Queen Elizabeth visited Australia 16 times during her long reign.

In 1963, the monarch and her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, went to Alice Springs, later describing the trip as a highlight of that year's royal tour of Australia.

Local historian Stuart Traynor says excitement was at fever pitch when the royals stepped on to the tarmac and the community prepared to officially  welcome the couple at the newly built Traeger Park.

"All the children of the schools were lined up on the oval in the big shape of a boomerang," Mr Traynor said.

Queen Elizabeth also toured Australia in 1977, when Australia voted resoundingly to replace God Save the Queen as the national anthem with Advance Australia Fair.

It's a visit Marietta Ayres from Traralgon, in eastern Victoria, remembers well.

 “It was quite special, there was a train from East Gippsland that travelled all the way through to Royal Park Station and then we went to Royal Park,” she said.

“We stood in the Oval at Royal Park and we all had different colours which represented the Australian flag – I was red – and I just remember it being so special.

“She drove around and we sang God Save the Queen and Waltzing Matilda for her.”

You can continue reading more Australians reflecting on their memories of the Queen on the link below.

Reporting by Kerrin Thomas and Melissa Fistric