Queen Elizabeth II's 1970 visit to Orange in NSW's Central West, an idyllic location with a wealth of parks, orchards and rolling hills, wasn't without a hint of controversy.
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Her Majesty visited the city's Email fridge factory, a manufacturing plant that would go on to become Australia's last refrigerator factory before closing its doors in 2016.
At the time, many thought the location was nothing more than a "dirty old factory" and the Queen would not be impressed with such an offering, certainly not in comparison to other parts of the city.
However, the Central Western Daily later revealed the Queen personally requested to visit a decentralised manufacturing facility in a regional location.
She toured inside and outside the facility, as captured by our photographers, and people from right across the region flocked to Orange to catch a glimpse of Her Majesty and Prince Philip passing by.
Love for the Crown and a common touch
Colour City Dance's Suzanne Duffy on Queen's visit to Dubbo in 1992:
"I had three little students that were about to go to the Royal Ballet School in London for a Summer School - that was the connection. The Queen was coming and she was also the patron of the Royal Academy of Dance. These three little girls ... presented the Queen with flowers. I was just really there to supervise them but I ended up having a chat with the Queen and with Prince Philip."
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Former Country Women's Association NSW president Audrey Hardman OAM:
"She epitomises to me a woman of grace and charm who had a major commitment to her family but most importantly to all other countries. I think the love that she and Prince Philip shared was a backbone of society ... particularly at this time when the world is in such turmoil."
Orange historian Liz Edwards on the Queen's visit to Email factory in 1970, and a conversation that was struck up between Her Majesty and a worker:
"It turned out he was a breeder of corgis and he and the Queen had a great old talk about that, she wanted to know the bloodlines of all his corgis. He was a humble factory worker and a union man but he had this thing in common with the Queen."
