Thursday, 23 March 2023

 Brad ROWSWELL (Sandringham) (17:22): (125) My adjournment matter is for the Premier, and the action that I seek is for the Premier to provide me with a program of Victorian government events marking the occasion of the coronation of His Majesty King Charles III. Minister for Health, at the table, I am happy to repeat that action for you if you like.

While it was a day of great sorrow for him on 8 September 2022 in the event of his mother’s death, Charles III became the King of Australia. In keeping with tradition, the organisers waited for a while to allow a due amount of time to honour the life of Her Majesty before setting a date for the coronation. Now we have a date: the coronation of His Majesty the King will take place on Saturday 6 May 2023. The coronation ceremony will take place at Westminster Abbey, London, and will be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

We are fortunate in Victoria because His Majesty of course has a special connection here. King Charles himself went to school at Geelong Grammar School in Victoria. In 1985 the state of Victoria celebrated its 150th anniversary, and as part of the festivities King Charles and his then wife visited Victoria to join in the celebrations. He has, in fact, visited Australia 16 times in his lifetime, including the opening of the Commonwealth Games in Brisbane, and as is customary he is expected to make a trip Down Under in 2024 as a newly crowned King. We know that the Prime Minister of Canada has announced that a ceremony will be held in Ottawa on 6 May. We know that in Bermuda there will be a celebration in honour of His Majesty’s coronation. In the UK on 6 May it will be declared a public holiday, when many, I am sure, will line the streets to catch a glimpse of that special moment in history and in their lifetime. It is my sincere wish that His Majesty and his successors will continue to play an ongoing and meaningful role in the life of our nation and indeed the state of Victoria for many decades to come, and I trust that the Premier will be able to provide me with a comprehensive list of the Victorian government events marking this very special occasion.