40 Years Of Royal Drought Breaks

Sydney Morning Herald

Tuesday October 4, 1988

Wanda Jamrozik

CLONCURRY: In Western Queensland, mate, it's been a long time between royal drinks - the last time royalty dropped into Cloncurry was back in 1948.

But the Yorks were there yesterday.

Naturally, preparations had to be made on this occasion. Two white Commonwealth cars had to be freighted in from Brisbane, so the Yorks could be ferried the three miles (they don't seem to have kilometres up here) from the airport to town and back again in the manner to which they are accustomed.

A minibus had to make the trip from nearby Mt Isa (121 miles) for use by the members of the royal household.

And three air-conditioned coaches were brought from Townsville (a two-hour flight away) to accommodate the media. But by yesterday, in spite of the temperature of 40 degrees in the shade, Cloncurry's 2,000 people were getting into the spirit of the thing.

The banks, the post office, the "Main Road", the school and the council all shut up shop for the day and a local gold mine came up with the bucks to put on a fireworks display in the evening.

"I don't know if they're royalists, exactly," said Rod Cuff of his fellow townsfolk. "I don't know if they've ever thought about it."

Rod, 39, works as a fitter for the railways. As such he was one of the few locals who had to go to work yesterday. But not before 4 pm.

At 11 o'clock in the morning he was standing on the little square of lawn that backs on the strip at Cloncurry Airport, awaiting the royal arrival.

The only thing moving at that stage were the ants.

Bob and Liz Campbell, their 18-month-old son James, were enjoying the day off work.

The Campbells are newcomers, transferred to "The Curry" by Bob's bosses at the Main Roads Department.

"It's, ah, interesting," said Liz. "It's a funny sort of a place."

In town, 500 people were seated in John Flynn's Place, a public hall devoted to the man who began the Royal Flying Doctor Service in Cloncurry 60 years ago.

From above it was a sea of hats - ladies straws with smart ribbons and the neutral tones of Akubras.

At least 100 fans were waved as the guests struggled to preserve a degree of bodily comfort in the intense heat.

"A mix of town and property, I'd say," remarked Lady Logan, as she cast a shrewd eye over the gathering. "We usually have to go to Brisbane to see them(royalty). It's lovely that they're coming here today."

She and her husband had flown 150 nautical miles from their cattle and beef property - a mere hop compared to the distances people habitually cover in this region.

Others had come from as far as 700 kilometres, all for the sake of spotting the Duke and Duchess of York.

Back at the airstrip, one of the local taxi drivers drove out over the baked earth to where an RAAF jet sank earthward with its royal cargo.

"Yeah, I've been to the city," he drawled, "a mare threw me against the clothesline when I was nine and I broke my neck. I spent eight months in Brisbane."

Liz Campbell pushed a stray wisp of hair out of her eyes.

"I dunno," she said. "We haven't had a summer here yet."

© 1988 Sydney Morning Herald

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