Queen's Baton Relay route revealed
Published on 17 November 2017
Launceston residents can begin planning their Queen’s Baton Relay (QBR) experience with the street-level detail and community celebrations now available to explore at the website here.
The Launceston leg of the Queen's Baton Relay will start in Abbott Street in East Launceston on February 7, 2018, at 9.25am. It will then make its way through the streets of the city, finishing on the steps of Town Hall in St John Street around 10.15am.
A series of rolling street closures will minimize disruption for morning travellers in the city, with affected streets to be closed for no more than 10 minutes at each location. The public is encouraged to gather along the baton route to celebrate this exciting event for Launceston.
The route is as follows (with street closures listed):
- Abbott Street (between Mary and Arthur streets)
- Arthur Street (between Abbott and Welman streets)
- Elizabeth Street (between Welman and Charles streets)
- Charles Street (between Elizabeth and Paterson streets)
- Paterson Street (between Charles and St John streets)
- St John Street (between Paterson and Brisbane streets)
- Brisbane Street (between St John and Lawrence streets)
- Lawrence Street (between Brisbane and Cimitiere streets)
- Cimitiere Street (between Lawrence and Tamar streets)
- Tamar Street (between Cimitiere and Cameron streets)
- Cameron Street (between Tamar and St John streets)
- St John Street (at Cameron Street)
A community celebration in Civic Square will be held the morning of the relay, starting around 9am. A number of relay-related activities will take place in the Square, including childrens' activities, a morning radio broadcast with Chilli-FM breakfast team Dan and Candice, and breakfast. More announcements will be made early in the new year.
Launceston residents are encouraged to attend this free event.
After travelling an astonishing 288 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 (C2018) with over one third of the world’s population.
From Christmas Day until 24 January 2018, the Queen’s Baton will be shared with thousands of Australians at popular summertime events, iconic locations and children’s hospitals and schools around the country.
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.
As the Queen’s Baton travels the length and breadth of Australia, the QBR will not just pass through, but spend quality time in each community it visits, calling into hundreds of local schools and community celebrations along the way.
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 Launceston at gc2018.com/qbr.
Batonbearers will be informed of their street-specific slotting location in December. Details will be updated at gc2018.com/qbr in the weeks prior to the Baton arriving into a celebration community.
City of Launceston Mayor Albert van Zetten:
"Hosting the Queen's Baton Relay is a tremendous opportunity for the City of Launceston to showcase the beauty of our great city to the rest of the world.
"While much focus will be on the relay and those incredible people who have been selected to carry the baton through the streets of Launceston, the wider Northern Tasmanian community will also have an opportunity to celebrate the Commonwealth Games with a community activity in Civic Square on that morning and of course a chance to meet the batonbearers following their official duties."
GOLDOC Chairman Peter Beattie AC:
“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.”
QBR website: gc2018.com/qbr
QBR Hashtag: #QBR2018
GC2018 Hashtag: #GC2018, #SHARETHEDREAM