It was a day for the history books when more than 15,000 people gathered to greet the royal couple when they visited Tamworth in NSW's north east, on March 11, 1977.
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The visit to Australia's country music capital was part of the silver jubilee tour down under.
Crowds cheered when Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth ll and Prince Philip touched down at the airport and again at Tamworth High when they visited the school.
They lined Peel Street to see the couple pass by on their way to officially open Ray Walsh House - the
Peel-Cunningham County Council building, now home to Tamworth Regional Council.
In one cheeky moment a corgi was even lined up to meet Her Majesty. We wonder who the little girl is with her favourite pet and where she is now? Did she get to meet the Queen and compare corgi stories.
The royal pair did spend time greeting the crowds, and talking with local school and community leaders, who remember with great fondness the day Her Majesty came to Tamworth.
It's not the city's only brush with royalty. Prince Charles, now King Charles lll, has also visited. He made the trip to Australia and stayed at Goonoo Goonoo Station in 1974.
So cool she can even rule at school
There was such an air of excitement. Official meeting points were marked out across the city, one being outside Tamworth High School, where hundreds of students gathered in anticipation.
It was 1977 and Queen Elizabeth II was coming to our town.
I lined up with hundreds of students from different schools in Tamworth.
It was a nervous, quiet excitement as we waited in the hope of getting a glimpse of her.
I remember watching her walk along the crowd of students and as she came to where I was standing she stopped and turned to me and asked a question.
How thrilling for me and those around me.
The picture captures the Queen and I speaking together in our brief but, for me, most memorable experience.
I can see two of my sisters and my brother in the background.
She asked me why there were so many uniforms - how observant was she. My response was that we were in the middle of a uniform change over. I'm just thankful that I thought of a response!
I was so excited about my encounter that I wrote to my uncle in England that very evening.
He and I wrote to each other often. Uncle Arthur was the chaplain at Morden College in Blackheath in London.
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He had 10 minutes on his own with the Queen to show her the chapel.
My older sister was actually baptised by him in that chapel. Uncle Arthur was so excited to read of my meeting her and agreed she was a gracious leader who had committed her life to serving others.
My mum was overjoyed that I spoke to the Queen. She too has always loved the Queen and remembers with fondness her visit to Australia in 1954 - that first trip to Australia.
Mum was working in Macquarie Street as a dental nurse and her boss allowed her to pop out on the street so she could wave her flag as the Queen and Prince Philip left Government House.
She has been my one and only Queen and I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to meet her ever so briefly. How very special to have this photo.
- Katrina Telfer, Tamworth resident
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