Last week King Charles made the long flight to Australia, so that it would be his first to a Realm of the Commonwealth as King. The Royal website quaintly dubbed it an ‘Autumn’ Tour.
Due to ongoing cancer treatment, the trip was a short one (5 days), stopping only in Canberra, Sydney and then on to Samoa. The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa was the first The King attended as Head of the Commonwealth. The Royal website stated,
In both countries, Their Majesties’ engagements will focus on themes designed to celebrate the best of Australia and Samoa, as well as reflecting aspects of The King and Queen’s work.
https://www.royal.uk/aus-samoa
Some people seem to think King Charles is a foreigner who ‘rules’ over us.
“All the realms are independent of each other, although one person, resident in the United Kingdom, acts as monarch of each.[1][2][3] Except for the UK, in each of the realms the monarch is represented by a governor-general.” 1
The Australian Republic Movement called it the ‘Farewell Oz Tour’. Whether or not they were knowingly referring to the King’s health is anyone’s guess.
But the atmosphere in Canberra’s Spring sunshine was heartfelt and positive. Indeed, monarchy was back in a big way. The cheers and admiration of the crowds proved how popular monarchy is, despite our antipodean reservations. A military parade of every branch of the armed forces arrived. Video
I met with Australian Monarchist League members and helped hand out flags to spectators.
The AML president Phillip Benwell was there and I expressed my concerns, as a former republican, that we need to genuinely engage with republican issues. I suggested we need to concentrate on the core issue of how representative family is. I mentioned how this has led me to the concept of an Australian born monarch, which I explain here: Australian Constitutional Monarchy. Mr Benwell said this had been discussed at the Constitutional Convention in 1998.
The next day Their Majesties departed for Sydney. I stayed in Canberra and enjoyed the idyllic surrounds of beautiful Barton, a short walk from Parliament House. Barton is named for our first Prime Minister, Edmund Barton.
Barton is a model suburb. Its spacious verges allow enormous trees to spread unimpeded by powerlines. Despite some upzoing, mid-century low-rise homes grace the avenues with colourful flower beds.
This is the kind of community most people aspire to. In Brisbane, our City Council wants to allow developers to build more apartments near pubic transport without off-street parking. In a submission with Sustainable Population Australia to the Council’s proposal, I pointed out that most people want a Clayfield lifestyle, not a rented Hong Kong flat. Here is the 2 page proposal:
It was pleasant walking around Barton, but I wonder if there’s a hint about a locality’s psyche from the passersby on the streets? Sadly, few made eye contact and smiled.
That weekend, the Australian Capital Territorial held an election. The ALP won for the seventh time. It has been in power since 2001. Its proportional representation system (Hare-Clark) ensures a reliable democratic result.
Meanwhile, our reigning, not ruling, King was on his way to Samoa.
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