Navy’s Royal Welcome

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30036, 22 January 1963, Page 14

Navy’s Royal Welcome

(From Our Own Reporter) WELLINGTON, Jan. 21.

Multi-coloured, plas-tic-rubber beach balls will be used instead of conventional conical metal buoys to mark an anchorage for the Royal yacht Britannia in the Bay of Islands on February 6.

The Navy has accepted a suggestion from the Harbour Board and its orders provide for the laying of “moored, gaily-coloured beach balls” for ready identification. The Navy is playing a major part in arrangements for the arrival of the Queen and Prince Philip. Sailors will be responsible for electrical and communications systems, including public address, radio and television and signalling gear, the rigging of seating and barriers, crowd control and ushering, illumination, control of entrances and exits—both ashore and afloat—and the raising and lowering of flags. The Navy will also provide a 100-man honour guard and an augmented band. Escorted by the frigate Otago, the Britannia is due in the Bay of Islands four miles from Frazer Rock, at the entrance to the Russell anchorage, at 9.15 a.m. Fifteen minutes later she will steam through a cleared channel, between the hundreds of yachts, big-game fishing launches, ferries and pleasure craft expected to be on the water.

At 9.50, as the Royal yacht proceeds through the anchorage area, the cruiser Royalist, flagship of the Royal New Zealand Navy, will touch Off a 21-gun salute. The Britannia will anchor at 10 a.m.—with the Otago, H.M.S. Cook, the Lachlan, the Rotoiti, the Royalist, and the Royal Navy submarine Tapir already moored in line astern.

These ships will be lying at right angles to the front of the Waitangi residency, almost a mile from the Waitangi shore. Special charts of the Bay of Islands and the channel into the anchorage were flown to Britain weeks ago and have been discussed thoroughly with the flag officer, Royal yachts. At 10.10, from Russell, in the barge of the Royal New Zeeland Navy Commodore at Auckland, the Governor-Gen-eral (Sir Bernard Fergusson) and Lady Fergusson, will visit the Royal yacht. Five minutes later they will leave and, in a further five minutes, the Queen and Prince Philip will leave the yacht for the Waitangi jetty in the Royal barge. At 10.30 a.m. the Royal couple will set foot in the Dominion to be met by the Governor-General. Navy motor-launches will be anchored near the Russell jetty. They may help with the control of water traffic, which will include amphibian planes and launches containing both the public and members of the official party. The Queen will leave the Waitangi jetty after the State welcome on the golf course and a private visit to the

grounds of the residency, at 12.25. After lunch in the Britannia she will again be ashore between 3 pm. and 3.30 pm. for an informal visit to Russell and other areas.

The Royal couple will later return to get ready themselves for the Waitangi Day ceremonies in the evening.

Escorted by the Otago and the Royalist, the Britannia will sail for Auckland with the Royal party at 10 pm.