Grazier Rosemary Champion is among a handful of people who can say they have hosted Queen Elizabeth for lunch in their home.
The late monarch made the journey to Longreach in outback Queensland in 1970, in the midst of one of the region's worst droughts.
"It was a very big event for a small town," Ms Champion said.
"A lunch was organised for about 100 people at our cattle station and it was hot — it was the middle of April and it was a drought like no other."
The town pulled out all the stops to cater to the royal diets, but in the end Queen Elizabeth only had a single glass of orange juice.
The trip left an indelible mark on the town and royal family, who were struck by the remoteness of the landscape.
"Knowing she came from this lush and green countryside and standing in the middle of the outback … [Her Majesty] said, 'Where else in the world can you look 360 degrees and not see anything man-made?'" Ms Champion said.
"It was a time I'll never forget and it made us feel special.
"She left a lasting legacy all through this community."
Outback informality on show
Residents across regional Queensland are reflecting on their memories and interactions with Queen Elizabeth after her death at the age of 96.
Ms Champion said her father, Sir James Walker, struck up an unlikely friendship with the Queen during the first visit in 1970 and laid the foundation for a second visit in 1988 to open the Stockman's Hall of Fame.
She said bush folk had a hard time grappling with the royal protocol, including when her father cheered the Queen three times.
"People said, 'You can't say that in Her Majesty's presence'," Ms Champion said.
"He said, 'Well this is my town and I bloody well can say what I like.'
"It's the way we do things in the bush."
The royal tour continued through to Mount Isa in 1970, with more than 6,000 children travelling to the mining town to welcome the royals for a 23-hour tour of the land of red dirt and rodeo.
Headlines in the local paper reflected the country-town excitement and noted how relaxed the royal couple was on their visit to the outback.
"Royal party's informality stuns crowd into silence," one headline in the North West Star read, claiming that locals were "surprised by the immediate informality and casual friendliness" displayed by the royal couple.
At the time, Princess Anne was praised for embracing the outback life when she helped muster 1,200 head of sheep at Talbarea Station near Cunnamulla and appeared "unfazed by the dust and flies".
Meeting Her Majesty
Central Queensland agriculture science teacher Bill Oram has fond memories working for the Queen more than 40 years ago.
In 1980 at the age of 18, the Baralaba local travelled to Buckingham Palace to work for the Queen after writing to her months asking for a job in her stables.
Mr Oram, now a Yeppoon resident, worked as groom for Prince Philip's carriage driving team for almost two years.
"It was an extraordinary opportunity and one that almost no-one gets," he said.
"It has been a good memory — I often have some cause to think about those days.
"It was mind-blowing, really — I learned a lot and I saw a lot of things that I would never see anywhere else."
Mr Oram's stand-out memory was receiving a Christmas gift from the Queen.
"Just before Christmas, we'd have a garden party or cocktail party or something and we'd each individually be presented to the Queen, she'd wish us well and thank us for the year's work and give us that gift," he said.
"She had that strength, and outwardly she showed that sort of strong will, but I think she had a really caring nature."
Flying visits to Mackay and Hughenden
Townsville resident Pat Mifsud first encountered the Queen at the Mackay showground when she visited in 1954 and again in 1970.
"She and Philip were in this beautiful big limousine and to tell you the honest truth I was too busy looking at him — I didn't see her," Ms Mifsud said.
"The second time my kids were little and we took them.
"She had Anne and Charles with her that time and I said hello to Charles — just 'how do you do' and he answered back as he walked along.
"He was sort of a shy sort of person."
Dawn Allis and her family travelled from Hughenden in the Flinders Shire to Townsville to see the Queen in 1970.
"The railway put on a special train to take kids and their parents to Townsville to see the Queen," Ms Allis said.
"The matron of the hospital's daughter was the same age as my eldest daughter, and she wanted to go too, so I had three girls in tow to go see the Queen and they thought it was marvellous.
"We were fortunate enough to get in the front line for the drive past.
"She was so beautiful, immaculately dressed with a matching hat.
"She promised when she became the Queen she would give her life to being the Queen and she did — and she was a good mother."
The 100th birthday letter
Mackay man Tom Barry is one of the few who can say he was born into the same era as Queen Elizabeth II.
Despite stark differences in their upbringing, Mr Barry said he shared parallels with the Queen in weathering the 20th century's storms.
Eighty years on, Mr Barry can recall vividly the day he felt closest to his monarch.
"We were in North Africa driving tanks and shooting German tanks, expecting at any time something could happen," Mr Barry said.
"But over in Britain, we had the Queen – the Princess at the time – at 17, doing the exact same thing."
Mr Barry said he could recall how the news travelled through the camp, but at the time he didn't think much of it.
"At the time I was too busy trying to keep alive," he said.
Mr Barry celebrated his 100th birthday last month in Mackay, making him one of the last to receive a signed birthday letter from the Queen.
He and his wife were shocked to wake up to the news of her death.
"I was sad, Ann was dumbstruck," Mr Barry said.
Mrs Barry spoke of the Queen's resolve.
"I don't think there is another person that has contributed so much over so many years without flinching," she said.
"All the times that things must have been so difficult for her, but she kept going, kept that same dependability going."
