Australia Day

Happy Australia Day to all those Ausies living overseas. We have had a great day at home which included, of course, a family Bar B Q at Bruce and Lorraine's.

Hope you all have you flags fluttering!

State Coach Britannia

A new royal coach to celebrate Queen Elizabeth's 80th Birthday is nearing completion and we had the pleasure to inspect it and hear of its historical significance from its designer and builder Jim Frecklington OAM on a trip to Manly today. The coach named "The State Coach Britannia" has taken over three years to complete and is truly spectacular.


Jim is also the builder of the bicentennial gift of the Australia State Coach and of the chariot used to carry the bearer of the Olympic flame at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.

The State Coach Britannia is shinning black above the top molding and Royal Mews Jubilee Claret below the mold. The undercarriage and wheels are painted in gold leaf. The Royal Coat of Arms and the Royal Insignia were painted by renowned artist Paula Church (who has exquisite paintings of Australian wildflowers) and scroll work was added by Brian Tetstall and highlights in relief were applied to the whole scroll work by Artist Helen Eyre Pikler, an award winning Australian botanical artist and Gemmologist.

More information about the coach can be found here.