Queen Elizabeth in Newcastle: 'the streets echoed with cheers'

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Queen Elizabeth and her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, first visited Newcastle almost 70 years ago.

They arrived on February 9, 1954, two weeks before the show.

Under a front-page headline that read ''Queen enchants Newcastle'', the Newcastle Herald reported up to 250,000 people turned out in drizzling rain to welcome the royal couple.

''The streets echoed with the cheers of welcome to the first reigning Sovereign to visit the city,'' read the report.

After arriving at the railway station, the Queen and duke toured the city, the sportsground and BHP, while about 44,000 schoolchildren packed the showgrounds.

The buzz in the city endured for the show.

Former Newcastle Show Association member Tony Negline said the visit had a profound impact on the ''presentation, mood and atmosphere'' of the show, which had never been matched since.

Mr Negline said every attraction had a royal flavour and the show was decorated accordingly.

"Excuse me, could I talk to you for a moment?" Mrs V Thomas said. So the Queen stopped in Civic Park in March 1977 to exchange a few words with the woman who spun the wool and knitted a shawl for the birth of the Queen's first son, Prince Charles.

Royal visit Newcastle 11-3-1977 Queen Elizabeth II civic Park

SUNDAY BEST: State Dockyard workers, left, meet the Queen in their thongs.

Mrs Margaret McNaughton, Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip, and Lord Mayor of Newcastle Ald John McNaugton on steps of Newcastle City Hall. Queens visit Newcastle May 7 1988

Prince Phillip pensivley studies a painting at the Newcastle Region Art Gallery in March 1977. Picture by Allan Jolly

Royal visit 10-4-1970 Queen Elizabeth II and Lord Mayor

11-3-1977 Queen Elizabeth II farewelled by Ken Booth as she gets ready to board the Royal Yacht Britannia

Royal visit Newcastle 10-4-1970 Queen Elizabeth II and Lord Mayor

Royal visit 7-5-1988 Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip Paula Healey of Adamstown and 2nd Kotara Guides presents posy to Queen Elizabeth II at Customs House

Priness Anne Civic Park Royal visit Newcastle 10-4-1970

Royal visit 10-4-1970 Priness Anne Civic Park

10-4-1970 CIVIC PARK Prince Phillip talking to Lyn Bell, swimmer at Civic Park

Royal visit 10-4-1970 Queen Elizabeth II and Lord Mayor

Royal Tour Newcastle 10-4-1970 Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Phillip and Princess Anne arive at the wharf to board the Britannia leaving Newcastle after their visit

Queen Elizabeth II At ISC Royal visit Newcastle 10-4-1970

10-4-1970 Newcastle Princess Anne Civic Park

Queen Elizabeth II with crowd in Civic Park Newcastle March 1977. This picture shows Anabelle's reaction when she thought the Queen had passed her by. Annabelle Traill, 4, with flowers

Royal Tour Newcastle 10-4-1970 Queen Elizabeth II State Dockyard

Queen Elizabeth II and Lord Mayor Royal visit Newcastle 10-4-1970

Royal Tour Newcastle 10-4-1970 Queen Elizabeth II leaving Queen Elizabth II, Prince Phillip and Princess Anne Arive at the Wharf to board the royal yacht Britannia leaving Newcastle after their visit

Princess Anne in Civic Park Newcastle Royal Visit 10-4-1970

Queen Elizabeth opening ISC Queen Elizabet at the offical openeing of the International Sports Centre

Queen Elizabeth II ISC After offically opening the International Sports Centre

14-3-1977 Annabelle proudly shows the picture of her meeting the Queen to her classmates today.

Royal Tour Newcastle 10-4-1970 Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip at the State Dockyard

Royal visit 10-4-1970 Queen Elizabeth II Prince Phillip at Newcastle Airport

Royal visit 10-4-1970 Prince Phillip greetings at Town Hall

Queen Elizabeth II Civic Park Newcastle March 1977

Princess Anne walks onto the podium at the State Dockyard in April 1970.

Royal Tour Newcastle 10-4-1970 Queen Elizabeth II at the State Dockyard

Royal Tour Newcastle 10-4-1970 Queen Elizabeth II leaving Queen Elizabeth, Prince Phillip and Princess Diana wave from the royal yach Britannia ready to leave Newcastle after their visit.

A little girl presents a posy to the Queen during the meet-the-people walk through Civic Park. Photo by Allan Jolly

Royal visit 10-4-1970 Prince Phillip greeting people at Newcastle Town Hall

The president of Port Stephens Shire Council, Cr Freeman, escorts the Queen past the crowd after her arrival at Williamtown RAAF BAse Queen Elizabeth II vist to Newcastle March 1977 Photo taken by John Herrett 11-3-1977

The Queen being farewelled by the Minister for Sport, Recreation and Tourism, MR Ken Booth, as she prepares to board the Royal Yacht Britannia. Queen Elizabeth II in Newcastle NSW March 1977 Royal Visit

Royal Tour Newcastle 10-4-1970 Princess Anne Civic Park Archival Revival

Preparations for the Royal Tour by Queen Elizabeth the second in February 1954 out the front of the Newcastle Post Ofice

Ceremonial arches under construction prior to the Royal Tour by Queen Elizabeth the second in February 1954.

Hunter Street, Newcastle sporting decorations for the Royal Tour by Queen Elizabeth the second in February 1954

Decorations on the old Newcastle Police Station in Hunter Street, for the Royal Tour by Queen Elizabeth the second in February 1954

Decorations on the Klosters showroom for the Queen's visit in 1954.

The Queen's 1954 Hunter Street procession as seen from the old post office.

Newcastle City Hall ahead of the Queen's visit in February 1954.

Decorations on the Colonial Mutual Life building in Hunter Street Newcastle, during the Royal Tour by Queen Elizabeth the second in February 1954.

''There were portraits of the Queen and the duke, sideshow alley offered plaques and buttons of the royal couple as prizes, The Coronation was screened in a free theatrette and prizes were awarded to decorative cakes with iced pictures of the Queen,'' Mr Negline said.

Among those who caught a glimpse of the royals on their fleeting visit was Kath Watkins.

She was 22 when she caught a glimpse of the Queen passing Broadmeadow station on a train from Sydney to Newcastle.

''She stood on the back of the last carriage, smiled and waved,'' Mrs Watkins said.

''There was so much excitement in the crowd because it was a privilege to see her.''

Mrs Watkins created a scrapbook with newspaper cuttings of the Queen's visit to Australia and said that, even without it, seeing the Queen was ''something you never forget''.

- This is an updated version of a story first published in 2014..

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