17 Nov, 2017

Explore the Adelaide Community Celebrations for the Gold Coast 2018 Queens Baton Relay

People in Adelaide can now begin planning their Queen’s Baton Relay (QBR) experience with the street-level detail and community celebrations now available to explore at gc2018.com/qbr.

The Queen’s Baton will arrive in Adelaide on 18 February 2018 and wind through the city’s streets, leaving from Victoria Square/Tarntanyangga at 5pm and ending up at the Adelaide Oval Southern Plaza at 6.30pm.

The Queen’s Baton carries a message from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II calling the Commonwealth’s athletes to come together in a peaceful and friendly competition.

After travelling an astonishing 388 days throughout the Commonwealth, the Queen’s Baton will arrive onto Australian soil in Brisbane on 24 December 2017, having shared the dream of Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games with over one third of the world’s population.

From 25 January 2018, the QBR will shift gears to a more traditional relay, where the Queen’s Baton will celebrate Australia Day, before continuing in the hands of approximately 3,800 batonbearers through every state and territory.

Batonbearers will take more than one million steps to deliver the Baton to the ceremony in April 2018, with their journey covering thousands of kilometres across Australia, including South Australia’s Coffin Bay and Port Lincoln, Glenelg, Kangaroo Island and Adelaide.

The 35 batonbearers for the Adelaide leg of the Relay include Elaine Farmer, former CEO of Surf Life Saving South Australia for 28 years and recipient of an Order of Australia Medal in 2000, retired Olympian Stuart O’Grady, and Paralympic swimmer Esther Overton.

Lord Mayor of Adelaide Martin Haese said he was looking forward to welcoming the relay to the City of Adelaide.

“The Relay will start in Victoria Square / Tarntanyangga and our 35 batonbearers will then travel through Rundle Mall, along North Terrace, up to Montifiore Hill, along the picturesque Elder Park to arrive at the Southern Plaza of Adelaide Oval.

“They will be met with music and entertainment to celebrate being part of this exciting milestone in the lead up to the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.

“People can now visit the website and see exactly where the Relay will travel and where all the viewing points are.

“I encourage everyone to put the date in their calendars and come and line the streets of Adelaide to cheer on our batonbearers and welcome the Relay to Adelaide.”

GOLDOC Chairman Peter Beattie AC, said “Rather than just pass through, the Relay has been designed to spend quality time in communities across Australia so that as many people as possible can be a part of the Baton’s journey and share in the excitement of GC2018.

“The Queen’s Baton Relay is a global journey that will soon reach Australia, reminding us all that GC2018, the largest sporting event Australia will see this decade, is just around the corner.”

The Queen’s Baton will arrive on the Gold Coast for the XXI Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony on 4 April 2018, where His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales will remove Her Majesty’s message from the Baton and read it aloud to declare the Games officially open.

Find out when and where the Baton will be in the city of Adelaide at gc2018.com/qbr.

QBR website: gc2018.com/qbr
QBR Hashtag: #QBR2018
GC2018 Hashtag: #GC2018, #SHARETHEDREAM

Paula Stevens