His Excellency George Brandis, High Commissioner of Australia to the United Kingdom kindly unveiled a new interpretive panel on the London Commonwealth Walkway on Commonwealth Day, Monday 14th March 2022.
The Panel, which sits outside St Clement Danes Church on The Strand, interprets Australia House and shares some of the important Commonwealth history that embeds Australia as a key member of the Commonwealth family.
The Trust is grateful to The City of Gold Coast, and in particular to The Mayor and Mayoress, Their Worships Tom and Ruth Tate, and Mr Alton Twine, Director of Transport and Infrastructure, who have been ambassadors for the Commonwealth Walkway project from its inception, and were able to be at the launch with Warwick Sinclair, on the day. The Mayor is planning a new Walkway in the Gold Coast, in partnership with The Trust, later in 2022, in celebration of The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
We were delighted that Dame Louise Martin, President of The Commonwealth Games Federation, was also present at the unveiling. Dame Louise embraced the first Commonwealth Walkway at the 2014 Commonwealth Games hosted by Glasgow and has since been instrumental in further Walkways through The Games family in many countries. The Platinum Jubilee Walkway in Birmingham, which is to be opened later in 2022, will be the 100th official Commonwealth Walkway route and a legacy of the Games being hosted by the West Midlands region.
Special thanks to The Noogar People of Western Australia, David Forster, Barry House from the Perth Commonwealth Walkway team, panel designer Paul Waters, Pauline Hill, Westminster City Council, the Conway installation team and LDA Design for their additional valuable contributions.
What a fabulous recognition of Her Majesty, and the unique history, culture, heritage around the Commonwealth along with the wonderful sponsorship by the City of Gold Coast, Queensland Australia for their walkway. The work of Hugo Vickers DL and Mr Jim Walker and their team is to be lauded for the concept, the inspiration and the implementation of this ‘forever’ project which will benefit millions over the next generations, encourage walking and promoting the past as the introduction to the future. Brilliant work – in Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee Year. The 2000 generations old Whadjuk dialect Noongar Aboriginal sounds/words ‘ngalang bidi’ (meaning ‘our path’ – meaning a joint, all welcome journey together, connected) – could not be a more appropriate lifetime(s) association.