Baton honour for Hedley

Trustees of the Enterprize Ship chair Hedley Elliott was privileged to carry the Queens Baton from Docklands to Williamstown on February 10.

On this leg of its 12-month journey, the baton travelled by sea on its way to the Commonwealth Games in Queensland.

The baton carries a message from Queen Elizabeth II and its journey started on March 13 last year. The message will be read at the games’ opening on the Gold Coast on April 4.

Mr Elliott was chosen by other trust members to carry the baton.

Enterprize general manager Michael Womack said: “It was Hedley at the time of the bi-centennial in 1988 that first determined that Melbourne needed a tall

ship and started gathering support to build the Enterprize.”

“It was on August 30, 1997 that the dream came to fruition and the ship was launched at Williamstown.”

“Hedley has been a key person associated with the Enterprize for 30 years, from concept, design and through the six years to build the ship and her 20 years of operations.”

The Queen’s message calls on the Commonwealth’s athletes to come together in peaceful and friendly competition. It has been passed from hand to hand travelling through all the 72 countries and territories of the Commonwealth of Nations.

The baton will be passed through 3800 baton bearers in Australia and by the time it reaches the Gold Coast it will have travelled over 233,000 km.    

The baton arrived in Docklands on a police inflatable boat. On the Enterprize it travelled along the Yarra and across to Gem Pier, Williamstown, where a large crowd had gathered to welcome its arrival.

Navy Cadets provided a guard of honour on Gem Pier and on HMAS Castlemaine

which was decked out with all flags flying.

The baton was passed over to the next baton bearer at the Rotunda at Commonwealth Reserve after the Mayor of Hobson’s Bay had formally welcomed everyone to the day’s events.  

The Enterprize Crew are proud to have been part of this historic journey.

Visit www.enterprize.org.au for more information about the Enterprize ship

operations.