Across Australia, communities celebrated Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation with concerts, street parades, and many other civil and community events. In the Camden Haven, the people of Laurieton, Dunbogan, and North Haven joined forces and organized an aquatic festival, a coronation gesture believed to be unique in New South Wales.

The river procession included 13 fishing boats, droghers, rafts, and more than 20 smaller craft decorated with flags and bunting paraded down the Camden Haven Inlet to the entrance and back again. The population of Laurieton was close to 1500 at the time yet more than 3500 people lined the shore to cheer the passing fleet of boats. The procession made news around the country.

With the Camden Haven Inlet serving as the main street, boats and droghers acted as trucks and cars that would have appeared in street processions held in other places. Most of the vessels used were commercial or working boats, with the community taking the time to ensure they were ‘dressed’ for the occasion. This tankard was awarded to the Best Comical Float.