Daily Photo – The Law Courts Hotel in Dunedin
Occasionally, on my shuffles through town, I pass by the Law Courts Hotel located on Dunedin’s Lower Stuart Street. The hotel has an excellent bar with the intriguing ability to stop a person from walking in a straight line after spending the evening sitting at the bar – but that is beside the point.
In August 1953, when the young Queen Elizabeth II announced she was dropping by, the nation collectively lost its mind. Never before had a reigning monarch visited our wee country, and amid the wild hysteria, everyone quickly began cleaning and tidying in preparation. Once the royal itinerary was confirmed, and Dunedin was locked in for a three-night stay, Norman Stewart the hotel’s proprietor, was only too pleased to offer Her Majesty a bed for a few nights. The hotel’s key selling point? A sturdy balcony perfectly positioned for waving at thousands of adoring fans.
To get everything spic and span, the first-floor accommodation was completely gutted. In place of standard hotel lodging, decorators built a dedicated royal suite consisting of a private bedroom, a sitting lounge, and direct access to that all-important balcony. Local Dunedin furniture makers and craftspeople were commissioned to build bespoke wooden pieces, ensuring Her Majesty was surrounded by the finest Otago craftsmanship. To dull the noise of the bustling city outside, heavy drapes and plush New Zealand wool carpets were laid, alongside a literal red carpet that ran from the hotel’s main entrance, across the pavement, and onto Stuart Street. Downstairs, the local pub was completely locked down, turning the entire building into a secure, heavily guarded compound for the duration of the three-day visit.
When the royal train finally rolled in on January 25, 1954, the hotel had been transformed from a respectable local establishment into a fortified fortress. As the royal car pulled up on Lower Stuart Street, the Queen and Prince Philip stepped directly onto the red carpet. They made their way through the crowd and up to their Royal Suite, stepping out onto the balcony to be greeted by the roar of thousands of fans packed tightly across the Stuart and Cumberland Street intersection.
