These are photographs from the Koo Wee Rup Swamp Historical Society collection and show the street parade, which took place on June 2, 1953 to celebrate the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth.
The programme for the day
Koo Wee Rup Sun, May 27 1953, p. 4
This is the intersection of Station Street and Rossiter Road. The Railway Station is on the left, you can see the elevated water tanks. The float is the Koo Wee Rup Building Trades, with the men all busily engaged on a fowl house converted into a would-be modern villa .
Looking west down Station Street, from its intersection with Rossiter Road. The band is the Coburg Ladies Pipe Band. You can see the Union Jack flags on the parked cars.
Rossiter Road - Phil Colvin is on the penny farthing bicycle. This must be taken from the Wattle Theatre.
The Koo Wee Rup Sun of June 3, 1953 reported on the day, and I have transcribed it below.
The Coronation Day celebrations
Koo Wee Rup Sun, June 3 1953 p 1
Kooweerup Goes Gay.
Its Biggest Day In History
On Tuesday Kooweerup gaily celebrated Coronation Day under beautiful calm weather conditions, all were of the opinion that it was the most spectacular event ever witnesses in the tonwnship. With only one exception, all business houses, including Government and private offices (33 in all), had their premises gaily decorated with Union Jacks and Australian flags, red, white and blue streamers, with photos of the Queen, H.R.H, the Duke of Edinburgh and members of the Royal family prominently displayed. The houses of many residents were also bedecked with flags.
The Day’s Activities
At 9.30 a.m. a special Mass for England and the Queen was conducted b the Rev. Father J. Opie at St. John’s Church before an overflowing congregation.
At 11.00 a.m 16 members of the Coburg Ladies Pipe Band, with Mrs Amy Parsons as drum major arrived. At noon the ladies’ committee entertained the band at a very nice luncheon in the Memorial Hall, the supper room being well decorated with flags and bunting.
At 1 p.m an impressive civic Coronation service was held in the Wattle Theatre, where a very large congregation assembled, the number being 550. Members of the pipe band also attended. The stage was beautifully decorated with flowers, gum tips and photos of the Queen and Royal family. Mr W. Hubbard officiated as organist and Cr. L.J. Cochrane, M.L.A., as chairman. The latter warmly welcomed all present on such an auspicious occasion. It being the Queen’s Coronation Day, he said, they had gathered together to dedicate themselves to serve her and join with all her other loyal subjects throughout the Empire in wishing her a long, happy and peaceful reign. Following the singing of the National Anthem, the service took the form issued by the British Council of Churches, with the approval of the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland and Assemblies of Free Churches. The clergymen taking past were the Rev. M.F. Green (Anglican), M.S. Campbell (Presbyterian), and Pastor V. C. Jones (Methodist).
Following the service, the band assembled outside the theatre and played and marched to the local hospital, where they rendered several items for the benefit of the inmates prior to heading a procession which started from the corner of John and Station street and proceeded up Station street to Rossiter’s road, thence up Rossiter’s road to the Recreation Reserve via Denham’s road, the streets being lined with people and cars enroute. The procession included no less than 14 gaily decorated floats, and also a dozen decorated bicycles, three prams, one child’s turnout on wheels, and not forgetting an old penny farthing cycle ridden by Phil Colvin bedecked in a brightly coloured red, white and blue vest, long-tailed black flogger, black hat and black and red socks and disguised by an extra long flowing back moustache.
Another attractive and amusing entry was that staged by the local cricket club, comprising four men on bicycles, two on each side, bearing a miniature cricket pitch and attired in pyjama coats and white pants. The procession was ably marshalled by Mr. L.C. Walker, and the following floats took part:- Kooweerup Fire Brigade, conveying members in uniform, reel and fire-fighting equipment. Kooweerup branch, I.O.O.F., with its motto, Friendship, Love and Truth, vividly displayed. Bayles Dairy Co and V.D.A., with coloured streamers and various manufactured dairy products. Westernport Memorial Hospital, displaying a plan of a typical Trusteel hospital. Church of England Fellowship in red, white and blue streamers, with its motto, Endaevour, Courage and Faith. Kooweerup Sub-branch R.S.L., with a uniformed soldier, sailor and airman appearing behind a 6ft. high wooden carved league badge. The brightly shined war medals on the soldier (Cec Donnelly) were most dazzling. Holden car drawn by an Holden utility. Kooweerup Anglers’ Club and Buffaloes Club, conveying a 14 ft. fishing boat, with Sailorman Bill Myall standing ready to board same. Kooweerup Building Trades, the representatives being Messrs S.L. Cochrane (carpenter), A.E. McKay (electrician), E. Wealands (plumber); all busily engaged on a fowl house converted into a would-be modern villa. Dalmore Progress Association, bearing a monster crown and conveying a queen and four young ladies in waiting dressed in white. The float was completely covered in red, white and blue streamers and the Australian flag. Kooweerup Boy Scouts, Cubs and Cub Mistresses, with a big membership seated at a camp surrounded by gum trees. Kooweerup Mothers’ Club, nicely decorated with numerous autumn toned paper flowers and streamers and conveying a brightly gilded crown. The mottos We Serve the Queen and We Serve the Children were neatly woven in the coloured paper rosettes. Kooweerup Basketball Club, with black and white bunting and playing equipment . Presbyterian Sunday School portraying a wedding with a large congregation. The officiating minister being John Laurence; bride Heather Harris; groom Billy Jeffrey; best man Robert Marshall; bridesmaid Christine Laidlaw. No more solemn and serious looking parson could be located within the Empire. A couple of privately decorated cars also joined in the procession.
Arriving at the Recreation Reserve, the encircling fence of which had been decorated with gum tree limbs by embers of the cricket club, the procession paraded around the arena for the benefit of the judges (Mesdames W. Plowright and Fordham, of Melbourne). Afternoon tea was in the hands of the Kooweerup Football Club Ladies’ Committee, and they with the publican’s booth recorded good business. The pipe band again rendered much appreciated items. So numerous were the cars that they were parked right around the arena. In a tarpaulin collection the nice sum of £39/2/2 was collected in aid of the local hospital. In a football match, married v. single, Phil Colvin officiated as umpire, but what rules he adjudicated under no one knew, and as there were neither goal umpires or time keepers the result of the game was unobtainable. Fortunately there was only one casualty, viz., that of the oldest Kooweerup footballer, Jim Shelton, who had to leave the field owing to a dickey leg or cold striking a bald top patch!
Prize Winners were as follow:- Child’s decorated bicycle: Robert Dusting. Juvenile turnout: Peter Cougle and Dianne Crameri 1, Peter and Annette Gane 2: consolation, cricket club; honorary mention P. Colvin. Decorated float: Dalmore Progress Association 1, Kooweerup Mothers’Club 2, Kooweerup Hospital and Kooweerup Builders (equal) 3, Kooweerup R,S,L honorary mention. The prizes were presented to the successful competitors by Cr. L.J. Cochrane, M.L.A.
At 5.45 p.m. the pipe band partook of a sumptous tea in the hall, and at 7 p.m nicely played and perfectly marched to the Railway Reserve, followed by an enormous band of juveniles. Rossiter’s road and Station street were brightly lighted, also the various business premises, and thousands of people had already gathered to witness same. By 8 p.m. cars were parked bumper to bumper along each side of Rossiter’s road from the hall to Sybella avenue and down Station street as far as the Royal Hotel.
At 7.30 p.m. a large bonfire erected on the reserve, comprising logs of wood, ti-tree, motor tyres etc. was set alight. Being a frosty night, this was greatly appreciated. Costly fireworks, similar to those exploded at St Kilda the previous Saturday night, brilliantly illuminated the sky and could be seen for many miles away. Music and dancing by the pipe band, were again greatly appreciated up to its departure at 8 p.m. Square dancing was held in Grosby’s vacated factory, which had been especially lighted and powered by the local S.E.C gang. The caller was Mr Phil Colvin. Butcher the Butcher and his assistant underwent a strenuous ordeal in dealing out frankfurts on a 6ft. griller at 3d. a piece, and the Boy Scouts done a thriving business in disposing of hot dogs at 6d. each.
Mr S.L. Cochrane as secretary of a hard working committee comprising ladies and gents is to be congratulated on his untiring effort.
Thus ended at a late hour the biggest gala day ever held in the Cranbourne Shire.
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