royals arriving on a small boat at the jetty-do you have any photos of that?
I haven;t got any photos of it and have the follwoing quetsions:
Hello Anne,
thanks for your enquiry. Yes, April 1970 was the only visit by the Monarch and her family. Our record of the event is in Coffs Collections here: https://coffs.recollect.net.au/nodes/view/69257. The Royal family was transferred by tender to the jetty.
The ABC recorded footage of the transfer here: https://www.facebook.com/abccoffscoast/videos/the-royal-tour-of-coffs-harbour-in-1970/265214715254448/. regards, Debbie