Dubbo residents and visitors took to the late-afternoon streets, ignoring the heat or need to rush home after work, to play their part in history.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
In years to come there will be many residents from Dubbo and the region who will remember exactly where they were between 4 and 6 pm on January 30, 2018.
They will be able to remember, with pin-point accuracy, all the fun, excitement and celebration as the 2018 Queen’s Baton Relay traversed Dubbo’s CBD as part of its 230,000 kilometre journey to the Commonwealth Games at the Gold Coast.
The baton relay takes the Games and the excitement to far flung spots, which otherwise would not get any first-hand contact with the event.
To some, it may seem a small thing in a whole lifespan.
But, it is one of those treasured moments and experiences to relate to the grandkids in later years.
The crowd members may not have been athletes competing in the Games, they may not go to the stadiums and perhaps, they may not even get to watch much of it on TV.
But, they will always feel part of it. They “were there” – even if distant from the main event. They were part of the action and they “touched” history.
Earlier in the day, the relay stopped off in Wellington and hundreds of school children turned out on their first day back at school for the baton’s very brief visit to their town. They and older residents joined in the celebration with glee.
Hundreds of people of all ages lined Dubbo’s streets.
Some braved the sticky heat and ran along the pavements as the baton-bearers and their entourage made their way to Victoria Park for a formal welcome to the Queen’s Baton Relay team from Mayor Ben Shields.
Nineteen residents from Dubbo, Gilgandra and Geurie were baton-bearers, each carrying it for about 200 metres along the route from Apex Park.
They will never forget the honour. The baton carries a message from the Queen, which will be read out at the Opening Ceremony of the Games on April 4. The baton itself has travelled through all the Commonwealth nations and territories since the relay started at Buckingham Palace on March 13, 2017.
The baton left Dubbo – all too soon – for the final stages of its journey.
We will remember the moment.