Yesterday, NSW celebrated a territory-wide holiday--the Queen of England's birthday. Many businesses were closed for the day... the library even shut down at 6:00 p.m. on a week day during exam week (must be a really important holiday then to tell students they can't study in the library!).
Below is an e-mail I received from the Director of Campus East describing the holiday:
Please be reminded that New South Wales celebrates The Queen's Birthday with a Public Holiday on Monday, 13 June, 2011.
Government departments, business and some services do not operate on that day. Campus East Administration will be open, as for weekend hours, from 1.00 p.m. to 4.00 p.m.
For international students who may be unfamiliar with this occasion, by way of background, The Queen's (or King's as may be the case) Birthday is usually celebrated in the United Kingdom on the first, second or, rarely, the third weekend in June. In Australia it is a Public Holiday on the corresponding Monday.
The Queen's Official Birthday does not coincide with when she was born. King Edward VII, whose birthday was on 9 November, in autumn, moved the ceremony to summer in the hope of good weather. Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her actual birthday on 21 April.
The only civic occasion of note associated with the day in Australia is the release of the "Queen's Birthday Honours List," in which new members of the Order of Australia and other Australian honours are named. In the United Kingdom, the major event is the annual Trooping of the Colour (also known as The Queen's Birthday Parade). See www.royal.gov.uk if you're keen.
For us at the University of Wollongong, the Public Holiday provides a day off from exams ... so happy studying!
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