page_title: Royal visits to Australia
section_title: 1980s
hierarchical_section_title: Royal visits to Australia / Late 20th century (1951–2000) / 1980s
caption_attribution_description: English: Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh meet Australian entertainers who performed in a Royal Charity Concert at the Sydney Opera House [in 1980]. Performers include (from left): pianist Roger Woodward, comedian Paul Hogan and singer Olivia Newton-John.
context_page_description: Since 1867, there have been over fifty visits by a member of the Royal Family to Australia, though only six of those came before 1954. Elizabeth II is the only reigning monarch of Australia to have set foot on Australian soil; she first did so on 3 February 1954. She was only 27 when she first visited Australia. During her sixteen journeys the Queen has visited every Australian state and the two major territories.
context_section_description: In the 1980s the Queen made short tours to open the new High Court of Australia building in 1980 as well the City Square in Melbourne, then again to open the new National Gallery of Australia in 1982 and the Parramatta Stadium in 1986. During the 1986 visit, at a ceremony held in Government House, Canberra, she signed a proclamation that brought into effect the Australia Act 1986, which severed the final constitutional link between Australia and the United Kingdom.
  Future Princess of Wales, Lady Diana Spencer, made a short private visit to Australia with her mother and step-father to their sheep station at Yass, north of Canberra, in early February 1981. Prince Charles had proposed to her less than a week before.
  The Prince of Wales visited Australia shortly after the announcement of his engagement and prior to his July wedding in 1981.
  The Queen attended the 1981 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), held in Melbourne in September.
  On 20 March 1983, The Prince of Wales, this time with the Princess of Wales, and their son Prince William, landed in Alice Springs for an official visit. 26 October – 8 November 1985 visited Victoria for 150th anniversary of the state. Also during this tour visited Canberra. The Prince and Princess of Wales also made a visit during the bicentenary celebrations in 1988.
  The Duke and Duchess of Kent visited Queensland in April 1985 to open the Performing Arts Complex at Southbank. Their Royal Highnesses visited Toowoomba on 24 April following an invitation by Steven Rafter to visit the Toowoomba Grammar School.
  The Queen and Prince Philip also made a popular visit in 1988 as part of the bicentenary celebrations. On Saturday 30 April 1988, the Queen opened the World Expo in Brisbane before opening the new permanent Parliament House in Canberra on Monday 9 May.
  During the bicentenary celebrations, Australia was also visited by The Prince and Princess of Wales, The Duke and Duchess of York and The Duke and Duchess of Kent.
caption: Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip meeting Roger Woodward, Paul Hogan, and Olivia Newton-John at a Sydney concert in 1980.
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