Visit of Queen Elizabeth II, 1953-1954

The 1953-54 visit to New Zealand by the recently crowned Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Philip was a very major event at the time and is well remembered by those who were there. It was the first trip to this country by a reigning monarch and consequently the subject of considerable planning by the state, local authorities and community groups. In an itinerary that took the royal couple from Auckland to Milford Sounds, the Queen and Prince Philip visited 46 towns or cities and attended 110 separate functions. It's estimated that perhaps three in every four New Zealanders' saw them during this tour. They were in the Wellington region from January 9th – 16th, attending the races at the Wellington Racing Club in Trentham on Thursday January 14th. The following morning they travelled by train from Wellington to Masterton, passing through Upper Hutt. Returning to Wellington by car that afternoon (Friday January 15th), they undertook a brief tour of Upper Hutt along the way.