Ahead of King Charles III's coronation, Ted Egan reflects on the royal's 2005 Central Australia visit
The then Prince Charles talks with Ted Egan after arriving in Alice Springs on a visit in 2005. (ABC Alice Springs: Emma Haskin)
It was a hot summer's day in 2005 when Ted Egan, then Northern Territory administrator, waited on the tarmac at the Alice Springs airport for the arrival of Prince Charles.
King Charles III's coronation has the 18th NT administrator reminiscing about the royal's visit to Central Australia 18 years ago.
Mr Egan remembers how, in the back of a car during the visit, they discussed Australia becoming a republic.
"He said that he agreed that surely it's better to have an Australian-born head of state," Mr Egan said.
"But he was very firm that we should stay within the Commonwealth."
Mr Egan thinks now is a polite time for the nation to consider becoming a republic.
"I think the sooner we become a republic in Australia, the better," he said.
"I'm sure he would understand."
Prince Charles at the Alice Springs Desert Park's birds of prey show in 2005. (ABC Alice Springs: Emma Haskin)
Arriving in Central Australia
Mr Egan has vivid memories of Prince Charles's arrival.
"A group of Aboriginal women arrived as well on the day — we didn't know they were coming,"he said.
"But they had heard that Prince Charles was arriving."
Mr Egan said former Northern Territory politician and ATSIC commissioner Alison Anderson was acting as their interpreter.
Alison Anderson greets Prince Charles in Alice Springs in 2005. (ABC Alice Springs: Emma Haskin)
"They were five elderly women from Ntaria, Hermannsburg, all bare chested and painted up with feathers in their hair," he said.
"And they wanted to see Prince Charles and I knew that he would be amenable to that suggestion."
'A rare quality'
Mr Egan said King Charles was adept at talking to people.
"He was just politeness itself," he said.
"He is that one of those people and it's a rare quality that you think that for the moment you are the only person, the most important person in his life and he gives you his 100 per cent attention."
Prince Charles meets Royal Flying Doctor Service staff at the Alice Springs airport in 2005. (ABC Alice Springs: Emma Haskin)
Mr Egan said after the initial welcome at the airport it was a busy schedule.
"The two of us hopped in the formal car to commence his tour,"he said.
"He went to the the various institutions around the town."
His Royal Highness visited the Centre for Appropriate Technology, the Royal Flying Doctor Service museum and finished the tour at the Desert Park where he met a number of Alice Springs guests.
Prince Charles at the Centre for Appropriate Technology. (ABC Alice Springs: Emma Haskin)
"He was an incredibly pleasant companion and was vitally interested in Aboriginal matters," he said.
"He was very friendly, extremely well informed on what Alice Springs was all about at that moment."