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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

Mr WHETSTONE (Chaffey) (14:02): I, too, rise to contribute to the condolence motion. For me, it has mixed emotions. Affectionately known as Queen Elizabeth II, after her passing there has been much sadness right around the world because of the contribution she has made to humanity and the goodwill of man and woman.

Her reign and giving of service for 70-plus years ran through feast and famine, she reigned through conflict and also great achievement. I think we need to recognise that her stability is something we have not seen, I do not think, in the modern era. We look around the world at some of the interference politically. We look around the world for economic gain, but she was a constant. For me, not only was her life dedicated to public service, and she was a true leader in the modern era, but she was a beacon of stability.

Her Majesty will be admired for her strength, her stability, her guidance and, importantly, her humour and humility. There needs to be that balance, and I think she did demonstrate that all so well. She had an ability to command our attention. It was never demanding respect; I think the respect was just a given on a day-to-day basis. Whenever she presented, whether it was through transcript or whether it was through a media forum, we all paid attention. We all sat up and listened because she did it for good reason and for our betterment.

What I would like to do is just make a small contribution about her royal tour, particularly here to South Australia but, just as importantly, in 1954 the royal tour of Renmark. It was on Thursday, 25 March 1954 and the significant South Australian figures at the time were the Governor, His Excellency Air Vice Marshal Sir Robert George; the Premier, the Hon. Thomas Playford; and the member for Chaffey was William MacGillivray. He was the first member for Chaffey and served the term from 1938 to 1956 and I do not think anyone is going to run him down.

Over that time line, the visit at 10.44am, the royal plane flew from Parafield Airport to Renmark Airport, arriving at 11.27am. She and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, were greeted at Renmark Airport by the State Royal Tour Director, Mr M.A.F. Pearce, and driven to the corner of Eighteenth Street and Renmark Avenue, where she changed into an open car. She was greeted by three Scouts who had been selected to open her car doors: one each from Renmark, Berri and Barmera.

At 11.44am, the royal progress commenced. The crowd was six people deep on either side of the road as she made her way up Renmark Avenue onto Ral Ral Avenue towards the Renmark oval. Passing the Renmark hospital, she waved to patients and nurses who had gathered outside. For those of you who know the Renmark hospital, it is on a flood plain and it is some way from the Renmark oval, so that was testament to her inclusiveness.

At 11.55am, she reached the Renmark oval, where she was greeted by 25,000 spectators who were gathered at the oval, including 5,000 children who lined the oval and the then cycling track. The town of Renmark Mayor, Stanley James, and the Mayoress were presented to the Queen, along with 36 local Renmark residents. Riverland officials and their wives were also presented to the Queen, following an inspection of ex-servicemen and schoolchildren.

Finally, she welcomed a display of local produce before departing for Mildura at 1 o'clock. During her speech, Her Majesty highlighted the pride and dedication of Riverlanders, saying:

Our visit here will always remind us of what can be achieved by the use of natural resources in what must perhaps have originally appeared difficult and unpromising surroundings…That settlers, including so many ex-servicemen, should have found a profitable and useful way of life on the banks of Australia's main waterway is evidence of the ingenuity and hard work…For they have succeeded in harnessing nature's resources to achieve a wonderful result.

Today, I am very proud to be living in the Riverland, living in Chaffey. Chaffey was the premium food bowl then and, standing the test of time, Chaffey is still South Australia's premium food bowl today.

I would also like to acknowledge the current King's representative in South Australia, Her Excellency the Hon. Frances Adamson AC, for the great work that she does. Also, I would like to pay tribute to those who have not only come to my electorate office, as the condolence book was also at the Riverland field days. The inclement weather did not keep people away, and I must say that they were lined up at my stand at the field days to make a contribution in the condolence book. I think that condolence book will almost be full by now, which just shows the respect the Riverlanders have for the Queen.

I pass on my condolences to the family, and I pass on my condolences to the world: they have lost a great leader and they have lost a great human being who has stood the test of time. Sadly, as all of us know, life is not forever and the Queen is no exception. God save the King.

The Hon. B.I. BOYER (Wright—Minister for Education, Training and Skills) (14:09): I also rise to support this motion and appreciate the opportunity that has been provided to members of this place today not only to share our own observations and reflections at this really important time but also I think, even more importantly, to share some of the messages of condolence that have been written by the constituents we represent here. I will be very pleased do that in a moment, but first I thought I might just start with some of my own observations about the last 10 days.

Even for someone like me, who was born at the start of the 1980s and so saw a good 40 years of Queen Elizabeth's rule, it has still come as something of a surprise to see the extent of the outpouring of grief and people's feelings of emotion which have come to the surface and which have been shared in a whole series of ways, whether that is by leaving messages in condolence books provided by local members of parliament or by watching the funeral service and reading stories and sharing memories on social media about the time they were able to see Her Majesty.

Perhaps I should not be quite so surprised in terms of the outpouring of grief I have seen from constituents in the seat of Wright. Those other members in this place who are familiar with the area or who represent areas around it will know that it is still very heavily populated with people who emigrated from the United Kingdom. In fact, when people who are not familiar with the area comment to me—which happens quite regularly—that the seat of Wright and the seats around it appear quite white and monocultural, I always remark that the seat of Wright is a very multicultural seat because I have constituents from England, Scotland and Ireland—

Mr Odenwalder: Country and western.

The Hon. B.I. BOYER: —that's right—which of course is a generalisation, but it has reminded me of the number of people I represent who were born in the United Kingdom and, of course, the many people who are younger than my age whose parents were born in the United Kingdom.

The comments which have been left and which I am about to read out do reflect the very deep attachment that many people I represent had to Her Majesty. I guess that she was a constant in so many people's lives where there was otherwise not anything constant. There was change everywhere in their lives around them—societal change, cultural change—but Queen Elizabeth II remained there through it all.

These are just a few comments in particular I thought I might read in from the condolence book we had at the electorate office in the seat of Wright. It was also taken to some nearby retirement villages to give people who were not able to come to the office the opportunity to leave their condolence messages. Adam wrote:

[Rest in peace] Your Majesty. Thank you for 70 years as our Queen—

And this is a recurring theme, I must say, and I know that the member for Elizabeth will touch on this as well.

—proud to be from Elizabeth named in your honour.

That certainly reflects that many of the people I represent were born in the Elizabeth suburb but might now live in Salisbury East, Golden Grove or Wynn Vale. They have commented that they are proud to have grown up in a suburb named after Queen Elizabeth II. Judy wrote:

Thank you for your wonderful commitment to us all over 70 years.

Barbara, Kristen, Chelsea and Ethel wrote:

Ma'am, what a remarkable life you have had. There are no words to describe the legacy you have left. I feel so lucky to have had you as my Queen for all my life (60 years) and for that of my children, now young adults. Mum is now 97 [years of age] and was [very much] hoping for a letter from you on her 100th birthday. You will never be forgotten.

Richard wrote:

You have been the best leader that I can remember. You have been an example to other World Leaders. You will be dearly missed by the millions of people who know what you represented as a figure to be admired.

Stan and Mary wrote:

[Rest in peace] after many years of work and devotion. You did it your way.

Dawn of St Agnes wrote:

…thank you for all your service - done with respect and elegance. May you find happiness back with your beloved Duke. You will be missed.

Joanne wrote:

Thank you for being our Queen for all these years. You meant so much to so many people. Finally you have a day off and are reunited with your beloved Phillip.

Charmaine wrote:

I feel proud and honoured to grow up and be educated in Elizabeth. A city named after you. Thank you for your service. A truly wonderful servant…

Bev of Salisbury East wrote:

Thank you so much for your loyal service. You have truly been a wonderful Queen. United with your family again.

From Kate and Ray:

Thank you for your love and wisdom. Thank you for leading the commonwealth to become a family of love and kindness. You hold a special place in each of our lives and your memory will live on with us all. Rest in everlasting peace…

Jean of Salisbury East wrote:

Thank you for being my wonderful Queen. You have done a magnificent job for us all and I am so proud to have been one of your subjects.

Emma wrote:

Well done good and faithful servant. Thank you for your service, your grace, your loyalty.

From Barb and Bob:

As long as we have lived you have been our Queen. Thank you. Together with your prince again.

Heather wrote:

You will never be forgotten. You will be remembered for centuries.

Judy wrote:

A very brave, beautiful lady. Will be sadly missed.

From Rebecca:

My heartfelt condolences to you and the whole family. We will miss you terribly. Her service to the UK, the commonwealth is very appreciated. Wishing you a long reign, King Charles III.

And, finally, from Pauline:

Thank you Your Majesty for your tireless lifelong duty to your people and the commonwealth. You set a fine example to leaders across the world. Condolences to [you and your] entire family.

That is just a selection of the condolence messages that have been left in the book I provided in the seat of Wright. I think that it makes clear the depth of attachment that people felt to the monarch even when, in most cases, she was not someone they had met.

The member for Stuart commented earlier that he was four years old (I do not want to give away his age, but I am about to) in 1954 and managed to stand by the side of the road and see Queen Elizabeth drive past. He said that he was in the back of the car with his parents and that at four years of age did not really understand the magnitude of the occasion but was overwhelmed by the number of people who were there to pay their respects in what was a part of South Australia that was and really still remains quite remote. Back then, it certainly was a strongly regional area. That stayed with the member for Stuart this whole time.

People have left messages with me and anecdotes have been passed on to me in my capacity as a local member of parliament from people who have really hung onto the opportunities they have had to see Queen Elizabeth in person. A lot of people, I think, have used different parts of her very long reign as almost an indicator of other things that have happened in their lives, which is a testament to the fact that she served for such an incredibly long period of time.

Other members have shared their observations on this already this morning. It was a reign that outlasted wars and conflicts all over the globe, it outlasted presidents and prime ministers, it outlasted numerous cultural and social trends and, of course, it outlasted the lives of so many of her subjects as well.

To me, as someone born when Queen Elizabeth II had already served on the throne for about 30 years, the thing that I find incredible and that I personally reflected on when I heard of her passing is that this person was still in an international and global public leadership role and had a very public role during the Second World War. To people in this place, and certainly to me, it feels so long ago, and the fact that she maintained a presence in global affairs and people's lives across all the things that have changed in the world from 1945 to now is very hard to comprehend.

I will finish by saying that I will remember her as someone who was a female leader, and a strong one, in a time when that was so incredibly rare. Across all the years that she reigned, she showed that you can lead and you can be a powerful and strong leader with a sense of quiet dignity, determination and hard work. I think that is a lesson to all leaders, including those in this place—that there is a way to make your point, to effect change and to be seen as a strong leader without some of the carry-on that we see from some of the other leaders across world. She was, I think, an exemplar of that. Vale, Queen Elizabeth II.

Mr BATTY (Bragg) (14:19): I, too, rise to add my condolences and those of the people I represent in Bragg to His Majesty the King and to the royal family on this very sad occasion. 'People are touched by events which have their roots far across the world.' Those words, which were spoken by Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II during her 2008 Christmas address, have perhaps never been truer than over the past two weeks. The world was brought to a standstill on 8 September 2022 as we learned of the death of our sovereign the Queen. The pain of her loss is carried by many, including those here in South Australia who have been as much the beneficiaries of her service and her devotion as anyone, despite being some 16,000 kilometres away from Balmoral.

Since then, we have come together to mourn the loss of a life. We have done so through countless acts of solitary reflection and through many acts of public commemoration, but we have come together not just to mourn but also to celebrate, to celebrate what has been an incredible life of service and to celebrate the duty, the devotion and the dignity of Her late Majesty's unparalleled reign.

Two weeks ago, and just two days before her death, I stood in this place and swore an oath of allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. I may very well be the last of her parliamentarians to ever do so, but I certainly was not the first. Indeed, in this house alone, 280 members have sworn an oath to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, with the first being Mr John Stephen Clark, who was sworn in as the member for Gawler over 70 years ago in June 1952. What this very local example shows us is the incredible breadth and span of Her late Majesty's service. As many have remarked, for most Her late Majesty has been the only monarch we have ever known.

For over seven decades Her late Majesty was an enduring constant in an ever-changing world. Her reign saw the start of wars and it saw the end of wars and it saw the worst of humans and the best of humanity, but whatever the season she inspired, she led, she comforted and she served, and it is this sense of service that I will most remember.

In her 21st birthday speech, Her late Majesty said, 'I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service'. Thankfully, we now know it was a long life and thankfully we know that she stood by that promise of devotion to service.

At her coronation, Her Majesty pledged her service to us and earlier this year, on the happy occasion of her platinum jubilee, sought to renew that pledge. She said then that her life will always be devoted to our service, and she looked forward to continuing to serve us with all her heart, and she did so to the very end, inviting a new prime minister to form a government just two days before her passing.

During my own three years of living and working in the United Kingdom, I had the privilege of being able to observe some of that service at close proximity. My time there coincided with the COVID pandemic. Every day we would awaken to news of how many more hundreds of people had died at the hands of the virus. We did so alone and we did so isolated, but we were not really alone and isolated, which is something that I realised as Her late Majesty the Queen one evening lit up the televisions of dark lounge rooms across the country. She said:

We will succeed—and that success will belong to every one of us. We should take comfort that while we may have more still to endure, better days will return: we will be with our friends again; we will be with our families again; we will meet again.

I cannot overstate the enormous hope and the enormous comfort that those words brought to a country that at that time was fearful and was downcast.

Her late Majesty always also had an eye on her realms beyond the United Kingdom. Indeed, her first public engagement after England came out of lockdown last year was a small service at the Air Forces Memorial in Runnymede to celebrate the centenary of the Royal Australian Air Force and to commemorate those who lost their lives in World War II. I had the privilege of watching on as Her Majesty met with a number of young RAAF personnel embedded with the RAF who attended the event. It was clearly a very special moment for each and every one of those RAAF personnel, but it also appeared to be a very special moment for Her Majesty. The Queen of Australia demonstrated genuine interest in those young men and women and a genuine appreciation for their service.

In the course of organising that engagement, the Australian High Commissioner commented to Her Majesty's Assistant Private Secretary how delighted we were that the Queen had selected our invitation from among the many thousands she would have received for her first post-lockdown event, and he replied by telling us how excited the Queen was about the event. He said, 'Like everyone else, she's been locked down for more than a year, she's bored to death and she can't wait to come. And she loves Australia.' As the Leader of the Opposition has remarked, she was as normal as she was remarkable.

It is certainly true that the Queen loved Australia, and this fondness extended to South Australia. Following seven trips under 15 premiers and 14 governors, it is no surprise that the Queen has left her mark on our state and that many South Australians, including the many who have signed the condolence books in my own office, feel an undeniable connection to her. She pledged her service to us, just as so many of us here pledged our service to her.

There are two final reflections I want to make about the nature of Her late Majesty's service. The first is her attitude to service and those who serve in our community. She was determined to celebrate everyday people—not necessarily those who have sought fame, saved lives or won medals, but ordinary people whom she described as doing extraordinary things.

As I embark on my own new career in this place, I can learn from Her late Majesty how often we can draw strength from these people: the volunteers, the carers, the community organisers and the good neighbours. Her late Majesty described them as unsung heroes and noted that it was their quiet dedication that makes them special. All of us here know these people and all of us here draw inspiration from these people.

The second reflection is the young age at which it was Her Majesty's duty to assume leadership. In her first public broadcast in 1940, she said that 'it will be for us, the children of today, to make the world of tomorrow a better and happier place'. These words are salient for us, the children of this house, as we follow in Her late Majesty's example and provide leadership to create an even better future for those who will follow us.

With those reflections, I add my sincere condolences and those of the people of Bragg to His Majesty the King and the royal family on what is an enormously sad occasion. In this time of grief, I take comfort and draw strength from Her late Majesty's unparalleled legacy of duty, devotion and dignity. We thank you for a lifetime of service. God save the King.

The Hon. A. MICHAELS (Enfield—Minister for Small and Family Business, Minister for Consumer and Business Affairs, Minister for Arts) (14:28): I also rise to express my heartfelt condolences to His Majesty King Charles III and the royal family on the passing of our sovereign, Queen Elizabeth II.

In recent weeks, we have heard from people from all walks of life about their personal experiences with the Queen. I was not fortunate to ever meet the Queen in person, but I do recall the royal visit in 1986, when I was in primary school. The royal route for the Queen and Prince Philip saw them travel along Port Road at the time when I was a student at Kilkenny Primary School. As a school, we lined the side of Port Road to catch a mere glimpse of the Queen as she passed us by. Such was the power of the Queen's influence that merely seeing her pass by has remained with me for all these years.

There was so much to Queen Elizabeth and her reign. The world may never again see a leader who is quite as special as she has been. As the longest serving sovereign of the commonwealth, she became a constant and steady figure in all our lives.

In 1952, when the Queen ascended to the throne at just 25 years of age, the world was in a state of flux. Just seven years after the end of World War II, the United Kingdom and many other commonwealth countries were facing a significant task of rebuilding. The commonwealth emerged from the destruction of World War II under the gaze of a young queen. At a time when women did not traditionally hold such positions, the Queen did so with poise and authority.

The Queen has shown for 70 years how women can lead with authority, and she has been a source of inspiration for many generations of young women who have aspired to hold leadership positions. The Queen led by example. She held onto cherished traditions while embracing progress. There have been few monarchs or world leaders who have faced so many challenges and managed so much change.

She oversaw the rebuilding of the United Kingdom following the war and its repositioning within geopolitics through the Cold War and beyond. She reigned over 16 Australian and 15 UK prime ministers, noting only four of those were women. Gaby Hinsliff from The Guardian said: 'The Queen pulled off the rare trick for a woman of exercising profound influence without inciting a backlash.' She did that and it is a rare trick.

The Queen led through a constant change of technology, coming to the throne at the birth of television and embracing new forms of communication as they developed. She showed us how to manage change, whether it was good or bad. She saw her family through divorces, death and conflict and all the while keeping her head above the fray throughout. She emerged more loved and respected, despite these headwinds.

The Queen will be remembered for her dedication to a life of service. On her 21st birthday, the then Princess Elizabeth made the following vow:

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.

It is a vow she lived by right until the end of her very long life, appointing the UK's new Prime Minister just two days before she passed. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will be missed. God rest her and God save the King.

Mr BASHAM (Finniss) (14:31): I also rise to support the motion of condolence on the life of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, who sadly passed away on 8 September 2022 at Balmoral Castle, Scotland, aged 96.

Her Majesty was born in London on 21 April 1926, and she became heir to the throne at age 10. She married her strength and stay, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, in November 1947 and became Queen in 1952 aged 25. Her Majesty reigned for 70 years, the longest reigning monarch in British history, matched and supported by her husband of 74 years, the longest serving consort, until his death in 2021 aged 99 years.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has been a constant presence through more time and significant change than I have lived or have memory of. The world changed, technology advanced beyond imagining, leaders came and went, but Her Majesty was consistent in values, humility and presence, embracing the adventure of a changing world with some humour and great diplomacy. At the age of 21, she committed to a life of service and later declared, 'I do not regret nor retract one word of it.'

When Her Majesty was 35, she had seen and actually made the first trunk call for British Telecom, using a dial telephone, and television started broadcasting in Australia. In those early years of her reign, the first commercial jet passenger flight occurred, as did the birth of electronic computing and the start of the space age. Also, there was the end of the Winston Churchill era, Everest was conquered by Sir Edmund Hillary, Bannister beat the four-minute mile, Elvis transformed the music world, and there was war in the Suez Canal and bomb testing on Christmas Island and here in South Australia at Maralinga.

Then, in the 1960s, we saw Russia leading the space race, the Kennedys visit London, man land on the Moon, the Beatles receive an Order of the British Empire and the youth culture with money to spend on music, clothes and freedom. We saw the escalation of the IRA and the first Concorde flight. Elton John became a royal favourite. We saw the introduction of decimal currency in Australia.

The UK became a member of the common market in 1972, which we saw result in a huge loss in Australia's access to agricultural markets, in particular butter and beef. We saw prices here in Australia fall enormously. We saw oil refining in the North Sea grow. We saw travel abroad as possible and become the norm. Sport success flourished. We saw the first test tube baby. Unrest followed high inflation, with industrial action. Strikes stopped transport, school, rubbish collection, and even undertakers throughout parts of the world.

In the 1980s, we saw the Queen wear black as she visited the Vatican. We saw the wedding of Prince Charles give the public hope, followed by a war in Argentina as they invaded the Falklands. Members of the royal family served in the military, bonding people to the monarch. We saw famine in Africa. We saw the Berlin Wall come down. We saw the first mobile phone. It was on 9 August 1981 here in Australia that the first mobile call was made—that was a car phone that weighed a whopping 14 kilos, was half a metre long and cost about $5,000 at the time, which in today's money is about $17,000. It could only store 16 numbers, but the best part was that when you had a call come in your horn honked and your lights flashed.

In 1990, Mandela is president and South Africa returns to the commonwealth. The first British astronauts go into space. Women are ordained in the Church of England for the first time. The Queen quietly demonstrated constantly that she was the equal of any man—and she also surfed the net. In 2000 we saw the terrorism of September 11, the Afghanistan war, Iran/Iraq. We saw a credit crunch, leaders with ethical values of society as Her Majesty championed many different faiths.

In 2010, Kate Middleton and William married. We saw Barack Obama. We saw the Queen visit Ireland after 100 years, and to go from the conflict there with the IRA to being able to have a Queen visit was an amazing credit to the Queen. We certainly saw the Olympic Games in 2012, with the very memorable skit with James Bond and the Queen jumping out of a helicopter to open the Games. We very much saw the modernising of the monarchy, and certainly its engagement with people was enormous.

We have seen, effectively, the return away from the common market in 1972 to the separation from the European Union in 2020. We saw COVID. We saw Prince Philip being lost to Her Majesty. Through all these changes Her Majesty has provided a safety net of governance in a respectful and forward-thinking manner, yet she has engaged with her people and strived to serve in the best way at all times.

In the seat of Finniss, we have seen significant change. I was not able to go back far enough to the start of her reign to look at the population numbers, but the township of Victor Harbor in 1966 was just over 3,000; it is now just under 15,000. The township of Mount Compass was 176 people; it is now 1,500 plus. We saw the town of Goolwa only just being over 550 people; it is now over 7,000. Port Elliot, likewise, was only a bit over 550 people; it is now closer to 2,500. We have seen an enormous change in populations in the seat of Finniss in that time.

We have also seen quite an amazing number of premiers. We have seen 14 premiers in South Australia during her reign. We have seen 15 governors. In the seat of Finniss we have seen only five people represent the area, either as the member for Finniss or, as its predecessor, the member for Alexandra.

We had David Brookman, who served from 1948, a couple of years before the Queen took the throne, right through until 1973. Then we had Ted Chapman, the father of Vickie Chapman, who was there from 1973 through to 1992. Then we had the Hon. Dean Brown, former Premier, from 1992 to 2006. Most recently, we had Michael Pengilly from 2006 until I was elected in 2018.

On behalf of the people of Finniss, whom I am certainly here to represent, I send my condolences to the royal family and all who are mourning the loss of a life well lived in Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Our heartfelt support and care are with His Majesty King Charles III as he navigates his loss and the public duties. I commend the motion to the house. Long live the King.

The Hon. N.D. CHAMPION (Taylor—Minister for Trade and Investment, Minister for Housing and Urban Development, Minister for Planning) (14:40): I rise to express my sorrow and condolences on the passing of Her Royal Highness Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and, as other members have done, to reflect on that extraordinarily long reign of 70 years and 214 days. I think we all know and understand the concept of service for a short period of time, but this was a lifetime of service and a lifetime of commitment to the community and, most importantly, a lifetime of commitment to constitutional government.

In terms of service, other members have quoted Her Majesty's initial remarks on the nature of service and on her dedicating her whole life to service as the monarch. When we talk about the sheer number of nations of which she was head of state, it was not just the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan and Sri Lanka but also 32 other independent nations. It was a truly extraordinary service, not just to the United Kingdom but to the entirety of the commonwealth. In so many ways, she held the commonwealth together and made it a profoundly modern aspect of world affairs.

We also know that she saw 16 Australian prime ministers, 14 US presidents, 15 United Kingdom prime ministers and some 15 premiers. That puts the context of her service into stark relief in so many ways. It shows how extraordinarily long it was, when you think about the passing of governments, prime ministers and generations of politicians across the world, and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth was the monarch for that whole time. It is just an extraordinary length of service for one person to give not just to the United Kingdom but to the entirety of the commonwealth. If there is a strength to monarchy, if there is a reflection we can make about constitutional monarchies, that strength is best represented by this extraordinarily long reign and this life of service.

Her commitment to the community is often talked about. I was born in Elizabeth. I was the son of an English migrant. I know just how much the people of Elizabeth and the northern suburbs more generally feel about Queen Elizabeth. It is a deep and enduring loyalty, fondness and affection that held up right the way through, since her first visit in 1963 to Elizabeth all the way through to this moment. Of course, during the republican referendum, Elizabeth voted no, I think relatively uniquely amongst the Labor seats. That affection really did hold true the whole time.

The Premier reflected on the 200,000 people who lined Main North Road in 1953. When Queen Elizabeth visited Elizabeth in 1963, it was an extraordinarily hot day and the Canberra Times recorded that some 500 people had to be treated for heatstroke on the day. It gives you an idea of the loyalty, affection and commitment that the people of Elizabeth had to Her Majesty, and also the fact that Her Majesty came on such an extraordinarily hot day.

She famously opened the Fire and Earth fountain in Windsor Green and made that dedication. The fountain had a whole life of its own, believe it or not. It was both lost and found. It was re-found during her reign and was rededicated in 2017. It had been in storage for some time after Windsor Green was demolished. It gives you some reflections about just how long her reign was that these very important civic features that she opened had a whole life of their own during that time.

It was not just Elizabeth; she made many trips around Australia, many trips around the world, and held the commonwealth together with her very sensible and measured use of diplomacy, in particular, personal diplomacy. It is an intangible quality, I think, and one that we should reflect on.

Finally, I would like to reflect on her commitment to constitutional government, which I think, given her long reign of 70 years and the coming and going of governments and politicians, we tend to take for granted. Government and democracy are our most magnificent creations, but also our most fragile. I think Her Majesty reflected stability in an age of instability. We are now in a very different time than we were even 10 years ago.

She also put in place and reflected responsibility in an age of irresponsibility, and that is why there is such affection. It is not just an affection for her service or her commitment or her life, the linking of that extraordinary period from World War II to now, or her father, King George, who helped save the world from fascism, but also that she was a solid constitutional monarch in a time when everything seemed up for grabs.

I think we should all reflect on that and try to emulate it as best we can: being responsible, giving service to the community, being humble and being measured. When you see the number of prime ministers she had to swear in and see come and go and have audiences with, you know that she was the foundation stone of our modern democratic form in the commonwealth. With those remarks, I would obviously say vale, Elizabeth II, and God save the King.

Mrs HURN (Schubert) (14:48): I rise today to speak to the motion of His Majesty King Charles III. I was honoured just a few short months ago, as a new member in this place, to swear allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. At that time, it seemed quite unthinkable that the Queen, who had reigned over us for 70 years, would pass. She seemed like an eternal, almost familial presence in our lives. To be honest, I could not quite find the right Bible verse or proverb or saying that could really sum up the passing of Queen Elizabeth that would give proper veneration to the length and breadth of her truly extraordinary reign because the simple truth is that there is not one.

It is hard to conceive, from this point in time and from our part of the world, the life and times of Queen Elizabeth II: born to a father who was not meant to be king, serving in a war that threatened the very existence of Britain and the values of freedom and democracy that we all hold very dear, and becoming Queen at the age of 26 years old in a postwar world of incredible and rapid political, economic and technological change. Although she was born into the family that would eventually assume the Crown, she did not shirk her duty. She chose to devote herself to a life of service, to shoulder that significant responsibility, and that is not something that everyone would do. Indeed, there are others who have chosen a different path.

The Queen lived a true life of service to Britain and the commonwealth and as Queen of Australia—as she said herself, dedicating her whole life, however long that may be, to service. Despite the grandiosity of monarchy, it appeared to me as though the Queen had a genuine sense of humility and respect for people, and that respect was certainly reciprocal for all of us.

I am convinced that although she was born in Mayfair, London, she was a country girl at heart with an obvious passion for the outdoors and certainly a very well-documented passion for horses and racing. Balmoral, in particular, seemed to be a place of strong reflection and rejuvenation for Her late Majesty—a place for her to relax, to walk in the Highlands, to be with her dogs and just to really enjoy the simple things in life, away from the public eye.

Having a place in nature to catch your breath is certainly something that I recognise and that the people in my community of Schubert really understand. In some ways, I hope that the Queen's passing at Balmoral brings a sense of calmness and comfort to the royal family, who have lost a mother, a grandmother, a great-grandmother and a matriarch.

Her Majesty attended thousands of engagements and functions as part of her duties. I recall so many images of her beaming smile and perfectly matched outfits, projecting a true sense of occasion that comes with being the monarch, but she did not seem to allow that to become a separating wall of formality. She was able to connect with people from all walks of life, and it was evident that that was something she really did pride herself on. Many have reflected on her ability to put people at ease and that she would take a particular delight in those unscripted moments when carefully planned events go awry. It gave us all a fantastic glimmer into her wicked sense of humour.

It is hard to believe that she was just a person who had to battle through the same emotions that we all have to: through joy, through life's milestones and through loss. In her case, rather than being able to hide away from it all, she was the first person people looked to, a formidable woman offering a sense of stability that we have all become so accustomed to. It is in that context that I really feel the loss of Her Majesty the Queen.

During her remarkable 70-year reign, Her Majesty experienced unbelievable social change. She assumed the throne after the devastation of World War II, and her reign encompassed such moments as the Apollo 11 Moon landing, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the dismantling of apartheid, the 9/11 attacks and, of course, the COVID-19 pandemic, to name but a few.

Through all of this, like all of us, she experienced significant and heartbreaking loss: her father, King George VI; her mother; her sister, Margaret; and, of course, her soulmate, her strength and stay, Prince Philip; along with many others. Despite those losses, she got on with the job. She kept calm and carried on, as many of us do after periods of grief, but we are not in the public eye to such an extraordinary extent as the Queen, under constant scrutiny.

Throughout global times of challenge, she really earned the respect of many leaders right around the world, many of whom attended her funeral overnight, and she earned it through a truly unstoppable, yet gentle, devotion to duty. She worked with 16 Australian prime ministers, from Sir Robert Menzies to Anthony Albanese, and 15 British prime ministers, from Sir Winston Churchill to Liz Truss, whom she swore in just days before her passing—an example of her serving us right till the very end. Regardless of your personal views on the monarchy, how could she be anything other than an adviser of incredible knowledge and insight for those leaders, having lived the life that she did?

On several occasions, the Barossa Valley has been graced by the presence of the late Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II: in 1954, in 1977 and the last time in 2002. From banquets in the Long Room underneath the Kaiser Stuhl in Nuriootpa to opening the rose garden at Chateau Barossa, as it was known, to visiting the Tanunda Lutheran Home and, of course, a visit to the late Colin Hayes at Lindsay Park Stud, it was clear that Her Majesty had a special connection with our region and we with her. I am sure that all those people who met with Her Majesty during her visits or waved from afar will look back with many fond memories.

The truth is that many have clear and distinctive memories about their brush with the late Queen, but the closest I have is my late grandfather, Brian Hurn, who was mayor of the Barossa in 2002. He had dinner with her and my late grandmother, Gillian Hurn (née Keynes), and they often reflected on the pure joy that gave them both.

While I never met the Queen, nevertheless she gave us a sense of stability and, as head of state, a sense of continuity, overseeing a form of democratic government in Westminster that has been enduring and stable, unlike so many other forms around the world. In my office in Tanunda, our locals have been streaming in to offer their words of condolence to the royal family, and I too would like to share some of those. Lorraine says:

An amazing lady our Queen, served us as she promised right to the end.

Carolyn said:

A devoted, caring and respected mother, grandma and great-grandma and Queen. I loved her beautiful smile, it would light up the room, I loved her sense of humour. Thank you for your service and love for your countries. Reunited with her husband, now at eternal rest.

Natalie said:

Thank you Ma'am for your lifetime of service and inspiring us all with your grace, courage, dignity and wicked sense of humour.

Evan said:

God bless the Queen and God save the King and thank you for a job well done.

As you can see from these messages, people in my community do feel a true sense of loss. It is hard to put into words the steadiness, the constant, the matriarch and the sovereign. We have seen the raw emotion that has been felt right around the world, the thousands of Britons who lined the streets to farewell the Queen last night and the well over four billion who tuned into her funeral.

Yet there is also a family that has lost their mother, a grandmother and a great-grandmother. My thoughts and prayers, along with those of my electorate in Schubert, are with the royal family as they grapple with her passing and the enormous challenges to come. Rest in peace, Your Majesty, and may God save the King.

Mr ELLIS (Narungga) (14:58): Such has been the incredible outpouring of emotion and support over the past two weeks or 10 days that there is very little left to be said about the Queen and her service over the past 70 years. It has been truly incredible to see the sheer number of stories and interactions that have graced our pages and dominated the media coverage over the past two weeks.

It has been wonderful to hear those interactions transferred into this chamber, and on behalf of the constituents of Narungga I would like to offer our sincere and thorough endorsement of all the well wishes that have been conveyed today. We genuinely support and are very much enjoying hearing all the interactions and anecdotal stories that are being told.

On behalf of the electors in Narungga, we would like to endorse those wellwishers and best wishes. It must be a truly difficult thing losing a loved one but even more difficult doing it with the eyes of the world on you. Vale, Queen Elizabeth, it was an absolute pleasure.

The Hon. A. PICCOLO (Light) (15:00): Today, I wish to speak to this motion on behalf of the people of the electorate of Light, as the local member, and also in my role as the duty member for Schubert. The local community was shocked and saddened by the passing of Queen Elizabeth II on Friday 9 September, using various social media platforms to express their grief and sense of loss. After all, Her Majesty had only commissioned a new Prime Minister for the UK two days earlier.

The Queen was greatly admired by members of the community for her warmth, her strong sense of public duty and her faithful service to the people of the commonwealth. I think people saw the Queen as more than just a monarch: they saw her humanity as a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, daughter and sister. It is in these roles that many people saw the life of the Queen. The messages in the condolence book in my electorate office reflect this sentiment.

Many women saw Her Majesty as a motherly figure when, at times, she had to deal with a range of family issues, not unlike themselves. While it would be easier and perhaps sometimes appropriate to focus on the differences between the royal family and most other families, many have chosen to see what we have in common. One of my constituents, Debbie Keshaw, said:

From both sides of the world I have always kept you in my heart, as a little girl I remember your silver jubilee [and] as an adult I will always remember you. God Bless you always.

Veronica Peters acknowledged the Queen's service when she wrote, '[A] Wonderful life. A woman dedicated to service.' Richard Woods remarked, 'R.I.P. My Majesty. You brought so much joy to so many people. You will be missed.' Kylee and Sean Carmody thanked Her Majesty for her years of dedication and service. Other tributes mentioned how they or a member of their family had served the Queen in some way during her 70-year reign.

On Sunday, a week ago, in an ecumenical gesture, I attended the 10am service of Gawler Anglicans at St George's Church in Cowan Street. The vicar at the church, the Reverend Donna Petersen, gave a beautiful sermon that paid tribute to Her Majesty and the life lived by the Queen. I will quote from the sermon because Reverend Petersen expressed the views of most of the community better than I can. She said this:

Today is different. This week is different. This time is different. In many ways it is surreal or unreal. Our intelligence tells us, it was bound to happen, she was 96, she can't live forever.

But our hearts and our lives are yet, still so incredibly shocked and taken aback.

And we are solemn, and sad. And even though as a Sunday, today is a feast day, a mini Easter Day celebrating the salvation of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, it is also a day of deep mourning and grief; but grief that is framed in hope and faith and worship.

So today and for the next little while, we grieve and mourn and remember together. Today we allow our deep sadness to have an outlet.

Today the bells tolled for the life that was, for Elizabeth, who was not only Queen of England and realms of the Commonwealth, but also the Church of England; the Anglican Church, but more importantly, she was a woman of deep abiding faith.

Today the bells tolled for the proclamation of the new King; a man grieving his mama.

Today the bells tolled and will now stay silent until after her funeral.

Today we mark the end of an era; the end of the longest serving monarch in history.

Today we mark the end of a common life shared together. Whether you are a royalist or not, this is a sad time.

Queen Elizabeth II is incredibly loved and will be missed and for many, if not most in the world is the only Monarch we've ever known until today.

It seems to me that the whole world is grieving in some way or another.

She goes on to say:

The truth is, she was a truly great woman. Probably the best and least known woman in the world, within our living history.

That paradox is very interesting. She continues:

As I said before, for many of us she's been the only monarch we've ever known. And even if you don't buy into the whole monarchy, royalist, Commonwealth thing, she was still our Queen; our Monarch and she deserves our respect and grace at this time of her passing as do her family.

I remember meeting the Queen on 28 February 20 years ago, when she visited Gawler and the Barossa on one of her many official trips to Australia. On arrival at the Gawler railway station travelling on the Barossa Wine Train, the Queen was presented to the two train drivers, Mr Barry McMillan and Mr Kevin Simcock.

My two sons, Raffaele and Stefan, and I, at that time in my capacity as mayor of the town, then greeted and welcomed Her Majesty to Gawler. I escorted the Queen to the royal car, where Her Majesty was enthusiastically cheered by the people of Gawler while the Gawler Town Band played a series of musical pieces.

The Queen then went to the Gawler community and recreation centre where she greeted and spoke with hundreds of wellwishers and attended a reception held in her honour, where she met the then local member of parliament, Mr Malcolm Buckby and his wife, Kathryn, and 66 other guests drawn from across the Gawler community.

Her Majesty was very polite and dignified and engaged with the people present, asking questions and showing a genuine interest in their stories. At the end of the reception, I presented the Queen with a gift and escorted her to the royal car, where she farewelled the people of Gawler for her next destination, Chateau Barossa, just outside Lyndoch.

At Chateau Barossa, the Queen was received by the late Hermann Thumm AM and Mrs Inge Thumm and the Barossa mayor, the late Mr Brian Hurn, and Mrs Gillian Hurn. In the winery, she was presented to the then local member of parliament for Schubert, Mr Ivan Venning, and Mrs Kay Venning. While at the Chateau, Her Majesty undertook an inspection of the rose garden, where the Queen unveiled a plaque commemorating the official opening of the Chateau Barossa rose garden.

Later, Her Majesty attended a luncheon hosted by the late Mayor Mr Hurn and the late Mrs Hurn, which has been mentioned previously. The Queen then visited the Tanunda Lutheran homes, where she officially opened the new high care facility and was presented to staff and volunteers, and she then departed for her return trip to Adelaide and Government House. The region was very appreciative of the Queen's visit, and it was certainly an important occasion for many local people that they recall today very fondly.

My heart goes out to those people in our communities and overseas who, for historical reasons or personal experience, are not able to share with the rest of our nation its grief and sense of loss with the passing of Her Majesty. It is important for us to hear their stories, understand their truth and find ways for them to heal their wounds and souls so that at some point in the future we can walk a common path.

We all see the Queen through different eyes and experiences, and I do not think Her Majesty would want it any other way. Her Majesty understood her role in a constitutional monarchy. While we are grieving her loss, we do wish the new King well. God save the King.

Mr McBRIDE (MacKillop) (15:08): I rise today to express the sympathies on behalf of the people of the MacKillop electorate following the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. We acknowledge and pay tribute to her lifetime of dedicated service and the commitment she made to the people of South Australia and the commonwealth.

The outpouring of grief following her death across the state, the nation and the world is a testament to the love, admiration and respect in which she was held. To so many people, she was more than a Queen. She was not just the monarch: she was a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. While we all knew that at 96 her life and reign would inevitably come to an end, it was still an enormous shock to wake to the news that she had passed away at her beloved Balmoral Castle in Scotland.

In her most famous pledge, the young Queen Elizabeth declared that her whole life, whether it be long or short, would be devoted to our service and the service of the great imperial family to which we all belong. She most certainly honoured that pledge with a reign that lasted more than 70 years. She was patron of more than 600 organisations and charities, attended thousands of official engagements and toured every country in the commonwealth. She was the one constant in our lives.

Australia has been fortunate to have the Queen visit 16 times. Her first tour in 1954, with her husband, Prince Philip, went for two months, and it was estimated that more than seven million Australians, or approximately 70 per cent of the population, turned out to see the young Queen. While she never visited the MacKillop electorate, she did visit Mount Gambier in that first tour back in 1954—and South Australia—seven times.

It has been wonderful to read stories from people who clearly remember her visits, including Marion Davies and her sister Aldyth who saw her in Mount Gambier. Marion Davies told The Border Watch how she and her sister dressed in their Brownies' uniforms to form part of the guard of honour at Vansittart Park's main gates. The Queen and the Duke came along in their Land Rover and stopped tantalisingly close to them—so close to them, in fact, that if they had left their guard they would have touched the car.

I read that the visit to Mount Gambier sent the town into a flurry of activity. Shopkeepers draped their storefronts with the English flag, children were ordered to practise their curtsies and salutes, and mums and dads ironed their Sunday best in the hope of catching a glimpse of the glamorous royal couple. On that day, 26 February, the town's population grew from 10,000 to 40,000.

Huge crowds lined Bay Road and Commercial Street as the Queen and the Duke made their way to Vansittart Park via the Blue Lake and the Valley Lake and at Vansittart Park they were greeted by thousands of schoolchildren dressed in red, white and blue. The Queen planted a rowan tree, one of only three trees planted during the 1954 Australian visit. I am told that, along with many bouquets of flowers, she was also presented with a book from the children of the South-East.

Looking back on the archival vision of her visits to Australia, one cannot help but be in awe of her. She was regal, dignified and beautiful, and we, her loyal subjects, came out in our tens of thousands to catch a glimpse of her.

Over the past two weeks my office in Naracoorte has had a steady stream of people wanting to pay their respects by signing one of many condolence books provided by the State of South Australia. These books will be collated and bound, and then sent to the royal family from the people of South Australia. It will form part of a history-making event.

It has been heartwarming to read these messages, from the very young to the very old, and I am honoured to share some of those messages today.

Grant and Gillian Miller wrote:

You were a beacon of hope to the world when things were tough, we laughed with you, we grieved with you—thank you for your service to all.

From Susan and Jamie Offord:

You devoted your life to be our Queen and we thank you for your loyalty, graciousness, humanity and of course your wonderful smile.

From the Teate family:

Thank you for being our guiding light, compass and strength, for providing security and being a shining example of dignity, hope and grace. Rest well your Majesty.

From 12-year old Eva:

Rest in peace Your Royal Highness. Thank you for your service.

On behalf of the constituents of MacKillop, it is an honour to thank Queen Elizabeth II for her life of service. She has ruled with dignity, warmth and grace. She will never be forgotten. Rest in peace Your Majesty. Long live the King.

Mr BELL (Mount Gambier) (15:12): I also rise to support the motion. On behalf of the constituents of Mount Gambier, we pay our respects to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and sincerely mourn her loss.

On the seventh day of September we woke unknowingly to the final day of the Elizabethan age. On 8 September we woke to a day that would mark the end of an era, not only for the United Kingdom, Australia and all the realms and territories of the commonwealth, but also for the entire world, with the passing of Her Majesty.

Looking back, it was on 26 February 1954 that Her Majesty the Queen first stepped onto South Australian soil in my home town of Mount Gambier, welcomed to the state in what was remarked upon as a true country welcome by not only the 10,000 residents of Mount Gambier but also by an estimated 30,000 extra who had travelled far and wide to be in her presence in our town.

The Queen and her husband, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, were driven along crowded streets to a location near the edge of the crater, looking out to the natural wonder of the Blue Lake. It was here that she was tasked with the simple planting of a sapling to serve as a reminder of her visit and as a representation of the monarch.

The small sapling was given the monumental task of representing the institution of a historical reigning monarch, the relationship our commonwealth holds to it and the life of a reigning Queen, birthed with no expectation of the Crown, that resulted in a devotion of over 70 years serving her people. I regret to admit that this tree no longer stands, and I argue that it no longer stands because of the weight of responsibility it once held.

But as we look back in mourning and remembrance, I make the claim that it never did and never could stand to act as a symbol for what was its intended purpose, as the monarch, unlike it, has stood tall against the passing of time; the commonwealth, unlike it, has continued to grow and prosper; and our Queen, unlike it, brought the world to a halt in mourning.

I am pleased to note that, just three days before Her Majesty's passing, 16 native blue gums were planted in replacement of this tree, so now let us again watch as each tree grows in an attempt to represent the institution of a historical monarch, the service of a great ruler and the life of a woman spent in devotion to others. As we now experience the end of the world's second Elizabethan age, for a final time we must invoke the timeless prayer and anthem, God save the Queen, for now we must proclaim God save the King.

Mr ODENWALDER (Elizabeth) (15:16): I am truly humbled to stand here in this place today and make a contribution to this motion as the member for Elizabeth, an electorate named for Her Majesty. I wish to convey my sincere condolences to the royal family. This is first and foremost a personal loss to a real family and I do want to convey my condolences and the condolences of the people of Elizabeth who hold her in very high esteem.

It is very hard to add to what has already been said about Queen Elizabeth herself. Of course, she saw a lot of change, and her steadfastness and devotion to duty are admirable and her concern for the welfare of South Australians has been well traversed here today. The naming of the City of Elizabeth, which is the heart of my electorate—it is the place I grew up and it is the place I chose to raise a family—has an interesting story behind it.

It was established in 1955 as a new northern satellite town. It was to be an attractive alternative to other places—older places—in the city. There would be ample parks, trees and sportsgrounds to enjoy and leading the development of the new town of course was the Housing Trust. They planned on using the name Playford after the then Premier Sir Thomas Playford; however, this was met, to his credit, with very strong opposition from the then Premier.

As a result, a competition was held with several names put forward, including the Aboriginal names of Temana and Warriwodli. The name of a village near Salisbury in the UK called Larkhall was also put forward. Despite these suggestions, the Housing Trust was determined to use the name Playford, which was refused for a second time by Sir Thomas Playford. As a final resort, the Housing Trust asked the Premier to find a name, and in keeping with the regal theme of Adelaide and acknowledging the nearby Edinburgh airfield, which is still there of course, Playford asked for the Queen's permission to name the new suburb Elizabeth. This was a shock at the time, but it meant that the new suburb was to receive royal visitors over the next several decades.

As others have mentioned, on 19 February 1963 the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh arrived in Adelaide. After several visits, parties and dinners in Adelaide, Her Majesty visited Elizabeth on 21 February 1963 to unveil the Windsor Green sculptured fountain. As the member for Taylor has alluded to, the fountain was famously lost and then found by the City of Playford and placed in their new CBD area, since the original Windsor Green, where there are very famous photographs of the Queen visiting, was bulldozed and is now a car park.

The fact that it was named Elizabeth and the fact that she took the time to visit in 1963 and again later on meant a lot to the people in Elizabeth, and I have spoken to many of my constituents who remember that day very fondly. I do not want to add too much more, but I will close my contribution by simply saying thank you to Her Majesty for her 70-plus years of devotion to public service and duty. I know that I speak for many in my electorate when I say that we as a city are honoured to bear her name.

Mr TEAGUE (Heysen) (15:19): I rise to support the motion, and in so doing highlight the words of this house's proposed address to the King:

…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.

I wish to reflect, firstly, on the deep sympathy and great sorrow that have been expressed by my community of Heysen and expressed in so many ways over the course of recent days, but, as honourable members have referred to in the course of this debate, universally expressed in the condolence book that is held at Heysen in all sorts of different ways and by people of all ages. Just as a sample, Penelope Milne and Michael Milne of Bridgewater have observed:

You were a shining light to all—Rest in peace. The World was your stage—a perfect performance.

Regina and Stephen Caston of Stirling, an elderly couple, travelled through what has been particularly rugged weather in recent days to come to the office to write these words:

May God Bless and keep you King Charles III and the Royal Family at this very sad time. The Queen's passing brings to an end the reign of the greatest monarch in the history of the world. Thank you Your Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for a life well lived. With love and the deepest respect. Regina and Stephen Caston.

From Bernie Koch at Crafers:

My sincerest sympathy to the royal family on the death of our loved Queen Elizabeth. I have loved her since I was 5 years old—I am now 78. May Jesus give you His peace at this very sad time.

And from Anita Helbig at Upper Sturt:

You reigned over us with dignity, humility and majesty. May God give you peaceful rest and say of you, 'Well done my faithful servant.' I will miss you.

From Robert Dewell OAM of Hahndorf:

Heartfelt thanks for your service to your commonwealth and the world. Rest in peace.

And Kaye Dewell:

Thank you. Your example to Aus and the world. Also your great sacrifice and leadership.

I wish to highlight in particular two of the younger generation in Heysen who came to the office, primary school students at Bridgewater Primary School, Jordi and Charlie. Jordi said, 'We all love you Queen xoxo,' and Charlie, 'I love you so much.' So there have been expressions of heartfelt thanks and appreciation from people of all ages in recent days. In making a brief contribution on this motion, I wish to highlight the source of that love and dedication from so many, including in my community in Heysen, and that is the steadfast and dedicated service that Her Majesty gave to us all.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, in his sermon at the state funeral for Her Majesty just yesterday, said:

People of loving service are rare in any walk of life. Leaders of loving service are still rarer. But in all cases those who serve will be loved and remembered when those who cling to power and privileges are long forgotten.

The grief of this day—felt not only by the late Queen's family but all round the nation, Commonwealth and the world—arises from her abundant life and loving service, now gone from us.

She was joyful, present to so many, touching a multitude of lives.

That has been proved in recent days throughout the country and I can certainly say, in particular, in Heysen. That dedicated service is something to which we aspire in the everyday and ordinary life that we engage in in the community, and in so many ways we look for that example.

We have seen in recent weeks, just to take one example of dedicated service, the recognition of those who have given decades of committed voluntary service to the CFS. We recognise 40 years, 50 years and 60 years of service—significant as it is, indeed. We can truly say that the Queen, in her 70 years of dedicated service, provided an example to us all of the qualities that we would see emulated throughout our community. But I do want to emphasise, as the Archbishop of Canterbury has said, that the grief of her passing does indeed arise from her abundant life. It is so important to bring that back to what is a human story, and others have reflected on relationships in the ordinary day to day.

My grandmother (Nanna) was five years older than the Queen. She was born in 1920 and died in 2005, and the Queen—and I might say the Queen Mother as well, who was 20 years older than my grandmother—represented for her in real ways an image of something bigger than the family; something that might be emulated in the values of day-to-day life: being present, being committed to family and, as others have said, being a model of the demonstration of leadership as a woman leading her family, her community, her state and the broader commonwealth. It was an ever-present part of my life to see my grandmother's keen commitment to following the Queen and the Queen Mother's life, albeit from a great distance—there was so much to be emulated.

We also in the words of the motion offer our sincere congratulations to Your Majesty's accession to the throne, and we express the hope that Your Majesty may enjoy a long and prosperous reign. Long live the King.

Ms SAVVAS (Newland) (15:29): I rise to support the motion. I, too, would like to take the opportunity today to reflect on the life of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and I extend my deepest condolences to her family and the millions of individuals around the world who are mourning the significant loss of our sovereign. That loss is felt deeply in the Newland electorate, where the second highest country of birth is England and the second highest religion is the Anglican Church, or Church of England, to which Her Majesty acted as the Supreme Governor and archbishop.

The connection to Her Majesty is felt around the north-eastern suburbs. It is felt in places like the Fox and Firkin at Tea Tree Gully and on the main thoroughfare of Elizabeth Street, home to many of our schools and wonderful sports clubs. The council ward that I represented in the City of Tea Tree Gully is named Balmoral, which many have reminded me this week acts as an appropriate affectionate homage to Balmoral Castle, where our loving Queen passed peacefully on 8 September.

Today, I would like to reflect on the words and memories of residents in my community, and I thank those residents for sharing their stories with me over the past week and a half. Firstly, I would like to thank the hundreds of residents who have signed the condolence book either in my office or out and about in the community.

I would like to make particular mention of St Agnes Primary School and the reception or foundation students of Class West. The students watched a documentary about Her Majesty and then wrote a recount piece as a class. They then collated a book to be included with the condolence messages and have each drawn a picture of what Queen Elizabeth II signified to them. Their recount reads: 'The Queen was 96 years old. On 8 September, she passed peacefully.' I am so proud of the beautiful pictures and wonderful handwriting from the reception students at St Agnes primary and thank them for their efforts and contributions.

In the past week, I have also had the great pleasure of visiting two large retirement villages with the condolence book so residents would have the chance to pay respects to Her Majesty. Last Thursday, I visited Tea Tree Gardens Retirement Village in Hope Valley. One resident, Mavis, was gifted a copy of the New Testament as an award by Her Majesty at a country school when she was seven. Another resident told me how she felt honoured to sign both the condolence book for His Majesty King George VI and now the condolence book for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. I also met Peter, who works at the village, who signed the book on behalf of his brand-new grandson, Salvatore, who was mere hours old. I thank Tea Tree Gardens for their contributions.

Yesterday, I visited Ridgehaven Rise. I was astounded by the number of residents with a connection to Her Majesty. Peter Caddy, who is head of the social club, told the group how as a student at Highgate primary he went with his class to welcome the Queen to Wayville showground. They were all practising bowing for Her Majesty, and Peter, when finishing his practice bow, realised he had missed her parade while practising.

In a very strange coincidence, three separate residents were in Whyalla when the Queen visited in 1954. Valerie Healy, Margaret Caddy and Frank Norton all attended local schools and were involved in processions for her arrival. The younger two were part of a large parade where students put hands on each other's shoulders to form the words 'Welcome to Whyalla' as Her Majesty flew over. Another resident, Bev Schutz, told me the story of driving to Henley Beach in her father's 1927 Essex for a concert. The concert was stopped midway for an announcement that His Majesty King George VI had passed, and the concert was cancelled immediately.

One resident, Dorothy, went with her father to see King George VI lying in state and told me proudly that she had only waited two hours for the honour compared with the upwards of 24 hours to see Queen Elizabeth in the last week. Another, Rosemary Wellen, met Her Majesty the Queen as a Girl Guide on one of Her Majesty's visits to Australia. The Colliers told me the story of Mr Collier's grandfather, who was the first in his street to purchase a television. The whole street came to visit to watch Her Majesty's coronation in 1952. His grandfather later was invited to Buckingham Palace for an event with the Queen, and it was reported in the local newspaper. Mr Collier still keeps the newspaper clipping at his home at Ridgehaven Rise, and I hope to come and see it later in the week.

The life and consequent passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has had an impact on the lives of so many residents, particularly those in our community. As the Leader of the Opposition did earlier, I would like to reflect on the Queen's Easter message of April 2020 in the midst of the COVID pandemic. She said to us:

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

Today, we reflect not only on darkness but on the light that Queen Elizabeth II brought to her life and the lives of so many others. Vale, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and may God save the King.

Mr COWDREY (Colton) (15:35): I rise today to provide a contribution on behalf of the people of Colton on the motion before the house and offer condolences on their behalf as the house today recognises the immense contribution and service of our longest serving monarch, a lifetime of dedicated commitment to the people of South Australia and to the commonwealth.

There are many things that have become clearer over the past days as we have collectively watched expressions of sorrow and grief from around the world, watched not just the UK but the broader commonwealth reflect on her service and watched her family and those closest to her, despite the composure expected during these events, show glimpses of just how much she meant to them. She was beloved by many.

The world changed on Queen Elizabeth's passing. For many, she has been the only Queen they have known, the only face or effigy they have seen on currency and the stable personification of leadership for so many years in an unpredictable world. No matter what was happening, there was always a smile and sage advice. She was a constant. Despite being 96 years of age, it often felt like she would live forever. I have no doubt that her legacy will.

While Her Majesty had many roles—head of state, the Church of England and the armed forces—it has been said that she received much joy from her patronage roles with charities, service and other organisations. One such role that she took very seriously was her patronage of the Commonwealth Games Federation and the Commonwealth Games themselves. She was always a tremendous supporter of the Commonwealth Sports Movement. Her Majesty understood the power of sport to positively impact lives and bring the broader commonwealth together.

Her vision for the commonwealth, as a diverse and united family of nations, will continue to inspire and will remain the mission and duty of the Commonwealth Games Federation moving forward. That vision and commitment to diversity leave a profound legacy, an event that showcases female sport, provides a platform for athletes with a disability and is known colloquially as the Friendly Games.

On a more personal note, the royal family, and Queen Elizabeth in particular, was for many decades extremely supportive of the Paralympic movement. Her Majesty, in fact, provided the International Paralympic Committee with one of the organisation's most historic days when she officially opened the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

The Queen's personal interest and appreciation of the power of sport have also passed to ensuing generations, with Prince Harry having founded the Invictus Games to ensure that wounded service men and women, who have given so much for their country, are given the respect and support that they deserve to lead fulfilling lives post recovery. The inaugural Invictus Games, held in London in 2014, used the power of sport to inspire recovery, support rehabilitation and generate a wider understanding and respect for wounded, injured and sick service men and women. That legacy, too, lives on.

Like many leaders, it was not always what she did: it was how she went about it, how she carried herself. She was unique. She was softly spoken but commanded absolute respect. She connected with people and had a smile that put people at ease.

Like all members of this place, the Colton electorate office collected condolences from local community members through the state condolence book that will soon be sent to the royal family. I know that each of those who came in welcomed the opportunity to record a personal message of reflection and thanks and appreciated that their individual messages would be forwarded to London.

On behalf of the people of Colton: Queen Elizabeth, your work is done. Your service is complete. Thank you, and may God save the King.

Ms HOOD (Adelaide) (15:40): I rise in support of the motion. On behalf of the Adelaide electorate, I offer my condolences to King Charles III and the royal family and acknowledge the incredible life of service of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

I rise today to speak about the connection between Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and a South Australian woman by the name of Miss Jean Bottomley. For those who have enjoyed a parliamentary tour of the library by our fabulous Parliamentary Librarian, Dr John Weste, Miss Jean Bottomley's story might sound familiar.

Dr Weste came to learn about Miss Bottomley when he received a call from her great-niece, who told Dr Weste that she had come into possession of documents and materials that she had inherited from her late great-aunt. The great-niece told Dr Weste that her husband wanted to throw the documents out, to which Dr Weste replied, 'Well, what you need to do is throw out the husband and give the documents to me.' While I am not sure what the fate of the husband was, I do know that the documents are now in the safe hands of Dr Weste and the parliamentary library.

So what did the documents reveal about Miss Jean Bottomley? Ms Bottomley, or 'little Jean' as we know she was called by some parliamentarians, was a charge waitress who began working in South Australia's parliament in February 1942. As a charge waitress, we understand she would have likely served tea and cocktails to parliamentarians in the members' bar.

Eleven years after starting in parliament, Miss Bottomley's life would take quite an exciting turn. She was invited to travel to London as part of South Australia's Queen Elizabeth coronation celebrations. She was joined by the parliament cook, Miss Ivy Mudge. Exactly how a charge waitress who served tea and cocktails to parliamentarians came to be included in South Australia's Queen's coronation celebrations is still not quite clear, but among the documents donated by Ms Bottomley's great-niece is a letter of introduction from the Minister of Lands to the Acting Agent General and Trade Commission in Marble Arch in London which stated, and I quote:

These two people [Miss Bottomley and Miss Mudge] are such loyal subjects of Her Majesty the Queen and have saved money to be present on such an occasion. The girls expect to arrive on approx. 11/2/53 and will call your Office on arrival.

Right now, in the parliamentary library you will find Miss Bottomley's invitation to the South Australian coronation dinner at Grosvenor House on Park Lane, which was held on 27 May 1953 where Sir Thomas Playford was the guest of honour. But Queen Elizabeth II's coronation did not end Miss Bottomley's association with Her Majesty.

Upon returning to work in parliament, we understand Miss Bottomley went on to become the Head of Catering at Parliament House in 1954. This meant that Miss Bottomley was in charge of preparing the menu for the royal banquet of the newly crowned Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, which was held right here at Parliament House. The dinner was held on 23 March 1954.

So what exactly did Miss Bottomley serve Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II? The royal banquet's menu included, for starters, a choice of grapefruit or mock turtle soup. On Dr Weste's tours of the parliamentary library, children and adults alike love guessing what the actual ingredients are of a mock turtle soup. I can tell you that it is not pleasant. If South Australians would like to find out, I encourage you to book a tour with your local member of parliament.

What else was on the royal banquet's menu? We had a fried fillet of whiting, chicken cutlets, roast beef and horseradish sauce, peas, baked potatoes, baked tomatoes, a peach Melba for dessert, followed by bacon fingers and coffee.

Miss Bottomley's story is, I guess, an example of how one hardworking Australian came to have a special connection to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Given Her Majesty's incredible reign, it is so lovely to be able to come together today to share, listen and celebrate these stories of such an incredible woman who gave her life to service.

It has also been wonderful to see all the locals in my community coming to the Adelaide electorate office to sign the condolence book. As locals Maxwell and Rosemary Paul put it so simply yet so beautifully, 'Gone but not forgotten our gracious Queen.' Vale, Her Majesty. God save the King.

The Hon. D.G. PISONI (Unley) (15:45): That menu sounds like it was long before The Margaret Fulton Cookbook but a very familiar theme. I stand to support the motion on behalf of my constituents in Unley. I also would like to reflect on the Second Session of the Thirty-Fourth Parliament, which of course was what happened during the day of the dinner that the previous member spoke about. It is the only Hansard record that I know of that features a photograph in Hansard. Those of you who read Hansard know that, if you are looking for pictures, you just do not see them in Hansard, because it is all about what is said in the parliament.

Another interesting thing about Hansard for that session of parliament on 23 March is that not only are words recorded but actions are recorded, or the actual movement of particular people in the parliament is recorded. Although women had the right to vote and run for parliament in 1894 here in South Australia, from what I understand, the Queen's address to the parliament was the very first time a woman actually gave a speech in the South Australian parliament.

I will allude to Hansard itself. The Clerk went on to read the proclamation from His Excellency the Governor (Air Vice Marshal Sir Robert George) summoning the parliament. Black Rod announced the approach of Her Majesty the Queen, and Hansard states:

Her Majesty, accompanied by His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh, entered the Chamber attended by members of the Royal Household, and took her seat in the Royal Chair on the dais. Members of the House of Assembly having entered the Chamber, in accordance with Standing Order 35A, Her Majesty was pleased to deliver the following speech…

I will allude to that speech. Her introductory remarks were to 'Honourable Gentlemen of the Legislative Council and Gentlemen of the House of Assembly'. They were her opening remarks. She was very glad to open in person the session of the parliament of South Australia and to take part in the time-honoured ceremonies attending such an occasion.

She went on to say it was 97 years since the citizens of South Australia enjoyed the benefits and privilege of responsible government. She said:

During that time, you and your predecessors have faithfully maintained the traditions, the spirit and the practices which you inherited from the Mother of Parliaments at Westminster. I congratulate [members] upon your success in adapting the British system of Parliamentary Government to the needs of your country.

She thanked the people of South Australia most warmly both for the loyal and affectionate welcome which she and her husband had received and for the unfailing help and support which South Australia had at all times given in such a generous measure to the mother country.

Among the important problems which she was aware of, which concerned the people of South Australia, was the development of productive resources of the state. She noted with interest and pleasure the progress the state had made, and she was confident that with courage, enterprise and determination we would move forward to an era of ever-increasing prosperity. She went on to say that her government is:

…making satisfactory progress in the construction of the many engineering works and buildings required for public utilities and social services in the State.

She made mention of a new building—a large public hospital at Woodville—the cost of which would be £4,500,000. She was happy to accede to the request from her ministers that the hospital should be known as The Queen Elizabeth Hospital. She went on to inform the house that her ministers were:

…engaged in the preparation of the legislative and financial proposals which they deem it necessary to introduce during the coming financial year for the purpose of promoting the welfare and progress of my people. Bills to give effect to these proposals will be submitted later for [the house's] consideration.

She then declared the session open and she prayed that the blessing of Almighty God may sustain and guide the members in their deliberations to the advancement of the welfare of the state. Hansard then goes on to describe that 'Her Majesty and His Royal Highness retired from the Chamber and the Speaker and Members of the House of Assembly withdrew'.

So very early on we saw a strong embracing of Queen Elizabeth II by the people of South Australia within the first 12 months of her coronation by naming a brand-new, major piece of infrastructure, a hospital, after Queen Elizabeth II. Of course, we heard from the member for Elizabeth earlier about the naming of the city of Elizabeth a little time later.

It is with great sadness that I offer my condolences to the King and his family. Vale, Elizabeth II and long live the King, King Charles III.

Mr FULBROOK (Playford) (15:52): On behalf of the communities of Parafield Gardens, Salisbury Downs, Green Fields and parts of Mawson Lakes and Paralowie, I rise to speak in support of this motion.

The passing of anyone is a sad occasion, and I offer my condolences to the royal family, who above everything else have lost a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and, no doubt, a friend. While congratulating King Charles on his appointment, I can only imagine the challenges faced with his new responsibilities and the need for time to grieve. If I were in a similar position, I do not think I would have his strength and, while I see his emotional need is paramount, I cannot help but admire his conduct under extremely difficult circumstances. For all it is worth, my thoughts are with the new King and his family.

While none of us here are royals, the long reign of Queen Elizabeth was one true constant that linked those both within and outside the royal family. Prior to her reign, rationing in Australia had only ended two years prior, and this would continue in the UK for a further two years. At a time when both countries were still recovering from the devastation brought on by war, the new Queen served as a rallying point and a springboard into the happier times of the 1960s.

Her long reign saw highs such as Beatlemania, the 1966 World Cup, the Channel Tunnel, the creation of the World Wide Web, and the 2012 Olympic Games. This contrasts with conflicts like the Suez crisis, and the wars in the Persian Gulf, Korea, Falkland Islands, Balkans and, most recently, in Ukraine. We saw Britain enter and then leave the European Union and the devolution of parliaments in Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland.

Equally as important was what was happening at home during her 70-year reign. We saw devastation from floods, fires and drought and the need to heal from catastrophes such as the Port Arthur massacre and the Vietnam War. We also saw progression on the abolition of the White Australia policy, the rightful granting of the vote to Aboriginal Australians and an Australia more willing to help our refugee neighbours.

With 15 British and 16 Australian prime ministers during her long reign, while the pace of change was rapid, Queen Elizabeth remained a constant for generations. It is hard to believe the Australian Prime Minister at her appointment was Sir Robert Menzies and our Premier was Sir Thomas Playford. Many things have been written about these historical figures, yet our Queen's reign was so long that it is remarkable in itself that she walked amongst them.

Britain's position in the world, and that of the commonwealth, changed dramatically, but throughout that Queen Elizabeth served as an exemplary diplomat and ambassador for Britain and the commonwealth. Even if some of us may be indifferent to monarchy, I picked up in these last few days that, while the world spun at a frantic pace, many found it sobering that something so significant remained unchanged.

On touching gently on the subject of republicanism, I feel there is a time and a place, and this is not the time, for we are in a period of mourning and now is the time to remember and celebrate a remarkable life. As with all members in this chamber, I was given a book of condolence for my constituents to sign. Without an office within my electorate, this has been challenging, but not impossible, and so, in celebrating the life of the Queen, I would like to convey the sentiments of some constituents and what she meant to them.

Our Mayor of the City of Salisbury, Gillian Aldridge AM, wrote: 'You leave wonderful memories, strength and kindness behind with love.' Milan Kapasi wrote: 'Rest in peace, we lost a great leader. Your life was a motivation for us.' Dipesh Thak-kem added: 'We had a great leader, an inspirational person who has left us behind.' Looking through the contributions, words such as 'inspirational', 'exemplary', 'leadership', 'grace' and 'kindness' appeared many times over and link a continual narrative based around widespread respect.

I want to give specific thanks to the Queen for her calming words around grief. It seems to be written everywhere at the moment, but for clarity she is quoted as saying, 'Grief is the price we pay for love.' This is an emotion none of us wishes to experience, but there is warmth to her logic that I hope we can draw strength from during our dark hours.

I also give thanks for her efforts in recognising service to our community. Last week, I had the privilege of representing the Premier at an honours induction ceremony at Government House. I was very impressed that our Governor, Her Excellency the Hon. Frances Adamson AC, reminded the audience that, while the Queen was committed to serving, she was also committed to recognising the service of others. Many South Australians, for various reasons, have experienced something deeply special when passing through Government House, and I am appreciative of the institution that has allowed for these moments to occur.

We must never forget the leading role the royal family played during the Second World War. I mentioned rationing earlier, and, with great respect, reiterate that just like every other family the royals had to follow strict rationing rules during this time. The very fact that the future Queen remained in Britain during wartime was also a significant morale booster, as were her services in uniform to the Auxiliary Territorial Service.

It is often said that the sun never set on the British Empire. Given its expanse and, later, the size of the commonwealth, South Australia was visited seven times by the Queen during her reign. I believe the first steps she and her husband, His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh, made in Adelaide happened in northern Adelaide, directly adjacent to my electorate at Parafield Airport in 1954.

While South Australia had received a number of royal visits prior to the Queen's first arrival, this was the first time we had ever been visited by a reigning monarch. The significance of this was not lost on the hundreds of thousands of South Australians who greeted her. We have always been ones to appreciate effort, and, given the Queen's vast responsibilities, the time taken to travel here and then meet with South Australians will be long remembered, as will the fact that several of her visits involved duties in the north of Adelaide.

In coming to parliament only recently, it never crossed my mind that I would need to speak on the passing of the Queen. While her life was long, given she had been crowned nearly 30 years before I was born, there seemed to be a long-held view that she would be here for many more years to come. Having walked through my electorate with a condolence book, I know I am not alone in having a fondness for her and I know many constituents will miss her. She will be spoken of fondly for many years to come and, on behalf of many within my communities, I give thanks for her life of service and extend my condolences to all who are affected during this sad time.

Ms THOMPSON (Davenport) (15:59): I, too, rise in support of this motion and to acknowledge the exceptional life and dedicated service of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. I would like to begin, though, by recognising members of the Australian Aboriginal community and the complex nature of their relationship with the royal family. The passing of Her Majesty the Queen is a significant event and an event worthy of our gathering here today, but recognising that the lands we meet on are traditionally those of the Kaurna people remains as important and as relevant as ever, so I pay my respects to our elders past, present and emerging.

Her Majesty the Queen was the first ruling monarch to visit Australian shores, and she did so on 16 occasions across a period of 57 years—a demonstration of her love for our people, our vast and beautiful open spaces and our sense of community.

On Tuesday 11 March 1986, Elizabeth II graced the halls of Aberfoyle Park High School, a site that today sits within the heart of the Davenport electorate. It is with great pride that I share that, in the limited time Queen Elizabeth spent in South Australia, she felt compelled to visit my community and acknowledge the diligent work of the staff, the students and the parents of Aberfoyle Park High School. While those students present for Her Majesty's royal tour almost 40 years ago have long since graduated, I know they cherish their memories of the Queen's visit. I now call on the Aberfoyle Park High School students of today to endeavour to uphold the values of dignity and humility displayed by Elizabeth II, not just on that special occasion but during her 70 years upon the throne.

Elizabeth II was a kind-hearted woman. Her philanthropic efforts spanned the commonwealth, and she served as patron of more than 600 charities, with her charitable efforts estimated to have raised in excess of $2 billion for environmental organisations, hospitals, faith-based charities and many other worthy causes. Those who use their platform to drive change have my greatest admiration. As an individual whose commitment to serving extended well beyond her royal duties, Elizabeth II will forever have my respect.

Her Majesty reigned during a period in which the world saw significant social reform, with several milestone occasions in her later years being of particular note. In 2013, she signed into law a bill legalising same-sex marriage in England and Wales. Five years later, the royal family celebrated its first same-sex union, an occasion likely inconceivable upon her accession to the throne in 1953 but an event and change for which we should all feel grateful.

Before Queen Elizabeth II, the United Kingdom had exclusively been served by male prime ministers, formidable prime ministers at that, but opportunities for female leadership had proven few and far between. On 6 September 2022, just two days before Her Majesty's passing, the Rt Hon. Liz Truss MP was appointed Prime Minister of the United Kingdom; she is the third-ever female elevated to the position of Prime Minister and the third appointed by Elizabeth II.

Elizabeth II embraced change and understood the responsibilities that came with her title. The world was always watching and Her Majesty never faltered. Composed in times of great difficulty and strong when her country, the commonwealth and the world needed her to be so, Elizabeth II led a life dedicated to service, a life well lived and a life not soon forgotten. We are richer for the contributions of Elizabeth II as Queen and poorer for having lost her on 8 September 2022. May she rest in peace.

Mrs PEARCE (King) (16:03): It was with great sadness that we heard of the Queen's passing earlier this month. We have seen many monumental moments over the past 70 years, both things we can be proud of and others we should learn from. Nevertheless, our Queen was the one constant through it all and, for that, she absolutely meant the world to my community.

She was a woman who maintained her promise to the people of the commonwealth that she would dedicate herself to duty, and she committed wholeheartedly to public service until the very end. Through that, there were unique traits that I believe are important to reflect upon today, for whether or not it was intentional the actions taken by Her Majesty have influenced our social foundation significantly, and that started from a very young age.

In the midst of World War II, Her Majesty stepped up, within a year of turning 18, to join the Auxiliary Territorial Service, alongside thousands of other women who wished to make a contribution to protect the home front. In doing so, she became the first woman in the royal family to be a full-time active member of the armed services, and through her service she learned to drive and was trained to be a mechanic.

There is a picture of her, in fact, that I am particularly fond of, where she is seen changing a tyre. I cannot begin to comprehend how monumental this visual would have been to the movement during a time of significant shifts in perceptions and roles within our society, the courage it would have taken to do so and the courage it would have inspired in others.

She was one of thousands of women who took up the various jobs left vacant when the men were sent to the front, determined to play a role for their nation and consequently helping to change the perceptions of a woman's place in the world. Following this theme, having learnt to drive and developed a passion for it, it is reported that Her Majesty would often be seen driving around in her Land Rover or Jaguar.

I recently read an article reflecting on one of her driving experiences dating back to 1998, when the Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia visited Balmoral Castle. I understand the royal Land Rovers were called to the front of the castle and the then Crown Prince was instructed to take the passenger seat of the Range Rover. The Queen jumped into the driver's seat next to him. This is firstly significant because she was actually the head of state and was able to drive herself around, and it also occurred during a time when women in the Crown Prince's home country were not permitted to drive.

There is absolutely no doubt that the Queen knew her mind, and she was incredibly respected for that. That was cemented on the day of Her Majesty's coronation, when she rejected a royal tradition and chose to rule under her own name, a tradition I note that her son, our King, has continued.

Memories of the Queen such as these have truly shone over recent times, and I have had the wonderful opportunity to hear many of them out in my community with people, young and old, who have taken the time out of their day to come and sign Her Majesty's condolence book, people like Mark Willoughby, who back in 1986 served in the guard of honour in Whyalla. He will miss Her Majesty's dignity and kindness. Maurice Sellars reminisced with me about his service to the Crown during World War II and proudly vowed 'ad unum omnes' (I apologise if I get that wrong), 'all to one, unanimously'.

Adrienne Williams recalls dancing for Her Majesty as a primary school student, acknowledging the inspiration the Queen bestowed on her. Ann Pullin recalls Her Majesty dressed in wattle yellow giving her the thumbs up as she drove by. Lastly, Chris Beale, whose father I understand was a plumber in the royal palace when Her Majesty was a princess and ascended the throne, had nothing but fond memories from her father to share during that time.

All of these are lovely and wholesome memories and only a few of the many that have been reflected in my community that display the admiration, the respect and the loyalty there is for Her Majesty and the Crown. I thank all those who took the time to sign and provide condolences. On behalf of the King electorate, thank you, Your Majesty, for your service. May you rest in peace.

Ms HUTCHESSON (Waite) (16:08): I rise in support of the motion and give my condolences to the royal family on the passing of their mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, and to the people of the commonwealth who are mourning the loss of their Queen, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The loss of the Queen has meant different things to different people, and I am mindful that I stand today representing all members of my community. On their behalf, I pay my respects to a strong, graceful and resilient woman who has led the commonwealth for over 70 years.

In my earliest memories of the Queen, I was a child on Christmas Day at my aunty and uncle's house. My uncle and his family are from England, and it is their tradition to watch the Queen's Christmas message. We did not always share Christmas with my uncle's extended family, but that year his mother, father and two brothers with their families were all there. His mother, Hilary, always reminded me of the Queen, as they had similar hair, poise and accent.

We were all encouraged to sit and watch the message. As a child, it made little sense to me who this person was and what she was on about, but I remember the day so clearly, and as I have grown I have come to realise and to admire her commitment and dedication to community across the world.

That was over 40 years ago, and at that stage the Queen had already been the monarch for 30 years. It is incredible to think that for most of us she is the only Queen we have ever known and will likely ever know. I am sad that it is unlikely that another woman will hold this role again in my lifetime now that Her Majesty's watch is over.

The 1920s were significant, as they followed World War I. Women were on the move. Having finally won the right to vote in America, some 25 years after South Australia had passed the legislation, things were changing. In the 1920s, aerosol sprays were invented, antibiotic penicillin was discovered by Alexander Fleming, frozen food was introduced and iron lungs were being used for the first time. In 1924, television was first introduced into Scotland, and in 1926 a princess, who would soon become Queen, was born.

It was thought that the Queen visited at least 117 countries in her lifetime. She visited Australia 16 times, with her last visit being in 2011. During these trips she also visited South Australia seven times, with her first being in 1954 not long after her coronation. Her Majesty was the patron of 27 organisations in Australia, including the RSL, Red Cross and many hospitals. In Adelaide, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital was opened in 1954 and, at the request of the state government at the time, was named in her honour.

Over the last week, I have had the pleasure of taking the condolence book to the wonderful retirement villages and nursing homes within my electorate. It was a lovely opportunity to hear the stories of the residents and listen to their memories and even have a few games of bingo. One resident told me that she lived next door to the Queen, the then Princess, when they were both very young. She recalled playing in the garden with her, and that she was a lovely girl. Others told me that they had been to her coronation and some remembered her visits to Australia. One gentleman wrote:

Your Majesty, I am 89 years old and you have been part of my life for all of those years. I have watched you grow up, and admired your contribution to community service. Starting with the war and going on from there. Thank you so much for your years of service, you have been an inspiration to me and my family.

Another resident wrote:

The end of a very special era, a time of change in our world. A prayer for a wonderful woman.

We will see reminders of Her Majesty's presence for many years to come. Last week, I took a walk along the Queens Jubilee Drive in the Belair National Park whilst meandering through Kaurna country. We see her face on our currency and references on tea bags, biscuits and even cake. It will be a long time before she is out of our minds.

Like many, the Queen also reminded me of my own grandmother, a warm cheeky smile that witnessed so much in her lifetime. I will never forget her endless collection of handbags and the poise with which she carried them and often when I am carrying mine I think of her ageless style.

Losing a parent is hard enough, but to do so under the watch of the whole world must be incredibly difficult; having to hold it together for the cameras, being judged on every move by the insatiable media, all whilst grieving on the inside would be exhausting. I send my condolences to the family and all who heralded her as their Queen.

I also wish the new monarch, King Charles III, all the very best and encourage him to continue his dedication to conservation and the environment, as well as addressing climate change and deforestation. No matter where Australia ends up in the future, no matter on what side of the conversation you sit, today we remember the lifelong commitment the Queen gave to the people of her commonwealth.

In the words of a very well-known bear, 'Thank you, Ma'am…for everything.'

Ms WORTLEY (Torrens) (16:13): I rise today to express my sincere condolences to King Charles III and to the royal family on the death of our Queen, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Her long reign was marked by her instinctive sense of duty and dedication to a lifetime of service to her throne and the people across the globe. Her Majesty never deviated, such was her stoicism across more than 70 years.

At just 25 years of age, on 2 June 1953 she acceded to the throne to become the epitome of a working mother through crises and celebration. When the role of the monarchy itself came into question, she stood strong to restore faith in it. Today, I reflect on Queen Elizabeth II, a remarkable woman who dedicated her life to public service, to duty, to faith and to family. Her success in maintaining the monarchy through turbulent times was exceptional, given that she was never expected to be Queen.

Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor was born on 21 April 1926. It was Princess Elizabeth's father, King George VI, and mother, Queen Elizabeth, who gave her a foretaste of what it meant to be head of state and showed her how they restored the public's faith in the royal family and the monarchy when King Edward VIII stepped away from it. Her Royal Highness Princess Elizabeth's marriage to Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten took place on 20 November 1947 in Westminster Abbey.

Their first child, Charles, was born in 1948 followed by a daughter, Anne, who arrived in 1950. Her father the King, having suffered considerable stress during the war years, was terminally ill with lung cancer. On his death, Princess Elizabeth was proclaimed Queen by her Privy and Executive Council and in 1953 her coronation took place with millions around the world watching. It was the first time such an event had been broadcast.

My late mother-in-law, Pamela Lowe, who lived in Bristol, loved telling her grandchildren about the special time of the young Queen's coronation and the celebrations that took place in the streets and in their homes—not just on the day, but for days. With the advent of television, it is interesting to note that we as a world population have watched just about every step our monarch ever made.

It was Queen Elizabeth II who became the first reigning monarch to visit Australia, and it was estimated that three-quarters of our population turned out to see her in person. In Adelaide, schoolchildren on an oval spelt out the word 'loyalty', which came to symbolise our Queen's sense of commitment to us right here in South Australia.

After the first visit in 1954, she visited Australia a further 15 times. Both Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip must have thought highly of Australia to agree to send the future King to his finishing school at Victoria's Geelong Grammar School, Timbertop. The hallmark of Her Majesty's reign was constitutional correctness. She took seriously her rights to be informed and to advise but did not seek to step beyond them.

It was Prince Philip who encouraged Buckingham Palace to take a positive step to show the royal family in a far less formal and more approachable way in a groundbreaking documentary in the 1960s. The BBC was allowed to film the Windsors at home, which did much to restore public support for the monarchy. Queen Elizabeth's love affair with touring Australia flourished in the seventies. It was during one of her visits to South Australia that, along with my sisters and brothers, we stood with my parents along with thousands of others to wave our flags as Her Majesty drove past.

The next time I saw the Queen in person was in my role as a senator for South Australia at the official reception in the Great Hall of our federal parliament in 2006. Over the years, the debate about the possibility of Australia wanting independence from the British parliament and the courts via the Privy Council has grown. In 1986, the Queen made another visit to Canberra to sign the Australia Act, giving us such freedom.

She visited in the year 2000 and again in 2002, commenting on how much she had seen our nation's coming of age and an improvement in race relations. One thing that may not be well known to all is how our Queen welcomed our First Nations elders to Buckingham Palace and how often it was one on one, leader to leader, and that Buckingham Palace, today, is home to many pieces of Aboriginal art.

The deaths of the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret in the Queen's golden jubilee year, 2002, cast a shadow over celebrations of her reign. In November 2007, the Queen and Prince Philip celebrated 60 years of marriage with a service attended by 2,000 people at Westminster Abbey. The diamond jubilee in 2012 brought hundreds of thousands of people onto the streets and culminated in a weekend of celebrations in London.

In 2015, Queen Elizabeth II became the longest reigning monarch in British history, surpassing the reign of her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria. In typical style, however, she refused to make any fuss, saying that the title was 'not one to which I have ever aspired'. Less than a year later, in April 2016 Her Majesty celebrated her 90th birthday. She continued with her public duties, often alone, after the retirement of her husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, in 2017.

With his death in April 2021 during the coronavirus pandemic, our sovereign cut a lonely figure and one could not help reflecting on the immensity of her loss and the gravity of going it alone in such a public domain.

Since her passing there has been overwhelming media focus on the royal family, who have lost a beloved mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. It is a time of grief and sadness for them and for many thousands around the world. I hope there is some comfort to be found in Her Majesty's words, 'Grief is the price we pay for love.'

Many in my electorate of Torrens have expressed their feelings in the condolence book in my office, and today I share just a few. Sharon Moffat came in with her boys, Hamish and Lachlan. Sharon said:

Thank you for your service. You have been an inspiration to us all. Rest in peace.

Hamish, eight years old, said, 'Thank you for your bravery,' and Lachlan said, 'Thank you for being the best Queen.' Barbara Bowdern said:

Thank you, Ma'am, for all you have done and have been to so many. Rest in peace. You're in God's hands now. God bless you.

Caprice Waldron said:

Queen Elizabeth II—thank you, Ma'am, for being a constant in our lives and for your service.

Ruth and Gavin Johnson said:

Thank you for being our Queen, an inspiration to us, a wonderful lady and monarch. You will be sadly missed.

The ladies at Blackwell Funerals at Hillcrest said:

Thank you Queen Elizabeth for being an amazing human being. We have been blessed to have had you as our Queen

Finally, Josephine Millard said:

Thank you for your remarkable service. A female leader for our times who oversaw great change, often for the betterment of women. Thank you Your Majesty.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II: an extraordinary life, a remarkable woman. Thank you for your service. May you rest in peace, ma'am.

The SPEAKER: The question before the Chair is that the Address to the King be agreed to. Members may signify their assent by standing in their places in silence. I will also stand.

Motion carried by members standing in their places in silence.

The SPEAKER: I declare the resolution agreed to unanimously.

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Premier) (16:23): I move:

That the Speaker transmit the address to Her Excellency the Governor with a request that Her Excellency cause the same to be forwarded for presentation to His Majesty.

Motion carried.

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