In December 1954, William Dargie was commissioned by Melbourne industrialist James P. Beveridge to paint Australia's official portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, who posed for him at Buckingham Palace.

[3] The Queen is depicted wearing her wattle gown by Norman Hartnell, which she had worn on her first evening engagement during the 1954 Royal tour in Sydney.

[7] The portrait was officially presented to the Australian Commonwealth in 1955 by Mrs Beveridge at Parliament House on 21 April, the Queen's birthday, and was received by Prime Minister Robert Menzies through the Governor-General William Slim.

[4] Colour prints of the painting were made available and began to appear in Federal, State and Local Government Departments, and many schools, hospitals, libraries and church halls throughout Australia.

[4] Under the terms of the 1954 Australian Citizenship Convention, a print of the work was generally present in local town halls where many naturalisation ceremonies took place.

[3] The portrait formed the centrepiece of the National Memorial Service for the Queen at Parliament House in Canberra on 22 September 2022, held days after her state funeral.