30 years on: The opening of Darling Harbour was a splendidly royal affair

The force of about 200 police officers, including some seconded from suburban stations and members of Special Branch, were hardly needed.

Two monorail carriages traversed the route through city streets past three incomplete public stations. The carriages paused above Pyrmont Bridge as the Queen and the Duke were brought by launch from the Royal Yacht Britannia into the Darling Harbour Wharf.

At the wharf steps, a young mother worked frantically to change her tiny daughter's nappy on the lawn so the child would be in a fit state to wave as the Queen stepped ashore. The Queen, in an apricot dress, was at her beaming best. So was the Duke, with his rather stiff walk.

Mrs Helen Fletcher had put her pedigree corgi, Lucky Star, on the back of her bicycle and ridden in from Lidcombe for the royal arrival.

She held the dog aloft. She said the Duke had patted Lucky Star's mate, Hollywood Lord Jim, on a previous visit, and one of their offspring, Happy Joe, had got in front of the Queen's car (but was not run over) during the 1986 visit.

Mrs Fletcher said she had also cycled in with Lucky Star on Australia Day, to see the Prince and Princess of Wales. "I passed out from the heat on that occasion, and Lucky Star got a ride on a policeman's bike," she said.

The Queen officially opened the harbour at Tumbalong park, accompanied by the Premier, Mr Greiner. In his address, Mr Greiner stressed the value of the development in enhancing Sydney's position as "the commercial and financial capital of Australia".

His comment that there had been some changes in government since the Queen's last visit was not lost on the former Premier, Mr Wran, sitting in the fourth row of the invited guests. Nor would it have been missed by the former Minister for Public Works, Laurie Brereton, in the 11th row.

I am just delighted to be here, along with so many other people, to see the dream transfer into reality

Laurie Brereton, former Minister for Public Works

Mr Brereton was the driving force behind the development and Mr Greiner was his harshest critic. The crowd noticed Mr Brereton, and he got a loud, if ironic, cheer.

He said: "I am just delighted to be here, along with so many other people, to see the dream transfer into reality.

"Everyone associated with the project - the architects, the planners, the construction workers - have a great deal to be proud of.

"The way I feel, well, I feel like one of those people in the ad: 'They said you'd never make it'.

"My only disappointment is that they [the Greiner Government] have abandoned the Casino, which was essential to guarantee the project funding for all time.

"It is regrettable that the debt will have to be borne by the State, rather than paid for over the next 10 years.

"Yes, it has taken a long time. We said it would take four years. It has taken 4½ years...I would have liked it to be a little further advanced. But I am delighted with the progress and it will get better and better as this year proceeds," said Mr Brereton.

Appearances were kept up yesterday, as contract cleaners worked throughout the day, and the Maritime Services Board had men fishing debris out of the water before the Queen emerged from lunch to watch a waterfront youth pageant.

The Queen then left to visit the Queen Victoria Building.

Mr Colin Davis, who is handling public relations for one of the major development companies at Darling Harbour, Merlin International Properties (Australia) Pty Ltd, said yesterday that the project was already a success.

He said: "It is everything we expect - it is more than we expect. We were working against the clock to get ourselves ready, and we were terribly frightened about the weather.

"But we have had about 100,000 people through here a weekend since the opening in March. And the thing we are really looking forward to is the advent of the monorail, which has its official opening on July 2."

First published in The Sydney Morning Herald on May 5, 1988.