Historical information

The 8th/13th Victorian Mounted Rifles was raised as a regiment of the Royal Australian Armoured Corps on 1 May 1948 with Headquarters in Melbourne and squadrons in Sale, Benalla/Wangaratta and Albury. In 1955 Regimental Headquarters moved to Wangaratta and a second squadron was located at Albury. The Sale squadron transferred to 4th/19th Prince of Wales’s Light Horse. In 1977 8/13 VMR Regiment was reduced to an independent squadron A Squadron 8th/13th Victorian Mounted Rifles and in 1991 was linked with 4th/19th Prince of Wales’s Light Horse forming the VMR Squadron of that regiment.
The queen was resident at Government House Melbourne for nine days and during the time guard duties were shared by 1st Battalion Royal Australian Regiment, 3rd Division Royal Australian Artillery, 5th Infantry Battalion (Victorian Scottish), 6th Infantry Battalion (Royal Melbourne Regiment), 4th/19th Prince of Wales's Light Horse, 8th/13th Victorian Mounted Rifles, 2nd Medium Regiment, 22nd Field Regiment and Melbourne University Rifles.

Significance

Rare document relating to guard duty at Government House Melbourne mounted by a unit of the Citizen Military Forces from Victoria during a royal visit .

Physical description

Photocopy of a three page report prepared for period 1/2 March 1954 when 8th/13th Victorian Mounted Rifles Regiment provided the guard at Government House Melbourne during the visit of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The report lists the officer, 4 non commissioned officers and 20 other ranks comprising the guard together with timings and locations of the sentry posts. Also details of the guard duties, the general remarks at the conclusion of the guard period and the signatures of the Guard Commander, Captain LA Jackson 8th/13th Victorian Mounted Rifles and the Relieving Guard Commander Captain EJ King, 2nd Medium Regiment.