A smooth changeover as the Queen’s Baton Relay travels through UQ

In the lead up to the 2006 Commonwealth Games, the Queen’s Baton Relay has made its way through The University of Queensland’s St Lucia campus on its way to Melbourne.

Staff, students and members of the St Lucia and wider Brisbane communities lined the route through the campus on Wednesday, February 1 to cheer on the baton carriers as they participated in the world’s longest relay.

The relay will started on campus at 9.50am at the City Cat terminal on Sir William MacGregor Drive, heading towards the Sports Grandstand, and continued past the multi-level car park until it exited on Sir Fred Schonell Drive.

The Queen’s Baton Relay is one of the great traditions of the Commonwealth Games, having been the curtain-raiser to every Games since Cardiff, Wales, in 1958.

UQ Secretary and Registrar Douglas Porter said UQ was delighted to be part of the history-making journey.

“The relay symbolises the gathering of people from across the Commonwealth and the University was very proud to share in this tradition,” Mr Porter said.

“It allows communities beyond the host city to share in the excitement of the celebrations leading up to the Games.”

UQ was the only non-Government venue the baton travelled through as it made it way through Brisbane.

The baton also serves a functional purpose in carrying Her Majesty’s ‘message to the athletes’ from Buckingham Palace in London to the opening ceremony.

The Melbourne 2006 Queen’s Baton Relay is the world’s longest, most inclusive relay, travelling to all 71 nations of the Commonwealth in a year and a day.

Triathlete Annabel Luxford is the first UQ student to be selected to compete in this year`s Commonwealth Games and many more UQ students are expected to join her, with selection trials for some sports due to take place in February.

Video footage from the Queen's Baton Relay can be downloaded from: https://www.uq.edu.au/news/press/press-gallery.php

Media: for more information or images, contact Chris Saxby at UQ Communications (telephone 07 3365 2479, email c.saxby@uq.edu.au).