From a whirlwind visit by the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, 72 years ago, Mount Isa has been honoured to host HRH Princess Alice of Athlone in May 1959 and HRH Princess Alexandra on two separate occasions – August 1959 and later in November 1978.

While HRH Duke of Edinburgh made two visits with the first in May 1968 and again with Her Royal Highness, Queen Elizabeth in April 1970.

The Duke and Duchess of York made a flying visit in September 1988.

Arriving in 1946, The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester were equally impressed with the warmth and generosity of the communities of Cloncurry and Mount Isa, when they arrived by rail coach in each town.  

The Duke was thrilled to visit the Flying Doctor Service Base, then located in Cloncurry, from where he addressed the station folk via the Base network.  

He said his experience of riding and shooting held him in good stead when he visited a local property and witnessed a ‘cattle round up’.

After an overnight rail journey from Cloncurry, the Duke and Duchess arrived in Mount Isa on the morning of June 1, 1946 to an excited crowd waving handcrafted flags and ribbons in ‘welcome’.

The Duke was delighted to have undertook a tour of Mount Isa Mine during which time the ‘little’ Duchess, as the Duchess of Gloucester was fondly referred to, won over the ladies of the Country Women’s Association.

This initial warmth and geniality was again brought to the fore when HRH Princess Alice of Athlone accompanied the Governor of Queensland, His Excellency Sir Henry Abel Smith and Lady May Abel Smith on a compact visit of four days to Mount Isa and Mary Kathleen.

Again, the preferred mode of transport was a special government supplied rail coach which arrived in Mount Isa late Wednesday evening, May 13 1959.

And so as not to cause any disturbance to their hosts, the Vice Regal party remained in their carriages until the next morning when they were officially welcomed to Mount Isa by Cr. L. Doughan (Chairman of Cloncurry Shire Council and a mine employee) and Mine Officials including Mr and Mrs George Fisher and Mr and Mrs Jim Foots.

As Sir Henry undertook a morning underground mine tour, H.R.H. Princess Alice and Lady May attended a morning tea in their honour at the Marie Kruttschnitt Club at Hilton Hall.

It does not matter where or at what time of day or night a royal tour is undertaken it always attracts local spectators who come out in force to wave flags and wear smiles as large as the landscape.

And Mount Isa did not disappoint when later in the afternoon 2,000 excited spectators including school children, Boy Scouts, Girl Guides and the St. John Ambulance Brigade assembled at Kruttschnitt Oval to welcome the Vice Regal party.

To add to the festivities, the Mount Isa Silver Band and Mount Isa Pipe Band entertained the crowd.

During the festivities, His Excellency Sir Henry Abel Smith presented a very proud regional police officer, Sgt Jack Augustine, with the Police Long Service and Good Conduct Medal.  This was the first such medal awarded within the local command.

That evening a civic reception was held in their honour in the original R.S.L. Memorial Hall in Isa Street.

Mary Kathleen was festooned with streamers and balloons the following day when the Vice Regal party broke with their earlier mode of transport and flew by small aircraft to the uranium community for a civic luncheon and tour of the mine site.

His Excellency, Sir Henry later expressed his appreciation to the small township for their very warm and enthusiastic welcome with balloons bursting in the heat of the day.

But it was on the third day of the tour that HRH Princess Alice really won the hearts of pupils and staff of Barkly Highway State Primary School when she officially opened the school to much fanfare of the school Fife Band.

Acting Head Teacher, Dan Coleman told Princess Alice and Lady May that although the school was ready for students to begin the new academic year starting on January 27 of that year, he, his staff and pupils were absolutely delighted to have their school officially opened.

The design of the school building entranced everyone with its unique two wings perched on concrete stilts 10 feet (3 metres) high thereby doing away with the old staid square and rectangle block style formations.

On Saturday, the Vice Regal party visited the North West Regional Library and Base Hospital before His Excellency, Sir Henry Abel Smith and his entourage toured the then new ’atomic power’ house (Mica Creek).

Following Divine Service conducted by the Rev. Peter Mayhew, at St James Church of England, on Sunday morning, the Vice Regal party were driven through the streets of Soldiers Hill, much to the appreciation of the residents, and out to Leichhardt River Dam (yet to be named Lake Moondarra), which was in its last development stage, for an informal tea break.

All in all, His Excellency, Sir Henry Abel Smith, H.R.H. Princess Alice of Kent and Lady May Abel Smith undertook the longest visit to Mount Isa of any previous or future Royal Tours by getting personally acquainted with the locals over the four-day visit.

And in good political stead, Sir Henry had the last word, “Mount Isa has shown exceptional hospitality – thank you, everyone!”

Researched and written by Kim-Maree Burton

Information sourced from MIMAG, Mt Isa Mail, Townsville Bulletin and Brisbane Courier Mail.