190 years of The West Australian: Historic day Queen Elizabeth visited Perth in 1954

The headline was simple and the photograph next to it was a portrait of a young Queen Elizabeth looking every inch the glittering monarch.

Queen goes to ball.

The historic front page is one of the powerful parts of The Biggest Stories, the third 48-page magazine in our four-part series celebrating 190 years of The West Australian.

The West’s front page of March 31, 1954, came during the visit to WA by the Queen and Prince Philip on the last stop of a gruelling eight-week tour of the country, the first by a ruling monarch.

But as their scheduled arrival in WA loomed, there were high-level discussions about the potential impact of a polio epidemic, before it was finally decided the WA leg would go ahead, albeit with some changes to the program.

Instead of staying at Government House, the royal couple remained on board the royal yacht, Gothic, in Fremantle harbour, and a parliamentary dinner in the Government House ballroom and a service at St George’s Cathedral were cancelled.

Meals eaten away from the vessel by the Queen, Prince and royal household were prepared on the Gothic and brought ashore. Shaking their hands or presenting them with bouquets was banned, so children with bouquets placed them on tables.

But the WA public’s enthusiasm remained undiminished and the city was brought alive with elaborate decorations, including illuminated arches along St Georges Terrace, lines of flags and giant portraits.

The West Australian reported that a crowd estimated at more than 100,000 turned out to welcome the Queen and Prince as they drove from Perth Airport to board the Gothic.

Thousands of wellwishers lined the streets for a glimpse of the couple whenever they left the ship.

The highlight was the dazzling royal ball in the open air at the University of WA, attended by 1200 guests including Governor-general Sir William Slim and prime minister Robert Menzies.

The paper reported that the Queen, “radiant in the wattle dress she wore for her first evening appearance of the tour, arrived at 9.55pm and stayed until 10.50pm, but did not dance.”

“As closely guarded as a gaol, but as opulent as a palace, the University looked like an exterior decorator’s dream come true, with fairy lights reflected in the pond waters, flowers banked on all sides and women’s jewels gleaming in the soft lights.”

Such was the royal fervour that “people in evening dress crept through darkened back lawns of the University in an effort to gate-crash,” the paper reported.

This Saturday’s magazine is presented by Roy Hill, and sponsored by BHP and Rio Tinto. The four magazines highlight the most significant people, photos, headlines and sporting moments since the first edition of our newspaper was published on January 5, 1833.