Passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
Books represent the freedom of thought and the highest expression of the human spirit.
Today we celebrate the legacy of the longest-reigning British monarch, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and remember her lasting ties with Australia and its national university.
On 13 March 1963, Queen Elizabeth II visited the Australian National University to open the R.G. Menzies Library.
The Menzies Library was named for Australia's longest-serving Prime Minister, Sir Robert Gordon Menzies, who accompanied the Queen on her visit to campus for the official opening ceremony.
During her speech to open the new library, the Queen told the crowd that "books represent the freedom of thought and the highest expression of the human spirit."
Display in Menzies Library
The visitors book signed by Queen Elizabeth II, invitation to the Opening Ceremony, and a number of photographs from the day, are on display in the Menzies Library foyer.
Find out more about this important milestone in the history of our Library and the University on the ANU 75th-anniversary website.
Browse our collections
We have a number of records in our collections featuring the Queen, including:
- Photographs of the opening of the R.G. Menzies Library in 1963.
- A video of the opening of the R.G. Menzies Library in 1963.
- Photographs of her 1954 visit to Melbourne.
- Photographs of her 1963 visit to Canberra.
- Online video of the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.
- An exhibition commemorating the coronation of Elizabeth II.
- Book ‘Our times : the age of Elizabeth II’.
- Book 'Lilibet: an intimate portrait of Elizabeth II’.
We also have records of King Charles III – then Prince Charles – in our collections, including:
- Photographs of his visit to the Siding Spring Observatory in 1974 to open the Anglo-Australian Telescope.
- Photographs of his visit to University House in 1979 to unveil a Jubilee plaque.
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