JAA member fit for a Queen

JAA member fit for a Queen

Palloys, a prominent JAA member since 1989 and Australia’s oldest specialty casting house, has a "diamond" reason to celebrate in 2012. Palloys has been actively involved in the precision casting of numerous decorative and mechanical parts of the new Royal State Coach, Britannia, created by Australian born W.J. "Jim" Frecklington OAM. Mr Frecklington was also the builder of Queen Elizabeth's Australian State Coach presented to Her Majesty on the occasion of the Australian Bicentennial in 1988.

Now complete in a Sydney workshop and awaiting presentation in London to Queen Elizabeth II this year, as part of her Diamond Jubilee celebrations, the new Coach will take pride of place among the vehicles of State at the Royal Mews, Buckingham Palace in London.

The new Coach incorporates many modern innovations, and while traditional in basic design, is designed to carry British Monarchs and Heads of State in comfort and style for centuries to come. Interestingly, the vehicle is a unique time capsule of British Heritage containing materials from many historic buildings, ships and institutions including Nelson's flagship HMS Victory. The Coach’s components have links to over 100 of the most influential chapters in British history, including its greatest victories and most famous places. For example the Crown that adorns the roof has been carved from timber taken from Lord Nelson’s flagship, the HMS Victory. Inlaid into the wooden interior panels of the Coach is a collection of precious artefacts including a fragment of The Stone of Scone, a segment of Newton's apple tree, Shakespeare’s mulberry tree and a segment of oak gear teeth made by John Harrison, the carpenter who in 1726 invented and made the world's first marine chronometer - just to name a few examples!

Of course, Andrew Cochineas Managing Director Palloys Group is especially proud of the Palloys Group link to the coach. “Palloys, the casting division of Palloys Group, is really proud to have had a small part in the creation of this magnificent work of art by Mr Frecklington” says Andrew and adds humorously that “Now we can honestly say that Palloys casts are fit for Royalty!”

When he inspected the completed coach, Andrew said he was “Absolutely awed by the quality of workmanship and the level of detail. Many of the techniques and skills used to build the coach would have been all but lost were it not for the tenacity and sheer strength of will of Mr Frecklington”.

We’ll keep you updated on the progress of the coach’s forthcoming trip to the UK.

 Royal State Coach, Britannia