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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2022-09-20 Daily Xml
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Address to His Majesty the King

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Premier) (11:04): I move:

That the following address to the King be adopted—

To His Most Excellent Majesty King Charles III:

We the members of the House of Assembly of South Australia in parliament assembled take this earliest opportunity of expressing our deep sympathy in the great sorrow which Your Majesty and members of the royal family have sustained through the death of our Sovereign, Queen Elizabeth II, who was loved for the grace, devotion and steadfast resolve displayed over her reign of 70 years.

We acknowledge and pay tribute to Her Majesty's lifetime of dedicated service and our gratitude at the commitment she made to the people of South Australia and the commonwealth.

We also offer our sincere congratulations on Your Majesty's accession to the throne and to express the hope that Your Majesty may enjoy a long and prosperous reign.

This is the first sitting of our parliament under the new King, and it is fitting that we should mark this occasion by reflecting upon the legacy of our late monarch, Queen Elizabeth II. Her devotion to duty and her love of country are an inspiration to us all. While we mourn together, we also share a moment of reflection on her extraordinary life and legacy of service.

Following the funeral proceedings that have taken place in the United Kingdom overnight, we grieve her loss along with her family, her children, her grandchildren, her great-grandchildren and the nation that she led with grace, dignity and determination for so long. Many South Australians are mourning today along with the people of the United Kingdom.

Just reflect for a moment on the ceremony we witnessed last night. It was her final gift to us, to bring the world together one last time. It has been estimated that over four billion people watched her funeral, making it the most viewed event in human history, even surpassing the Moon landing. No matter your feelings on the monarchy, we can all recognise how unique and valuable it is for the planet to share this experience. It is both wonderful and rare in these often disconnected and divided times.

Elizabeth was not strictly born to be Queen. The next in line to the throne was her uncle, King Edward VIII. It was only upon his abdication in 1936 that his brother Albert, Elizabeth's father, succeeded him to become King George VI, thus did the then nine year old suddenly find herself next in the line of succession.

Her own elevation to the Crown came at the age of 25, while she was in a remote part of Kenya carrying out commonwealth diplomatic duties on behalf of her father, who was in the final stages of his battle with lung cancer. In fact, she and her new husband, Philip, were on their way to visit Australia as part of what was intended as a six-month tour of commonwealth countries. But events were to overtake them in the most dramatic of ways when King George peacefully passed away in his sleep on 6 February 1952.

A message from the palace was immediately dispatched to the princess, but it took some time to reach her at the Treetops Hotel, where, the legend goes, 'A princess went up the tree and came down a queen.' In these days of immediate communication, it is incredible to reflect on the fact that Elizabeth was the Queen of the British commonwealth for several hours before she was even aware of the fact.

Just think for a moment what it must have been like to be on the other side of the world and simultaneously discover that your beloved father has passed away and that you are now the figurehead of both your nation and a globe-spanning empire—such a young woman, mourning such a profound loss so very far from her home, yet she shouldered that awesome responsibility before her and carried it for another 70 years, the longest reign of any British monarch.

For seven decades, Her Majesty has been a constant in our national lives and a quiet constitutional certainty in the political rough-and-tumble of our representative democracy. For most Australians, she is the only sovereign they have ever known. She was the first and only reigning monarch to stand on Australian soil, ever. But I believe our connection goes deeper than that. In some ways, the story of our Queen is also the story of our modern Australia.

On her accession to the throne, Queen Elizabeth II embodied the hard-won postwar stability that followed our most devastating global conflict—a calming and reassuring presence that seemed to confirm that the privations and suffering of wartime were behind us and that a future of peace, prosperity and civility lay ahead. That was the case in South Australia, perhaps more than any other place in the commonwealth, where there was an indelible sense of opportunity and possibility in the air, and that future was being built upon a political foundation that seemed equally enduring.

At a national level, Australia was four years into the second prime ministership of Robert Menzies, our longest serving Prime Minister, who would hold that position for yet another 13 years. In our own state, Thomas Playford was midway through his 26 years as Premier, serving the longest term of leadership of any Australian politician before or since.

With such familiar, recognisable figures at every position of leadership, there was an understandable and welcome sense of security in our state. Even when both leaders left their posts in the mid-sixties—Playford losing the 1965 election to Don Dunstan and Menzies bequeathing the Liberal Party leadership to his Treasurer, Harold Holt, the following year—our monarch remained, unchanged and unchanging. But the state changed around her, as she saw with her own eyes through her many visits to our state.

Her first as our monarch came in March 1954, less than a year after her coronation. Her arrival at Parafield Airport was greeted by a crowd of 200,000 people. If that sounds incredible, an estimated 300,000 people lined the streets for the royal progress through Adelaide the very following day—a number which represented almost two-thirds of the entire state's population at the time, just shy of 500,000 people in 1954.

The adoring crowds brought our city to a standstill. That love was reflected in the decision to name our planned satellite city in her honour, and Elizabeth still proudly bears her name. In 1963, the Queen and Prince Philip returned and had the opportunity to visit the township and the General Motors Holden plant, which was the region's major employer, of course.

They returned in 1977 to take a somewhat drizzly stroll with Premier Don Dunstan along our city's new Rundle Mall and to officially open the Festival Theatre before visiting the rolling landscapes of the Barossa. Aside from a brief trip to inspect the troops at the Edinburgh RAAF Base in 1981, the next Adelaide sojourn was in 1986 when the Queen and her Prince visited Port Adelaide, went south to the new Aberfoyle Park High School and also journeyed to the growing industrial powerhouse of Whyalla.

A flying visit to open the Lion Arts Centre on North Terrace followed in 1992, and then 10 years later the Queen and Prince Philip made their final visit to Adelaide, taking in Tanunda and the Barossa Valley. On each occasion, Adelaide and South Australians made our sovereign feel welcome, turning out in the thousands—indeed, in the tens of thousands. On each occasion, the sovereign was welcomed.

I have been privileged to see many South Australians share their personal reminiscences of the Queen's visits on social media. A few quotes stand out as an example, including this one from Dianna Bassani:

I met and had a conversation with the Queen when I was young. As she approached me I felt her calm and loving energy. I've never forgotten her kindness.

Here is another from Tina Bambery:

I was among the thousands of schoolchildren in 1954 who were taken to the parade ground at the Showgrounds. A bus brought us from Williamstown to this amazing event. I have loved her ever since and admired her for her unstoppable dedication to her calling.

To quote Brenton Chomel:

I'm proud to live in a city named after her.

And, in a particular tribute to our new sovereign, Craig Carmody said:

I once gifted Prince Charles a packet of Tim Tams.

Our monarch was also celebrated for her unexpected wit. Once, famously, when her security detail tried to create more layers of protection between her and a particularly enthusiastic crowd, she waved them away with a quip, 'I have to be seen to be believed.'

Over the course of her visits, our Queen saw the development of modern South Australia, a proud, ambitious state leading the way in the nation and in the world, a state increasingly comfortable in exercising its own independence and asserting its own identity. We have much to thank her for and her loss will be felt throughout our state, our country, the commonwealth and liberal democracies around the world.

The respect we had for the Queen was reciprocated in her respect for us. She is part of us and we are part of her. We honour those decades of steadfast, unfaltering service in these chambers today as we mark this seismic change to our nation's constitutional landscape. This is a time to mourn the end of the second Elizabethan age, even as we welcome our new sovereign, King Charles III. The state over which he now reigns is a very different one from the South Australia of 1954 and part of a very different world.

We wish our new King well as he takes on his new duties and responsibilities, even as we bid farewell to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. She was a true friend to South Australia and South Australians. We shall honour her memory and her legacy. God save the King.

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS (Black—Leader of the Opposition) (11:17): On behalf of His Majesty's Loyal Opposition in South Australia, and on behalf of the constituents I am privileged to represent in Adelaide's southern suburbs, it is with both sadness and genuine joy for a life well lived that today I make a contribution on this condolence motion recognising the life of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

I make this contribution with sadness because a great leader, who seemed like she would always be present in our lives, has suddenly gone. Despite her great age, there is no doubt some sense of shock that she has passed and her era has concluded. I also make this contribution with genuine joy because Queen Elizabeth fulfilled her duties well and lived a long, fruitful life, leaving an immense legacy across the globe in a way that saw her almost universally loved and respected.

When giving these speeches one can be wary about repetition, using words and phrases that have been used again and again during this mourning period, but perhaps repetition is acceptable at these times. It is reflective of Queen Elizabeth's contribution and character that words like 'steadfast', 'constant', 'dutiful' and 'loyal' have been used continually in recent days as people from all walks of life have sought to describe what she meant to them. I suspect, and respect, that many of these words will be used here today and that repetition is not a bad thing.

Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor was born on 21 April 1926 in Mayfair, London. She died at the age of 96 at Balmoral in her beloved Scotland on 8 September 2022, having reigned as Queen for 70 years and six months. Her official title here was Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God Queen of Australia and Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth. More than any other monarch from any other nation at any other point in our history, she was the Queen, internationally recognised and her position widely understood: a figurehead, a leader, an adviser and an institution.

She was also of course a mother, a grandmother and a great-grandmother, and a corgi owner and a horse owner. Her adoration of her family and her pets could never be understated. Their love for her has been on full public display over recent days. Something that is hard for us to understand, something that cannot necessarily be easy, is to grieve in the limelight, but for better or worse, it is part of it all.

Queen Elizabeth's stability at the head of our system of government has been pivotal for our success as the State of South Australia and as a nation. South Australia held a special place in the heart of the Queen, and the Queen held a special place in ours. This was evident even back on 23 March 1954, when the Queen graciously opened a special session of our parliament with an uplifting vision for the future of South Australia. It was evident in each of her subsequent visits to our state in 1963, 1977, 1981, 1986, 1992 and most recently in 2002, her golden jubilee year, when she told us at the Adelaide Festival Centre:

Whatever may lie ahead, I declare here tonight that my admiration, affection and regard for the people of Australia will remain, as it has been over these past 50 years, constant, sure and true.

In recent days, some of you may have heard me recall my own story of meeting the Queen. That occurred in June 2010. I had the great privilege through my association with the Duke of Edinburgh's Award to represent Australia at a youth leadership forum, hosted on the Windsor estate in England. As part of that—an unofficial part of the program, in fact—there was an opportunity to take part in a church service at the Royal Chapel of All Saints at Windsor Great Park. About half the group of those attending said they would; the other half said they would spend a bit more time in bed on that Sunday morning.

We were not aware of who would be attending this service in a small, humble chapel in the grounds of Windsor Castle. After the service, it was revealed to us that sitting off in a hidden chapel to the side was Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. As we exited the church—and it was a beautiful sunny day and the sky was blue—the Queen was waiting to greet us. She was a small lady, about the height of the statue over there in Government House, which many of you have seen.

She was smiling, and she spoke to each one of us individually about where we were from, why we were there, what country we were representing. I told her I was representing Australia. She was confused. I explained, and we spoke about both Scotland and Australia for the rest of the conversation. At the end, she opened her handbag, she took out her keys, she jumped in her car and she drove home for Sunday lunch. She drove; the security detail got in the seat beside her.

The Queen's normality in that moment was as comforting as her position as monarch was overwhelming. That enduring personal normality, which seems to have diluted the barriers that inevitably exist between a monarchy and its people, seems to be one of the things that so endeared the Queen to people.

For the past week, a book of condolence has sat in my electorate office at Hallett Cove. I have to admit to having been somewhat taken aback by the number of locals who have steadily streamed through the door to write their thoughts, memories and feelings following Queen Elizabeth's passing. I am sure that many of those here today in the House of Assembly would have experienced similar things in their offices. Going through some of these messages, I saw Sally Johnson's from Hallett Cove:

Thank you from one of the mums of one of the last Queen's Scouts. Now you can rest. Yours in Scouting.

Arul Mylvaganam from Hallett Cove says:

To me our Queen epitomised dignity, decorum, grace, wit and true beauty. My earliest and most endearing memory is of pledging allegiance to my Queen. Her commitment to duty never ceased to inspire me and countless millions who loved her. Thank you for your service to us all ma'am. May you Rest In Peace.

Martin Schumacher from Trott Park says:

Well done good and faithful servant…What you said, what you left unsaid, all that you stood for, your faith in our Lord, your family, your people, has become a wonderful example to all of us. All your burdens are lifted as you now rest in God's arms.

Margaret Greenhalgh from Seacliff says:

I was at the Coronation, sitting out for two days and one night. I have seen the Queen five times and I say prayers for her safe keeping.

It is interesting that in quite a number of the written condolences the Queen's unwavering Christian faith is highlighted. Accounts of those close to the Queen suggest that her faith went far beyond the duty and protocol that come with being the head of the Church of England. Her famous annual Christmas messages were often peppered with scripture and with Christ's teachings. In one of these messages, she said:

Christ's example has taught me to seek to respect and value all people of whatever faith or none.

It was a theme that she would return to, describing her faith as her anchor, and most notably in a speech at Lambeth Palace in 2012 where she said:

The Church of England has a duty to protect the free practice of all faiths in this country.

She used her faith and these teachings to encourage others and frame many of her public statements at difficult times. In the Queen's 2020 Easter message, delivered as the COVID-19 pandemic raged across the world, she referred to the Easter story when she said:

As dark as death can be—particularly for those suffering with grief—light and life are greater.

Queen Elizabeth, many are grieving your loss, but you were filled with light and your life was great. In the words of Paul the Apostle, as written to Timothy:

You have fought the good fight, you have finished the race, you have kept the faith.

Vale, Queen Elizabeth II, and God save the King.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Minister for Energy and Mining) (11:27): I rise in support of the motion to His Majesty the King. At the proclamation of the monarch on North Terrace, the Premier spoke of what the Crown made available to South Australians and what it made available to us all, from universal suffrage for women, democratic reforms, freedom and liberty, even through to freedom of the press.

Her Majesty's life was an example to all of us, and that example was led, of course, through her partnership with her late husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip. They shared a faith and love of institution and of democratic ideals. What many of us have forgotten is that Her Majesty took the throne at the height of the Cold War. During that period, our entire system and way of life were at threat. The constitutional monarchy stood out as a symbol, not of an authoritarian regime ruling people but of liberal Western democratic values, and it was that symbol and that light that allowed us ultimately to prevail over certainly what I consider the forces of darkness.

We are unique. We swear an oath as an executive and as members of parliament to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, her heirs and successors. Her heirs and successors have now taken the throne. We do not swear an oath of allegiance to democracy or to a piece of paper or a constitution. She takes up that responsibility for us, as does our new monarch. He is the one who defends our constitutional liberties and norms, and we swear our oath and allegiance to them.

They have served us well. The restraint and dignity with which Her Majesty carried out all her public duties were very impressive. I was lucky enough to be at the 2002 reception where many thought Her Majesty was bidding Australia farewell for the last time. I do not wish to raise the issue of republic versus constitutional monarchy, but I do think it is important to remember that no matter what choice Australia would have made or does make Her Majesty the Queen would have respected that democratic vote, that democratic decision, which speaks volumes about who she was and her respect for the institution for which she stood.

Last night, I forced my children to stay up and watch the funeral of Her Majesty the Queen. There were many questions asked and I tried to answer as many of them as I could. The truth is that we are witnessing the passage of history. We will not see her like again. We will not see a reign of such duration through such turbulent times again. There will be turbulent times and there will be future monarchs and they will reign, but none like the second Elizabethan age. It was a particularly special reign. It was a particularly special person—from the manner in which she ascended to the throne to the way she conducted herself throughout her entire reign until the very end.

At her husband's funeral, there was an Orthodox Christian prayer said. That prayer was said in light of the faith of her husband's birth. That prayer was this:

Give rest to the soul of your departed servant in a place of light, in a place of green pasture, in a place of refreshment, from where pain, sorrow, and sighing have fled away.

I wish Her Majesty all those things. God save the King.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER (Morialta—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (11:31): I join with members in expressing my deep regret and profound sadness at the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. I commend the three speakers we have just heard for their outstanding contributions.

After the death of the Queen's father, King George VI, Winston Churchill said:

…there struck a deep and solemn note in our lives which, as it resounded far and wide, stilled the clatter and traffic of twentieth-century life in many lands, and made countless millions of human beings pause and look around them.

These words resonate with us today as we come to terms with our loss. Over the last month, we have watched the Queen approaching journey's end. Even in her last days, she welcomed her 15th British Prime Minister, devoted to duty until the very end. We should take heart and draw comfort and strength for the future from her bearing and fortitude.

As our new King, Charles III, said, when the Queen pledged to devote her life, whether it be short or long, to the service of her people, that was more than a promise. It was a profound personal commitment which defined her whole life. Her example is truly a pattern to all princes living and to us all.

The Queen shared a great love for Australia and Australians shared a great love for the Queen, nowhere more so than here in South Australia. On 23 March 1954, Her Majesty opened a special session of the Parliament of South Australia with these inspiring words:

I am confident that by courage, enterprise, and determination you will move forward to an era of ever-increasing prosperity.

We are privileged to live in South Australia. While we always strive to be better and to progress in our role as MPs to serve our communities more effectively and more faithfully, there is no question that in all the experience of human life we are fortunate to be South Australians born in this age. I believe we owe much of our success and prosperity to Her Majesty's stability and steadfastness. In terms of constitutional monarchs, she was a paragon.

Over 70 years, the world changed and the countries over which she reigned changed dramatically too, as did their peoples, as did their laws and as did, on a number of occasions, their constitutional arrangements. Their head of state, Queen Elizabeth II, will be remembered as a monarch, a constitutional monarch, under whose reign these momentous changes were not only allowed but by her signature enabled, presided over with her blessing. In doing so, she has demonstrated to us her strength and the potential of the role to which she dedicated her life and service.

The institution she embodied is surrounded by an other-worldly aura, a sense of a different time, and for some this poses a challenge. When I was younger, it certainly did for me too, but it also provides what the Premier described earlier in this debate as a quiet constitutional certainty in the political rough-and-tumble of our daily lives. As the member for West Torrens described in the speech just given, 'a symbol of Western democratic values'.

By removing the head of state from the to-and-fro of politics, of representation, of overt power, the dangers posed by demagoguery and constitutional instability have been avoided. As Jordan Peterson wrote just last night:

The monarchical system therefore fulfils a vital psychological (spiritual) and social purpose. It's of great practical utility as well.

To our new monarch, King Charles III, to whom our motion is addressed: we know your life, too, has been given in service and that in the example of your mother, the Queen, you take seriously the model she set in fulfilling this important constitutional role.

The admiration and respect in which Her Majesty was held can be assigned to many factors: her lifetime of public service, her dedication to duty, her selfless devotion, her ability to rise above the political fray, her compassion and empathy for others, her unifying presence and grace, and her humanity.

Having spoken up to now about the nature of her role and the benefits of its unusual arrangements, it was her humanity and the love that she demonstrated daily that enabled so many to feel an extraordinary personal connection. We have seen the sorrow and grief most acutely demonstrated by members of Her Majesty's family, but it is a sorrow shared in no small measure by billions of people around the world who, we have been reminded, watched her final farewell last night together.

Many in South Australia have taken the opportunity to come into Government House or into our electorate offices to share their own reflections and condolences in the books the government has given us all. I can advise the house that Morialta residents in their hundreds have done so too. A couple even met Her Majesty personally.

I was pleased to read a note from my constituent Derek, who was a Coldstream Guardsman. He wrote, 'Goodbye. Happy memories of exciting times and occasions.' A number of others felt a personal connection forged during her 16 visits to Australia and seven to South Australia during the time of her reign. My constituent Pat wrote:

Your Majesty: I saw you when you visited Mount Gambier in 1954. What a thrill for me and all the students present. I have loved and respected you and your family. Thank you for being there. Rest in Peace.

Many more constituents who never met Her Majesty still felt that connection, and I can advise the house that the people coming to my office represent many generations, with diverse backgrounds representing the multicultural tapestry so prominent in my seat of Morialta. My constituent Yinxan wrote:

Although I grew up in a communist country, Your Majesty the Queen's passing is a very sad moment for me and makes me extremely depressed. We have only known you as our monarch. Such a wonderful woman who dedicated yourself to the duty of the country and its people. Rest in peace knowing that you have lots of respect and deep love.

A number of themes have been prominent in the condolence book, and the Leader of the Opposition will not be surprised to hear that they reflect those which he warned may bear repetition in the debate today. Therese spoke for many when she wrote:

You have been an inspiration in my life for your steadfastness, loyalty, faith, dedication and love.

Many of those words were repeated in so many other messages. I am sure they will be heard more often this afternoon.

Her Majesty lived for 96 full years. The world has known her in many roles: sovereign, diplomat, figurehead, Queen, but also as a daughter, a sister, a mother, a grandmother, a great-grandmother. That we have known her all our lives in all of these roles no doubt informs the deep sense of sadness that so many people have felt about a public figure that most have never met. She was a constant when all else around was change.

That connection informs why I believe so many of us felt surprise in our hearts when we started hearing the sad news 10 days ago, even though our heads should have prepared us for the inevitable. Her legacy is within all of us, and I find myself no less touched by this than anyone else.

Fourteen years ago, I found myself giving the eulogy at my own grandma's funeral. In that eulogy, I reflected that, when I was little, I thought my grandma was the Queen. My child's mind could not distinguish the idea that there were two lovely, elderly ladies in England who cared about us, who had beautiful clothes and immaculate hair and whom we saw pictures of whenever they went abroad. Of course, she was not our nan, our grandma, our grandmother or our nanny; she was the Queen. She had a life that was something else altogether: she was born into royalty. She lived in castles and palaces and was known to the world.

While her life was an exemplar of service, there is no question that, for many people, the royal family first represents privilege. The fact of these circumstances reminds me of one final quality in Her Majesty that we know was so important to her—as we were reminded by the Leader of the Opposition earlier—that of her devout faith. Her Majesty would personally have been deeply familiar with the gospel call that from those to whom much is given much is expected.

Despite any privilege that can be ascribed to Her Majesty in life, I believe that none can argue that she has not exceeded even the highest of expectations that could have been set for her and her service. We send our deepest condolences to the royal family. We share in their grief and loss. God save the King.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN (Lee—Treasurer) (11:41): I rise today to offer condolences on the passing of Her Majesty the Queen. In the early hours of 9 September, our time, our world changed. The death of Queen Elizabeth II ended a reign of more than 70 years and the life of one of the world's most recognised and respected figures. Monarchist or not, most of us do not know life without her. For more than 70 years, she was a constant presence, an enduring symbol of unwavering service, resilience and dignity.

Queen Elizabeth II was the longest serving monarch in British history. She came to the role after her father, King George VI, passed away at an age of only 56. He himself was thrust into the role of sovereign 15 years earlier, when his older brother, Edward VIII, abdicated in 1936 after barely more than 300 days on the throne.

Edward's abdication from the responsibility of the Crown to the freedom of private life shook the English monarchy to its very foundations. It passed the burden of lifelong service to Edward's younger brother George and in turn to his elder daughter, Elizabeth. Ultimately, the abdication's impact on the monarchy could only be remedied by ongoing, unwavering commitment to the Crown. This effort was started by her father, King George, and then continued so determinedly and successfully by Her late Majesty Elizabeth II—70 years of unflinching service.

Her commitment to our country and our state was clear; she visited our state regularly, from very early on in her reign to her last visit in 2002. Her first visit was in March 1954, when it was estimated that 200,000 people lined the streets from Parafield Airport to Government House to welcome her. The next day, more still turned out to catch a glimpse of royalty and to show their support. Her busy schedule included the opening of parliament, some records of which remain on display in the parliament's library and the dining room.

In 1963, she visited again, this time including the town that bears her name. Once again, people turned out in droves to see their monarch, offer flowers and, for a lucky few, speak with the Queen herself. Yet Elizabeth is not the only place here where her name will live on: The Queen Elizabeth Hospital in the western suburbs was officially opened by the Queen Mother when she visited in Adelaide in 1958. Five years later, Queen Elizabeth saw it for herself.

For those in my electorate of Lee, one of her visits, in 1986, included Fort Glanville in Semaphore Park. Dating from 1880, it was to be one of three forts to protect our coastline. A second was constructed at Taperoo, and a third, planned for Glenelg, never eventuated. The Queen inspected the fort, which had undergone restoration and had a newly constructed visitor centre. It is said that she spent about an hour at the site, during which she was given a full demonstration of the fort's capabilities, including firing the cannons. On the fifth anniversary of Her late Majesty's Fort Glanville visit, then Governor Dame Roma Mitchell named the Queen Elizabeth II walk in her honour.

I never had the fortune of meeting Queen Elizabeth II, but I share South Australians' great respect and admiration for her service. She reigned during a period of unprecedented change, punctuated by global events that have shaped our world for better or for worse. In the United Kingdom, these included the Troubles in Northern Ireland and IRA bombings, the opening of the Channel Tunnel, the Beatles, the forming of the European Union, the Falklands War, the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, the London suicide attacks, the Manchester bombing, the London Olympics and, more recently, Brexit.

More broadly, the world witnessed the Cold War, the Cuban missile crisis, the assassinations of JFK and Martin Luther King, the Vietnam War, the Moon landing, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the end of the Soviet Union, and the global financial crisis. Of course, here in Australia, while the Queen reigned we continued to develop our own national identity and prospered in the second half of the 20th century.

She was also sovereign during one of the most significant political episodes since Federation: the Dismissal. She was stoic during the most challenging of times—in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, when she famously said, 'Grief is the price we pay for love,' and, more recently, when she sent a message of unity and hope during COVID-19 with the words, 'We will meet again.'

Throughout all these events, she remained a constant, reassuring, unflappable presence to millions all over the world; yet, to truly appreciate the remarkable commitment of her service, we must remember she was also a daughter, a sister, a wife, a mother, a grandmother and great-grandmother.

Throughout all the momentous global and domestic events occurring throughout her reign, Her late Majesty also contended with all the challenges and tumult, as the head of a large and complex family in full view of the public and the media. In more recent media-saturated times, we recall the Queen's annus horribilis in 1992 due to the fire at Windsor Castle and the various tribulations of her children. We also recall the death of Princess Diana in 1997, a time of upheaval for the royal family and also of rare public criticism.

In 2002, her mother and sister died within a month of one another. Her bond with both was extremely strong, her mother particularly important as a guide and refuge in the early days after her father died as she assumed the Crown. There was also her bond with her younger sister, tested so greatly with Margaret's wish to marry outside the strictures of the Church of England, the head of which, of course, was Elizabeth. In the end, Princess Margaret ended her relationship and stayed by her sister's side.

Of course, only last year was the death of Her late Majesty's husband, Prince Philip, a man she called her 'strength and stay'. Who could forget those images of the Queen at his funeral service, alone due to COVID restrictions and for the first time in 74 years.

She met all those challenges, global and domestic, public and personal, yet always her service as Queen was undeterred. She exemplified her commitment to her role early in her reign, memorably saying in her 1957 Christmas broadcast:

I cannot lead you into battle, I do not give you laws or administer justice but I can do something else, I can give you my heart and my devotion to these old islands and to all the peoples of our brotherhood of nations.

She most certainly did. Over two million people lined the streets of London and four billion global viewers tuned in to see the funeral proceedings over the last 24 hours. It has been a remarkable outpouring of affection.

I formally offer my condolences to the royal family. While we have lost a monarch, it cannot be forgotten that they have lost a mother, a grandmother and a great-grandmother. Her family's grief is laid bare as they mourn in the public eye, and, during this difficult time, just like their matriarch, they have put duty first.

While we mourn the passing of Her late Majesty, we also recognise the new sovereign, King Charles III. He assumes the Crown while mourning the passing of his beloved mother—a challenge none of us could imagine. I, too, convey my congratulations to him on his accession to the throne and wish him a long and prosperous reign. God save the King.

Ms PRATT (Frome) (11:49): I rise to speak in support of the motion to His Majesty King Charles III and offer my formal condolences to the royal family. The world has never and will never observe such a procession again. In the last 24 hours, over four billion people on our planet chose to dedicate their attention to the funeral of one lady—a nonagenarian, a great-grandmother still working until her death—our Queen.

The English language will be regurgitated many times over to capture the essence of our monarch, and I offer my own personal reflections today. She was known for her impish humour, she was thoughtful, she had fortitude. We know of her duty; she was our constant. It was reported that she liked to leave her crown at the gate of Balmoral Castle and she was certainly our cherished sovereign.

She was also more than a monarch. She was the purest example of a born leader; little did we know it in the year of her birth. Her full title was Her Majesty Elizabeth II, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith.

But, for such a lofty title, she was pedestrian in some of her interests. We know that she loved to be outdoors with her horses and corgis, wandering the moors, and she certainly knew her way around a diesel engine. It is widely reported that her favourite way to break her fast was to enjoy marmalade on toast with a scraping of butter—also my mother's favourite combination, and I acknowledge her in the gallery today.

It is my mother who is responsible for my love of poems by British author A.A. Milne and it is fitting that I share a verse today, for in his poem, The King's Breakfast, Milne wrote:

The Dairymaid

Said, 'Fancy!'

And went to

Her Majesty.

She curtsied to the Queen, and

She turned a little red:

'Excuse me,

Your Majesty,

For taking of

The liberty,

But marmalade is tasty, if

It's very

Thickly

Spread.'

When Her Majesty quickly agreed to a cameo role with Paddington Bear to mark her own platinum jubilee celebrations, we learned much more about her marmalade habits and that impish humour she was known for. As Australians, we pride ourselves on our own sense of humour and, as our nation reflects on our relationship with Her Majesty, we have enjoyed reliving the moments when she travelled Down Under.

My parents have their own cherished memories from their childhood of seeing Her Majesty passing by. For my father, it was in 1954 at Victoria Park as a student of Blyth Primary School, later my own school; for my mother, it was when she travelled from Snowtown to Wayville in 1963. We have heard of the masses, the hundreds of thousands, who travelled across South Australia to witness that spectacle.

Australia is intrinsically tied to the United Kingdom and monarchy by virtue of our Westminster system and as members of the commonwealth, and so it was an auspicious occasion for our national democracy, as well as for the Pratt family, in 1988 at the opening of new Parliament House in Canberra. I have reflected on this day personally in my own first speech, but to reflect further on my parents' experience later that day in 1988 my father—who was at the time the federal member for Adelaide—stood alongside my mother and as husband and wife they shared the dance floor with their Queen.

Our artists are also directly linked to Her Majesty. For example, South Australian sculptor John Dowie, who was a Rat of Tobruk and later trained in the styles of Gauguin and Renoir, designed and created our beloved Three Rivers fountain in Victoria Square as well as the Tjilbruke monument at Kingston Park in the member for Black's electorate. Dowie was commissioned to commemorate the visit to Adelaide by Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh, but he was later to create a full-length statue of Her Majesty, unveiled by the monarch herself, on the aptly named Queen's Terrace for the opening of Parliament House in 1988.

To embody her own philosophy that 'I have to be seen to be believed', she visited South Australia seven times. We have witnessed in the last week pageantry with military precision, tradition, values, honour and solemnity, and we have been reminded that life does have a serious side. But the ceremonies have had a majesty about them. They have almost been cinematic, with the armed forces and the royal family walking at 75 paces per minute to achieve that effect of gliding along The Mall. I ask the house to give particular consideration to the horses that would normally be walking at twice that pace in a normal parade.

For a kingdom steeped in history, it has been harrowing to witness the royal family grieving in public, stoic and disciplined. But such is the draw of Her Majesty, even in death, that billions of people across the world have paid their respects in person and in spirit to the hardest working monarch the United Kingdom has ever known. She was not defined by her age, and she kept working until she died peacefully.

I also reflect on personalities, if you like, such as Sir David Attenborough, also aged 96, who only recently was walking the parks of Balmoral Castle with Her Majesty, and how keenly he must feel the loss of a friend. Her Majesty had developed quite a following and featured infrequently in pop culture references such as her famed encounter with Daniel Craig's alter ego, James Bond, for the 2012 London Olympics. It is widely reported that the whole royal family are big fans of the Bond characters largely due to the Britishness of the franchise, but it is quietly whispered that Her Majesty's favourite Bond was Roger Moore because he looked like Prince Philip.

Of course, Gilbert and Sullivan tragics, like me, know only too well the language of Britain. We are reminded of references like the Navy, the Queen's Navy, the royal history with references to sense of duty, Yeomen of the Guard, grenadiers, heralders, beefeaters—and I could go on. I have certainly returned to this music with much delight.

I thank our Governor, Her Excellency the Hon. Frances Adamson AC, for her own service and dedication to Her Majesty and to all South Australians. In opening Government House for a period of mourning, our Governor has provided a place of solace and reflection for people all over South Australia to pay their respects to our cherished sovereign. I note, as with other members of the house, that in our own electorates, certainly as the member for Frome, I have made a condolence book available in my office, but I have also driven it around the electorate to find members of the commonwealth in Riverton and Kapunda and Clare and Balaklava who are unable to travel but wanted to pay their respects.

Her Majesty was diminutive in stature but a giant on the world stage. She was and will remain Britain's longest serving monarch. May she now lie in eternal rest, and may God save the King.

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON (Ramsay—Minister for Tourism, Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (11:57): I rise today to support the motion and recognise the 70 years of public service of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. For many, the loss of Her Majesty the Queen is felt at a deeply personal level, and I acknowledge their grief especially, for the Queen was not just a symbol or figurehead. To many Australians, she seemed to be personable, approachable, warm, loyal, devoted and proud of them and our nation.

Her Majesty also had a connection with many parts of Adelaide's north. My Ramsay electorate takes in parts of the City of Elizabeth which, as we have heard from others here, was named in honour of Her Majesty. As well as those living in Elizabeth itself, across my electorate I have many constituents who arrived here in South Australia from the UK as migrant families as part of the mass migration scheme following World War II until the 1970s.

With the promise of better jobs and even better weather, close to a million British citizens arrived here following the long sea journey known as the £10 passage. Those ten-pound Poms, as they became known locally, arrived across Australia, becoming central to Australia's postwar recovery. Such is the remaining impact of that wave of migration that years later the nostalgia for the journey of the ten-pound Pom helped the South Australian Tourism Commission to launch a new drive to get young British and Irish men and women to again consider South Australia as a place to play and work.

Back in April, when we launched this tourism campaign, it prompted many in my electorate and across the state to share with me their migration stories and those of their families. These stories shared a common thread: a strong and ongoing connection they still felt to the UK. As Her Majesty herself has said, there remains for many families who arrived here in that period of postwar mass migration 'deep, affectionate and personal links between Australia and the British Isles'.

In 2002, in a speech at Festival Hall, the Queen expressed a sense of pride in Australia's growing confidence, our global outlook, a recognition of the contribution of Indigenous Australians, and 'the natural realisation that Australians can take on the best in the world and excel: whether in the arts, sport, military activity, intellectual endeavour or business'. In that same speech, I also note that Her Majesty made particular mention of the 'great wines of South Australia'. As we know, they are the best in the world.

I will end today by sharing the warm words with which she ended her speech in Adelaide 20 years ago:

I declare again here tonight that my admiration, affection and regard for the people of Australia will remain, as it has been over these past 50 years, constant, sure and true.

We acknowledge and thank her for her service, for her devotion and for her dedication to her role. Our thoughts are with her family at this time of deep loss, and we recognise how hard it is to grieve with the world watching. God save the King.

Mr TELFER (Flinders) (12:01): I rise to speak on this important symbolic motion from the people of South Australia. The last 70 years have seen many changes in our world and nation, but a true constant has been the ongoing grace and inspiration of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

I do not believe the world will ever again see a leader in place for such a long time. At the time the Queen took the throne after the death of her father, King George VI, Churchill was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Menzies the Prime Minister of Australia and Playford the Premier of South Australia. In fact, Her Majesty had 179 individuals serve as Prime Minister across her realms during her 70 years as sovereign.

As we have already heard in this place, Her Majesty was just 25 years old upon her accession. For her to reign from that age with such confidence, grace and conviction says so much about her strength of character and her heart of service. Queen Elizabeth II was a woman of great Christian faith, describing it as an inspiration and anchor during her reign. Her faith was foundational in the way she led her life. In 2008, the Queen said:

I hope that, like me, you will be comforted by the example of Jesus of Nazareth who, often in circumstances of great adversity, managed to live an outgoing, unselfish and sacrificial life…He makes it clear that genuine human happiness and satisfaction lie more in giving that receiving; more in serving than in being served.

This statement epitomises the way she approached her own life.

Her Majesty lived her whole life in the public eye, always scrutinised but always willing to meet people and listen to their stories. This was highlighted to me by the stories that come from my own electorate of Flinders. Her Majesty and Prince Philip visited Port Lincoln on 20 March 1954, 68 years ago. By all reports, it was a momentous day—a royal visit to a town of about 7,000 people at that time, the population of which more than doubled with the influx of people from the surrounds.

As the royal plane descended into Port Lincoln, a rousing cheer filled the air as they were greeted by hundreds of locals at the airport. Thousands again were lined up along the 11-mile route from the airport through to the town centre, as well as decorated farmhouses, paddock fences and gateways, all welcoming the royal party to Eyre Peninsula.

On the bay, the Port Lincoln Yacht Club fleet covered the water, decorated with all flags flying, to welcome Her Majesty. The regal vehicle traversed the streets, lined with wellwishers, with the Queen and Prince Philip waving to them all as they travelled through the town in the back of an open car. Businesses and buildings were covered with blue, red and white decorations to show their support.

The royal couple were welcomed to the Civic Centre by the then Mayor of Port Lincoln, Arthur Trigg, who in fact was the grandfather of my predecessor in this place as the member for Flinders, Peter Treloar. Her Majesty presented from the balcony of the centre so that those community members who came from far and wide could catch a glimpse of her and hear her speak.

After meeting together, the official party moved on to Centenary Oval in the middle of Port Lincoln, greeted again by thousands of people. Also waiting were hundreds of school kids from all across the district, who performed an incredibly elaborate and choreographed fan dance presentation for Her Majesty—a momentous day for the Port Lincoln and Eyre Peninsula community that is still spoken of to this very day, some 68 years later.

Since the passing of Her Majesty these stories of different individuals' experiences and memories have been shared all over again. You may ask why I regale you with this story. It is because it shows you the impact that Her Majesty had on my little community nearly 70 years ago. When I checked the official royal diary for that visit, I realised that it lasted for less than two hours, but it left lifelong memories and a positive impact for decades.

Likewise, on that same visit to South Australia in 1954, a royal visit country cricket match was played for the royal couple, hosted on the Adelaide Oval and is still talked about to this day. Captained by one of the very best country cricketers of the century, Mr Ken Baillie, from my very own home club, the Lipson Cricket Club, the Country Carnival team played a SACA side in an exhibition match and then were able to meet and speak with Her Majesty in a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I can imagine that these stories can be reflected, and similar stories told, of the impact of Her Majesty's visits, conversations and experiences around the whole world, through her seven decades on the throne, with the millions of people she met through that time.

The impact of Queen Elizabeth II was felt for generations and will be felt for generations to come. Of course, there were aspects throughout the reign of Her Majesty that I am sure she would have done differently, and things she was criticised for, but you cannot live a life for as long as her or as publicly as her without aspects like that.

On behalf of the people of the electorate of Flinders in South Australia, I want to publicly recognise and thank Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for the grace, devotion and steadfast resolve displayed throughout her reign, and congratulate His Majesty King Charles III on his accession to the throne and our hope for his long and prosperous reign. I will finish with the words of Her Majesty in her first Christmas broadcast in 1952:

Pray for me…that God may give me wisdom and strength to carry out the solemn promises I shall be making, and that I may faithfully serve him and you all the days of my life.

Your Majesty, indeed He did give you that wisdom and strength and you did faithfully serve Him and us.

The Hon. K.A. HILDYARD (Reynell—Minister for Child Protection, Minister for Women and the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence, Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing) (12:08): I rise to support this motion and in doing so to offer my deep and wholehearted condolences and the condolences of the community of Reynell to the royal family at this very sad time, as together we mourn the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, a wife, sister, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.

The Queen devoted her whole life to unsurpassed service, a remarkable gift representative of an unshakable personal commitment to her vocation that has impacted and will continue to inspire people around the world. Her unfailing and enduring devotion to duty was extraordinary and serves as a shining example to leaders everywhere. Her leadership exemplified compassionate servant leadership. It was wise and steeped in love and humility. It was leadership courageously committed to at a young age and leadership that continued to be characterised by that same deep courage and always—always—by love for all people.

The impact of her service and leadership was profound and will be felt by many for years, decades and centuries to come. It has such a universal impact on so many and it has and will have a particular impact on women and girls across the commonwealth and well beyond—girls and women who have lived their lives only ever knowing a female monarch and those future generations who will know of her remarkable service and the way in which Her Majesty approached it, and who will feel and be buoyed by her legacy and influence.

During this time of community mourning, I have thought a lot about these many generations of girls and women the Queen inspired through her leadership. I reflected on the life of my late grandmother, who passed away early this year. She was born in 1925 and lived through the same momentous world events that Her Majesty did. I have been thinking about both of them.

My grandmother's three brothers and her father served in World War II and World War I respectively. She grew up in an entirely different time, but she adapted so beautifully to the many social, technological and other changes that she had to confront. Just yesterday would have been her 97th birthday and this popped up on Facebook, a platform that she vociferously and sometimes alarmingly embraced in her late 80s and early 90s.

Reflecting on this led me to again reflect on the life of Her Majesty and the incredible change that she not only lived through but steadfastly led through—15 UK prime ministers, 16 Australian prime ministers, world wars, the Cold War, the Depression, personal tragedies and triumphs, and heartwarming and heartbreaking family times. Through all of it, she led and through her leadership provided comfort, calm and wisdom. Whilst she adapted and led through such change, part of her beauty was that she remained unchanged in her approach. In a tumultuous world, she remained constant, providing reassurance to so many, including my grandmother, who like many spoke of her and what she was doing, of her visits and her leadership, and who treasured every Women's Weekly that featured her.

Her Majesty ascended to the throne after four consecutive male monarchs and at a time when the perception of the role of women in society was very different from that of today. The many powerful women who have come before us, shining amongst them the Queen, exemplify what a woman holding influence and status can look like. Seeing women in powerful positions sends a strong message to young girls and women that they have the capacity to be powerful, strong and influential and to lead in the way that is authentic for them and that reflects their spirit and personality. It also changes the broader perceptions about the roles that women can and should play. Amongst the many ways that she instilled hope, Her Majesty was a beacon of hope in our ongoing quest to achieve equality.

During the Queen's last visit to Australia in 2011, she found us experiencing an historic moment in time, led by our first and currently only female Prime Minister, the Hon. Julia Gillard, as well as our first and currently only female Governor-General, Dame Quentin Bryce. Speaking to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting at the time, the Queen reflected on the meeting's theme, Women as Agents of Change, saying that the theme 'reminds us of the potential in our societies that is yet to be fully unlocked, and it encourages us to find ways to allow girls and women to play their full part'.

During the Queen's over 70-year reign, she would have witnessed great change in the role of women in society and so much of that potential in society rightly unlocked. I will continue to reflect on Her Majesty's wise words as we continue to strive for a society in which your gender has no bearing on opportunities available to you and on the parts you can play, a society that empowers women and girls to live their best possible lives.

As a leader, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was thoughtful, strong and absolutely devoted to the position she held. Her Majesty's warmth and ability to connect as a leader came through in her interactions with others, whether they were world political leaders, community and charity champions, sports women and men, artists or musicians, business leaders or others making contributions through a diverse range of fields, the Queen always projected this thoughtful, loving leadership and strong connections to those of us observing her—qualities that all leaders can be inspired by and aspire to.

Since the passing of Her Majesty, it has been so lovely to talk with my community across the south and hear their memories and thoughts as they contemplate their shared loss. I have appreciated many community members sharing their beautiful condolence messages with me in many ways.

The weekend before last, I attended the Southern Football League preliminary finals with a condolence book and was able to offer the opportunity to many present at the game to share their message about the life and legacy of the Queen. It is such an honour that these messages from our local community will be delivered to the royal family, along with similar messages from communities across our state and the country. It was heartwarming to listen to people at the footy speak of Her Majesty's remarkable and enduring leadership and unshakable devotion to duty and of their great respect and affection for her.

One of the lovely men—quite a character—from the Noarlunga Football Club was very keen to sign the book. As he sipped his beer and signed the book, he remarked to me that he felt really, really sad that, even though he did not know her personally, he felt like he had lost a grandmother.

Whilst the loss of Her Majesty will be felt by so many, this loss will of course most deeply be felt by those closest to her. I again offer my condolences to the royal family at this very sad time. Long will I have the image of her daughter staying by her mother's side as her coffin travelled through the beautiful streets of Scotland and into England, and long will I remember last night the images of her great-grandchildren and grandchildren and other loved ones in Westminster Abbey. May Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II rest in peace and may God save the King.

Mr PATTERSON (Morphett) (12:17): I take this opportunity to speak in parliament on behalf of the electorate of Morphett to express our deep sympathy at the death of Queen Elizabeth II and acknowledge her lifetime of dedicated service and commitment to the people of South Australia and the commonwealth.

It was with great sadness that we awoke to the news on the morning of Friday 9 September 2022 that Queen Elizabeth had died at the age of 96 after reigning as the monarch for 70 years. Like so many others, we knew at 96 years of age that this day would come, but it still came as a shock. She had only two days earlier commissioned Liz Truss to be the UK's Prime Minister.

For many Australians, she was the only monarch they had known; in fact, only an eighth of living Australians (approximately 12 per cent) had known a monarch other than Queen Elizabeth II. She was the last current world leader to have lived through one of the greatest calamities of the 20th century—World War II. She was a living link back to the horrors of that time and the austerity and then optimism that resulted as the world recovered after the conflict ended in 1945.

Living in England through this time—in fact, joining the Auxiliary Territorial Service towards the end of the war—no doubt shaped the Queen, as it did so many of that generation, leading her in 1947 on her 21st birthday to declare that 'my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service'. Only five years later, in 1952, at the age of 25 Elizabeth became Queen.

That year North Adelaide beat Norwood in the SANFL grand final and, fittingly, this year's SANFL grand final again featured both North and Norwood, but this time Norwood were crowned premiers by the narrowest of margins, a solitary point. While that might suggest that nothing has changed over these 70 years, in fact the world has changed dramatically.

The Queen started her reign with Robert Menzies as the Australian Prime Minister and Winston Churchill as the British Prime Minister. Over her 70-year reign, there were 16 Australian prime ministers and 15 British prime ministers. In fact, Australia has only been a federation for 121 years, and she has been the monarch for 70 of those years. As Australia's constitutional monarch, her role was to be consulted, to advise and to warn.

Her coronation in 1953 was televised live in a first and was watched by 27 million people in the UK and many more worldwide. It propelled the world into the television age. Alongside the jet age, the nuclear age, space travel, the internet and satellite communications, the world has seen tremendous change technologically. This has also brought about massive societal change and upheaval.

During this time, one of the only constants was that the Queen remained a constant source of stability, duty and dedication. The Queen's affection for Australia and South Australia was deep. She visited Australia 14 times and our state on seven occasions. Her first visit to Australia was in 1954. It was the first time a ruling monarch had visited Australia, and it was estimated that nearly three-quarters of the population saw the Queen on that visit.

Another of her memorable visits was in 1977 as part of her silver jubilee tour of Australia. On that visit, on 20 March, the Queen came ashore to South Australia from the Royal Yacht Britannia onto the Glenelg jetty. Hundreds of people stood on the beach and in the water to catch a glimpse of their Queen. A landing platform was specially added to the jetty for the occasion to receive the tender boat, and it has remained there until only recently. It has been the perfect platform for jetty jumpers to launch into the crystal clear waters of Holdfast Bay on many a hot summer day since.

After landing that day, the Queen walked down Glenelg jetty, accompanied by the Lieutenant-Governor. The jetty was lined with junior lifesavers from the local surf lifesaving clubs. Queen Elizabeth was then greeted by the awaiting crowd at Moseley Square. I can remember in 1977 my parents taking me to the city to see the Royal Silver Jubilee Exhibition Train. It was the first mobile museum of its kind in the world and included treasures such as the bullet that killed Lord Nelson, Queen Elizabeth I's gloves and Princess Anne's wedding dress.

Queen Elizabeth would return to Glenelg in 1986 as part of South Australia's sesquicentenary celebrations. On this occasion, not only would the Queen visit Moseley Square, where the Pioneer Memorial stands but Her Majesty would also visit the Old Gum Tree in Glenelg North, which is the site where the colony of South Australia was first proclaimed in 1836 and where, on 28 December each year, a Proclamation Day ceremony is held.

So many people in Morphett have fond memories of those visits allowing them to see their monarch in person. Importantly, it has been what we have witnessed from afar that has also captured our admiration, for these visits were but a small part of her hard work and dedication to duty and service that made her such a trusted and admired person. Since the Queen's death, Government House has been open for the public to share their condolences, and I solemnly signed one of the condolence books at Government House.

For those not able to travel into the city, a condolence book was also available in all the electorate offices, including the Morphett electorate office. The people who came in were from all walks of life, including local school students on their lunch break. It is so fitting because the Queen always thrived on visiting schools and engaging with school students during her famous walkabouts whilst on tour. The many messages in the condolence book in Morphett were heartfelt and conveyed an overwhelming sense of thanks.

They were messages such as from Patricia Brougham: 'With deep respect for a life well lived. Thank you for your service.' From Ros Cordes: 'The Queen, you have been an amazing leader and was an example for everyone throughout the world.' Brian and Helen Gitsham wrote: 'Thank you for your faithful service for all these 70 years.' School student Chenuli Wattegamaarachchi wrote: 'You were a fantastic Queen. You will always be in my prayers.' Another school student, Maddison Murdoch, wrote: 'I am always thinking of you. You were so inspiring to me'—as she was to so many other young girls and women throughout her long reign.

There were many other messages that reinforced the Queen's decency, faith and humility in that condolence book. Certainly by the end of her life, the Queen's nobility was found in her service to others rather than just by any birthright, and it certainly explains the respect and regard in which she is held by so many in egalitarian Australia.

Overwhelmingly, it was her dedication to duty and service for which she will be remembered. She was true to her pledge made 75 years ago that her whole life, whether it be long or short, would be devoted to service. It turned out to be a long life, ending as the longest reigning British monarch in history. To the very ends she kept her promise of service, commissioning Liz Truss as the UK's Prime Minister just two days before her death.

We celebrate her reign and solemnly acknowledge the end of the second Elizabethan era. Long live King Charles III.

The Hon. N.F. COOK (Hurtle Vale—Minister for Human Services) (12:25): I rise to make a contribution to this important motion. I grew up in a very British household, with my parents arriving here in November of 1965. The short story was that they could have taken one bus to head north and head to the Elizabeth area, which was rapidly evolving, or the bus to head south. That is the choice my parents took, and we led a happy and fruitful life in Morphett Vale.

I think there were some interesting things about the royals with my family. My mother loved the Queen Mother more than the Queen, but she still loved the Queen. I think as the television and televising of events evolved, she got a bit tired of the 24/7 coverage of things like royal weddings. We had a house full of trinkets from the coronation, the wedding—cupboards that were a monument to the royals. But I am not quite sure what my dear old mum would have thought of the funeral and the passing of the Queen coverage that has consumed the media. Mum was not one to enjoy overdoing that type of thing, although they did have a lot of fun with some of the royal visits.

One which I recall—and I am not sure of myth or fact here, and that is probably the fun of it—is when my mother and father had us convinced that when the Queen came to Adelaide she stayed in a well-to-do person's home in the hills near our house. Back in the day, I think this was still known as Hackham, but it is now called Onkaparinga Hills, up the back where you drove to Clarendon.

We spent many Sunday afternoons going for a drive in the southern suburbs—and often to Clarendon because it is the home of a beautiful bakery and some lovely walks—but every time we drove past this driveway my dad would point out and say, 'That's where Queen Elizabeth stayed with Prince Philip.' I could not pin them down to which trip it was; I could not pin them down to who and why and how—and, trust me, I have tried to find out whether this is indeed true. I think I want to call nonsense on it but probably will not, just out of respect for my folks and the love that they had for their English heritage.

I do have in my office here in Parliament House a video of the movie Royal Wedding, starring Fred Astaire and Jane Powell from 1951. It is a tribute to the Queen and I do not think it would play, even if I had a VHS, because I believe we wore it out. My mother loved the movie.

We are currently going through momentous times. People have said that irrespective of what you feel about monarchy and royalty it is definitely the most impressive display of love for somebody that I think I have ever witnessed. To just be a small part of being able to pay tribute to this on behalf of our community is something very special.

The world is definitely a different place from when the young Queen took the throne. In some respects, our world is unrecognisable. She rose to that position in a way that no-one else will because times are so very different. I just wonder what she might have felt when, at 25—certainly a time in the lives of many of our children or our friends' children when they are still discovering what life is—the Queen was delivered not only the tragic news of the passing of her father but also the great responsibility that became hers while she was away from her family.

I reflected on the words of the Queen gave when broadcast on the wireless from Cape Town in one of her first public addresses. She said, 'I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, will be devoted to your service.' I think all of us in this place acknowledge that service resonates with us as the reason to enter parliament. The Queen, however, did not have that choice, but she still had that overwhelming sense of duty that she was called to public life and that she would serve. Thankfully for all of us, it was for a very long time.

As I said, regardless of your views, it is also important that over this period of evolution in our society little girls all over the world have seen the reigning monarch as this unwavering leader, a powerful woman and aspirational figure. The enduring image of a woman leader who felt compelled to service is an image that has been extremely important. As a girl growing up, she was a constant, an unwavering and decent woman.

As my siblings got older, their views changed about royalty. I was the youngest and left at home for many years. I looked forward to watching the Queen's Christmas message at night after everyone was very full of Christmas pudding and relaxing on the couch playing a game that we got for Christmas. We would sit, and everyone had to be silent for the Queen's message. It was very important.

Another quote I found really relevant to my work, particularly to my newest responsibilities, was given in 2016 at the Olympic Games. The Queen said:

I often draw strength from meeting ordinary people doing extraordinary things: volunteers, carers, community organisers and good neighbours; unsung heroes whose quiet dedication makes them special.

I feel a special kinship to this view of the world: ordinary people doing extraordinary things is what I and many of us here experience every day of the week in our communities across our state. They are important reflections I think.

On a lighter note, it would be remiss of me not to pass on the condolences of my beagle, Billie, to the Queen's beloved dogs, the corgis. I believe two of the surviving corgis, Muick and Sandy, have been mentioned in recent times. She not only had corgis but she had dorgis, which I understand are a very lovely combination of a dachshund and a corgi and are very cute little dogs. I certainly have respected the Queen's views and the Queen's respect for her dogs, her horses and, indeed, her endorsement of the love and care of animals across the world. She is not alone in referring to them as family.

It will be an enduring memory of my time in this place that I was present for this significant piece of history. The proclamation of King Charles III that occurred on the steps of this place on Sunday 11 September was a very special memory, as is this, and as is custom in this place: vale, Queen Elizabeth II.

Mr TARZIA (Hartley) (12:34): I also rise to support the motion. Queen Elizabeth II was such a powerful constant for over 70 years at such a time of extraordinary economic, social and political turbulence right around the world. Her Majesty brought us together during deeply difficult times. Her Majesty served as an outstanding role model for all Australians, and young girls in particular, as we have heard this morning.

I was one of the four billion or so people to watch last night's most fitting, poignant funeral service. I also made sure that my little son, Leonardo, was watching that service, along with my wife. Our son is only 11 months old but, as has been alluded to this morning, it was worth watching because we have truly witnessed one of the most, if not the most, significant series of events in modern history with the passing of a much-loved Queen.

Her Majesty was the first woman in the British royal family to serve in the armed forces and, until her passing, the only head of state to have served in World War II. Much to her father's concerns and protests, then Princess Elizabeth enlisted on her 18th birthday and enrolled in the women's Auxiliary Territorial Service, where she actively served in the critical support role of driver and mechanic. The service of Her Majesty speaks to her true humility. She certainly had the highest of roles in all the land, but it shows her humility and how she was willing to go out of her way to relate to everyday people.

She understood what it was like to fulfil a duty, to have that calling. She was so committed to her role. Not only was she committed to it but she was extremely good at her job during what was a significantly turbulent and challenging time in the United Kingdom. She took great pride in that service and that dedication to duty and pride and its undertaking above all else—above glory and glamour, above ego. People have certainly spoken to that, and that has defined what was such a distinctive and inspirational monarch as well.

Her Majesty was held in the highest regard right across the world, but held no more highly than right here in Australia. As we have heard this morning, she was noted for her kindness, her stoicism and, most of all, her unwavering dedication to duty. Her record of service is as unparalleled as it is inspirational. There was a deep affection for Her Majesty in Australia and indeed in South Australia, a sentiment that traverses right across our state.

In respect of Queen Elizabeth II's trips to Australia and South Australia, as we have heard, she was perhaps the most travelled individual in recent world history. She extensively travelled Australia and our state. She was the first reigning sovereign of Australia to actually set foot on Australian soil, making her first visit here as Queen in 1954. She arrived in South Australia in March 1954, when then Premier, Thomas Playford, met her at Parafield Airport. She toured throughout Whyalla, Port Lincoln, Renmark and many other locations right across the state.

She fortunately had the pleasure of attending the races at Morphettville. We knew that she loved her horseracing. We will all remember the footage of her winning a race over in England, where she said that it was one of the best days of her life.

An honourable member: Royal Ascot.

Mr TARZIA: Royal Ascot, indeed. I think Estimate was the horse—fitting to the parliament. When she won the Gold Cup, she said that was one of the happiest moments of her life. She loved horseracing so much. Of course, she also enjoyed the cricket here. The Advertiser reported back in 1954 that the royal progress through Adelaide was attended by an estimated 300,000 people, which is truly extraordinary and speaks to the love that South Australian people had and continue to have for Her Majesty.

The Queen would also visit South Australia again in 1992, when she met with Premier John Bannon and opened the Lion Arts Centre on North Terrace. She visited for a final time in 2002, when she met with Prime Minister John Howard and they went on to dine together at the Adelaide Festival Centre. She also travelled up to the Barossa to open the Barossa Chateau Queens Rose Garden and the high-care facility at Tanunda Lutheran Home. I was talking to a resident at the Glynde Lutheran retirement village during the week who said to me that he remembers her visit to the Barossa.

Her profile of travel in South Australia alone truly makes you feel as if she were almost one of us, almost an Australian. In many ways she was. This was the striking and captivating effect of Her Majesty. She was truly the dutiful Queen of the people. I can certainly attest that people in my own electorate of Hartley are united in mourning for her passing, and a great many of my constituents have offered their condolences.

In the remaining time, I might speak to some of those. I did my utmost to make sure that I made our condolence books as accessible as possible. As we know, there are some residents with mobility issues, and so what we tried to do was actually go into those residences, go into those retirement villages. I might give a couple of examples of the tributes that my residents have made. One is from a lady called Elizabeth. She says:

My parents knew you would be Queen one day, so I was called Elizabeth too as well as all the other girls who were in my classes at school. When I was 18 my parents, grandparents decided to acknowledge you being Queen, so I had my first drink of sherry.

Another one said:

No words of sympathy can ease the pain of a loved one but warm and cherished memories will remain in your hearts. Condolences to the Royal Family. God bless the Queen, may she RIP.

There is one from Daphne:

I feel very blessed that our dear Queen Elizabeth II was our reigning monarch for 70 years. She was so dedicated and loyal to her duties every day and always with a lovely smile and good sense of humour. I thank her so much for all that she has done for everyone. She is now at peace with her husband and in Heaven…God bless our Queen Elizabeth II.

Judith says:

Condolences to the family. Respect for an outstanding commitment to the Commonwealth. Blessings in Christ.

One from Lorraine reads:

Your Majesty, you have been a constant in my life. Thank you for your service, your duty and your care. Thinking of your family at this time and for the future. Thank you for everything.

There will never be another monarch like Queen Elizabeth II. My thoughts and prayers and the thoughts and prayers of my constituents are also with the royal family. May Queen Elizabeth II rest in peace and God save the King.

The Hon. G.G. BROCK (Stuart—Minister for Local Government, Minister for Regional Roads, Minister for Veterans Affairs) (12:43): I also would like to contribute to the condolence motion before us today. Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was not destined for the throne. Her parents were Albert, Duke of York—known as Bertie—and Elizabeth, Duchess of York. Elizabeth Alexandra Mary first appeared on the cover of Time magazine as Princess Lilibet in 1929, aged three. She became Queen only because the abdication of Edward VIII thrust her father onto the throne as George VI.

In Elizabeth's youth, Britain was recovering from the 1914-1918 war, and the sacrifices of that war generation loomed large. Mindful of the sacrifice so many had made in the Great War, Elizabeth was prepared to be obedient to her royal duty until death. In her 21st birthday broadcast from Cape Town, she said:

I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong.

We can all agree that she kept her word. In the Second World War, she joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service as Second Subaltern Elizabeth Windsor. For many of us, the Queen was the last living link to the British Empire's finest hour—the battle for civilisation from 1939 to 1945.

I do not think that Australians younger than baby boomers can truly understand the strong bond Australians once felt with the royal family, and it was with that rapture Elizabeth and Prince Philip were greeted on their tour of Australia in 1954.

It seems to some of us long ago and far away. I was four at the time and can still recall waving in excitement as they drove past. Coming from Wandearah, a small community south of Port Pirie, in our Vauxhall Velox, I had no idea of the significance of the event that we were going to. Queen Elizabeth did all she could to avoid the glare of modern media, with only a couple of lapses, until her children made it impossible.

We have heard many recollections and anecdotes in recent days about Her Majesty's humanity and sense of humour. She was known to be straightforward in communicating her wishes. When the organising committee for the London Olympics was thinking about the Queen participating in the James Bond skit, as she did, they were very nervous about how to make an approach. The organisers sought the counsel of Anne, the Princess Royal, who had strong ties to the Olympic movement. Princess Anne is said to have told them, 'I suggest you tell her what you are asking her to do. If she wants to do it, she will agree. If she doesn't, she won't. And that will be the end of the matter.'

Elizabeth was renowned for her thrift, her racehorses being an exception. It is reported that the first newspaper she read each morning was the Racing Post followed by The Daily Telegraph. Princess Anne has said that the only telephone caller who would be put straight through to her was her racing manager.

The British monarchy as we know it today has lasted almost uninterrupted for a thousand years. The Crown and the system of government and law that developed with it form the basis of the stable rule of law we enjoy today. The monarchy over the centuries faced dozens of challenges, but still the throne survived. South Australia was settled by the English in the reign of William IV. Owing to the long reigns of Victoria and Elizabeth II, South Australians have been subject to only six crowned monarchs in our 186 years.

In the span of history, the Crown has not been static, yet the Crown has also been a beacon of stability and continuity. It has adapted to society and times. During the reigns of Victoria and Elizabeth II, big changes in society, culture, the economy and government have occurred. The world we know is starkly different from the one into which Elizabeth was born, yet fundamentals still remain: the pillars of constitutional government, parliamentary democracy, the rule of law and respect for private property.

To those who think the monarchy is no longer relevant or appropriate for Australia, it is important to keep its virtues in mind. The way we treat Aboriginal South Australians is an example. We must recognise the faults and failings of the past. We must also acknowledge that our constitution and system of government have been able to move with changing times, as I believe they will again in formally recognising our First Nations people in the constitution.

Although Australia may move to become a republic in time, we must approach the question with caution and a respect for the institutions and stability we have all enjoyed. The system of constitutional monarchy has served us all very well. I can only assume that most of my colleagues here agree or they may not have sworn an oath or affirmation of allegiance to Her Majesty and her heirs.

Some have asked why we have the pomp and the circumstance of recent days, the beefeaters in their Tudor era uniforms standing guard, the cavalry and the bands and the coffin on a gun carriage drawn by naval ratings. Among the absurdity of the constant media chatter about who got to stand where in the abbey or what brooch the princess was wearing, there is something compelling and enduring: the pillars of our social contract, the constitutional monarchy, parliamentary government, representative democracy, the courts and the defence forces. To the end, they remain and any future change should be well considered. Elizabeth might justly have said on her deathbed, as in 2 Timothy:

I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.

That she did. Vale, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Long live King Charles III.

Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (12:50): In recent days we have had the news that the Queen is dead, long live the King. With this speech today I want to reflect on the exemplary service of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for 70 years and beyond.

Born on 21 April 1926, Elizabeth Alexandra Mary would have never imagined herself to one day be proclaimed Queen of the United Kingdom and other commonwealth realms. Following her uncle Edward's abdication of the throne in 1936, and her father King George VI's untimely death, that day did come for Elizabeth on 6 February 1952 when she was only 25 years old.

After her father became King, Princess Elizabeth was now first in line to the throne. In preparation for when her time would come, she began to study constitutional history and law, receiving lessons from her father and the Vice Provost of Eton College. The Archbishop of Canterbury also assisted in educating the Princess in religion.

A woman of many talents, Princess Elizabeth also learnt French, studied art and music, learned to ride horses and was a strong swimmer. She joined the Girl Guides and later became a Sea Ranger. We all know the Queen had an immense love of horses, and in 1943 she competed at the first Royal Windsor Horse Show, winning the Pony and Dogcart class.

Princess Elizabeth was just 13 when World War II broke out in September 1939 and, along with many other children, she and her sister, Princess Margaret, were evacuated from London. The two were sent to Windsor Castle and, just over a year later, five high explosive bombs were dropped on Buckingham Palace, damaging parts of the building and injuring several workmen. King George VI was advised to evacuate the city to avoid the attacks, but rather than flee the King and Queen remained at the palace in solidarity with the rest of the Londoners who were living through the Blitz.

Ever since the war broke out, Princess Elizabeth was determined to be involved and 'do her bit'. In 1940, Princess Elizabeth gave her first address as part of the BBC's Children's Hour. Her address was directed at the thousands of children who had been separated from their families in an effort to boost morale.

Food was scarce during the war as the importation of produce was threatened by enemy ships and submarines. To combat this problem, the British Ministry of Agriculture launched the Dig for Victory campaign, encouraging people to grow their own food in gardens and allotments. This campaign resulted in the creation of 3½ million allotments over the duration of the war, and it was one that Princess Elizabeth gladly took part in, even being photographed tending her allotments at Windsor Castle.

When she turned 18 in 1944, Princess Elizabeth insisted on joining the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS), which was the women's branch of the British Army, much to her father's displeasure. She enrolled in a driving and vehicle maintenance course where she was taught mechanics theory, map reading, and how to service, maintain and drive heavy Army vehicles at the ATS No. 1 Mechanical Transport Training Centre. She would work for seven hours a day during her training, and after five months of training as a mechanic and military truck driver the Princess was promoted to the rank of honorary Junior Commander, the equivalent of Captain.

The war ended before Princess Elizabeth was able to put any of her new skills to practical use; however, she still graduated as a fully qualified driver, completing a solo journey from Surrey to London in a heavy vehicle as her final test. Even in her 80s and 90s, the Queen was often seen behind the wheel and was known to diagnose and repair faulty engines, just as she had done during her wartime service.

Military service was something that ran in the family. The Queen's husband, Prince Philip, served in the Royal Navy, as did her son Prince Andrew, while the new King Charles served in both the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy. Her grandson Prince William served for more than seven years as a search-and-rescue pilot. Prince Harry served in the British Army for 10 years and completed two tours of Afghanistan.

Throughout her life, the Queen witnessed many major world events. As per the constitution, she had to remain firmly outside the realm of politics; however, this rule was famously broken when Queen Elizabeth expressed her concerns about the Falklands War. She said, 'The conflict in the Falkland Islands was thrust on us by naked aggression, and we are naturally proud of the way our fighting men are serving their country.'

The Queen always maintained a close relationship with the armed forces, regularly making visits to service establishments and ships and holding numerous military appointments and honorary ranks with organisations across the UK and the commonwealth. In Australia, she was Air Commodore-in-Chief of the Royal Australian Air Force Reserve and Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Australian Army Nursing Corps, Royal Australian Army Ordnance Corps, Royal Australian Engineers and Royal Australian Infantry Corps. She was the Captain General of the Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery and the patron of the Returned and Services League of Australia.

The Queen was responsible for awarding various military honours and, in 2009, introduced a medal named after herself: the Elizabeth Cross. It is given to the next of kin of armed forces personnel who have died in military operations or as a result of terrorism since 1948, as a way of formally recognising their loss. As of August 2018, 2,750 Elizabeth Cross medals had been awarded since its inception in 2009. I am sure there have been more since then, but this is the most up-to-date figure I could find.

The Queen was a seasoned traveller, having visited over 100 countries in her lifetime and logging 285 official tours. It was important for her to visit British allies and the 54 commonwealth countries she was the head of. Her first visit to Australia was on 3 February 1954, at the age of 27. She would go on to develop a great affection for Australia and its people, which saw her return to our country a further 15 times during her reign. In 2011, Queen Elizabeth visited Australia for the last time, in what was named her 'farewell tour'. South Australia was lucky enough to welcome Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh on seven occasions: in 1954, 1963, 1977, 1981, 1986, 1992 and 2002.

As we have seen with the vast coverage of her death in these past weeks, and earlier this year with her platinum jubilee celebrations, Queen Elizabeth II was truly loved right across the world. We saw that love echoed last night with the broadcast of her funeral. She was the longest reigning British monarch in history, and never again will we witness such a long and exemplary reign. I wish King Charles III all the best. Vale, Queen Elizabeth. May God save the King.

Sitting suspended from 12:59 to 14:00.

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL (Mawson) (14:00): I rise today to pass on my condolences to the members of the royal family who, like the rest of the commonwealth, and indeed the rest of the world, are terribly saddened by the loss of Queen Elizabeth II, who was such an important figure in all of our lives.

Since her passing, it has been really interesting to note how she transcended so many generations, from young children through to older South Australians. I have seen in my own electorate people who have signed the condolence book at my office. When I have taken it around to the local football finals and taken it to retirement villages and aged-care facilities, people have been so keen to pass on their message of love and thanks and gratitude to the royal family.

We have with us today a group of young leaders, the middle year leaders from Kangaroo Island Community Education, years 8 and 9 students. They have actually written their own condolence motion and asked me to read it in here so it is on the record, and these great young leaders from Kangaroo Island speak on behalf of so many of their generation. I was just talking to them then about how the Queen had a really big impact on their lives because she has been their Queen their whole lives, but she has been the Queen my whole life as well at 56, and there are people who are 70 and she was their Queen for so long as well.

I would like to read the condolence letter for Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth II that has been written by the students from Kangaroo Island:

The Middle Years Leadership Students from Kangaroo Island Community Education would like to offer their heartfelt condolences to all members of the Royal Family at this sad time. As members of the Commonwealth, we have lost a strong, powerful, transformative leader who led with her heart, hands and head. An empowering role model for all women who showed courage and determination to create a better world throughout her reign. Her Royal Highness will be missed, but the mark she has made on the world will endure.

I do not think anyone could have put it better than you students, so thank you very much for those wonderful words. With that, I would like to pass on my condolences to the royal family. Vale, Queen Elizabeth II. Long live the King.

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