The Parkes Shire was deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, which was confirmed by Buckingham Palace on Friday 6 September.
Mayor of Parkes Shire Cr Ken Keith OAM said, “On behalf of my fellow Councillors, Council staff and the residents of the Parkes Shire, I extend my deepest sympathies to His Majesty King Charles III, the Royal family, and all those mourning the loss of Queen Elizabeth II.
“Queen Elizabeth II’s reign was the longest of any British monarch, and over her seven decades on the throne, she proved to be a rare and reassuring constant amidst a period of extraordinary change.
“The Queen was a great friend of Australia, visiting 16 times from the first time she touched down in 1954 to her final tour in 2011, including 12 visits to the state of New South Wales.
“In her now infamous 1954 visit, the Queen undertook significant travel across country New South Wales, including visits to Bathurst, Broken Hill, Dubbo, Katoomba, Lismore, Lithgow, Wagga Wagga and Wollongong, beginning a long and enduring relationship between rural and regional Australia.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with all those impacted by this sad news,” added the Mayor.
Flags at Council’s library on Bogan Street were lowered to half-mast last Friday as a mark of respect and will continue to be flown half-mast throughout the official 10-day mourning period.
Once exception is the day the accession of the new Sovereign is proclaimed, on which flags across Australia will be raised to full-mast from the time of the Governor-General’s proclamation until sunset.
Consideration is now being given as to what other civic actions might be taken during the official period of mourning, with Council to be guided by the NSW Government in regards to further protocols.
Australians will get a one-off public holiday, on Thursday 22 September, as a national day of mourning to mark the death of Queen Elizabeth II the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has announced.
The Australian Government has opened an online condolence book at .
