Royal Villawood

This modest little house at Villawood has an interesting pedigree.

I was reading a book called History Happened Here: strange but true stories from Australian suburbia, and learned that in February, 1958, the Queen Mother visited this house, for all of twenty minutes!

James Cockington wrote in his book:

"The Chard's new two-bedroom house had been chosen at random.

Despite the temperature, Reg Chard, aged 35, eas wearing his woollen, Sunday-best suit when he greeted Her Highness on the front step. With him were his wife Betty and their two sons, Robert and Garry.

The Queen Mum was wearing a summer frock and hat, teamed with a pair of white elbow-length gloves.

Villawood was, and still is, deep in the heart of the working-class western suburbs, but there was still protocol to follw. Robert Chard, then aged 10, was asked to remove the PK he was chewing by a member of the official party.

And, while hundreds of neighbours lined the footpath, three discreet bodyguards stopped onlookers from approaching closer than the Chard's letterbox.

"It was the most amazing thing," remembered Robert Chard on the occasion of the death of the Queen Mother in 2002. "There was this lovely lady with three strings of pearls around her neck and her skin was just like milk."

The tight royal schedule only allowed for a three minute visit, but she ended up staying for 20. She did a whistlestop tour of thehouse,including the bathroom, commenting on the bright colours of the towels. They offered a cupof tea, but by then time had run out."

Has anyone interesting ever visited your house?