1954: Lizzy’s Side
January 17, 2025
By AHNZ
Today in history, 17 January, 1954, The Queen of New Zealand visited Greymouth. She traveled by air to Hokitika then was driven north to spend the night at Revingtons Hotel (demolished 2020.) The Coasters were greatly excited and enthusiastic to have the Royal couple on their soil. Even so, as you can see in the image below, the masses restrained themselves from crossing an imaginary line while their Queen walked by just beyond an arms length away.
A legend, perhaps a myth, has arisen about the Royal trip up today’s State Highway 6. It is that the western side of the road between Hokitika and Greymouth was specially paved for the Queen to the neglect of the eastern, south-bound, side of the road. The specially prepared side is called Lizzy’s Side.
Some claim this road had always been unsealed. Some say it was partly unsealed. So, unfit for a Queen. In an outburst of thrift the West Coaster supposedly attended to just ONE side of the road, the seaward side. So, this allegedly came to be known as ‘Lizzy’s side’ by the irreverent locals.
Others tell me they’ve never heard of such a thing. That it didn’t happen. That nobody spoke of it until the last few years.
Despite checking out various sources I can find none to confirm that Lizzy’s Side has a truthful origin.
“Nikau palm were tied onto every lamp post in Greymouth. There must have been hundreds of them cut down.” – Heather Newby, West Coast History
“Decorated archways went up in Hokitika and at small settlements between there and Greymouth through which the entourage drove between masses of people, all waving and shouting unrestrained greetings. Greymouth itself wore a new air. Tons of trees, shrubs and ferns came out of the bush to make the streets green avenues. Full nikau palms embraced all street poles and verandah posts. Coloured lights glittered and flags and banners waved from every conceivable point. There were arches in Greymouth, too, a particularly attractive one near Dixon Park being the work of Rotary members.” – Russell Nelson, Greymouth The First 100 Years, Ossie Jackson (1968)
“In preparation for the Royal Visit only the left-side of the 25-mile roadway was re-sealed between Hokitika and Greymouth; for some years later known locally as ‘Lizzie’s side’.” – Bev Huston, NZ History.govt
“To make sure that the royal journey was as smooth as possible, the road was sealed – but, to save money, only the side on which the car would travel. For several years, before the whole road was sealed, this was known by locals as ‘Lizzie’s side’.” – Encyclopedia of New Zealand
“Sorry to spoil a good story. I doubt that it is true. I often rode my bike on that road in 1953 and it was always completely sealed.” – Alan Messenger, West Coast Recollect (2021)
“Agree there Alan.Think it’s just a story. No one mentioned it till a few years back?” – Peter Robertson
“You are correct about only one side of the road bringing sealed. That was referred to by various names including The Queen’s Way.” – Bob Laing, ibid
“It was already sealed several years prior, they just re-sealed the west side sou there would be no bumps.” – Les Bryce [speaking of 1977 visit by the looks of it]
“In 1954 the road was unsealed in places so to make their journey more comfortable the western (seaside) of the road was tar sealed, and I guess the other side was closed off to all traffic until the Royal party had past by. This section of road was for years known as “Lizzie’s side of the road”.” – Brian McIntyre, West Coast Recollect
The Coaster decorative habit of attaching palms or fern logs to poles seems to go back a long way. It was done again in the 1970s but seems to have now lapsed.
As for Lizzy’s Side, what are we to think? Certainly it doesn’t prove anything that the government history pages have repeated the claims. Indeed, from an Anarchist perspective that raises even more skepticism.
Certainly the official hosts would have worked very hard to make sure their road was in good condition for the visit least Her Majesty be bumped into a poor impression. They would have put a fair bit of scrutiny into the sea-ward side of the road in particular but this would not qualify as sealing one side over the other which is what the Lizzy’s Side story claims.
The truth might really come from the 1977 Royal visit rather than 1954. This would also contradict the legend because the road was sealed by then and it would be a re-sealing. Still, a re-sealing of one side over the other would make for an updated version of the story that changes myth into reality. Again, it would certainly be the case that the road would have been given special preparation attention. But what we need for the legend to be true is that one side was given a sealing when the other was not.
So far there’s no evidence for that but I hope something better comes along.
Her Majesty exited the West Coast for Canterbury on a special Royal Train on 18/January. The weather had been “royal.”
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Image ref. Graham L Schaef
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