Royal reception

The Queen, dressed in a teal blue suit with gold buttons and black gloves, waved to a crowd including local schoolchildren as she stepped down to Australian soil 57 years after her first triumphant visit here in 1954.

GALLERY: More photos from the Queen's arrival

The 85-year-old monarch and her 91-year-old consort tonight begin a packed 11-day visit to Australia, spending six of the days in Canberra.

Her chartered British Airways Boeing 777 landed at Fairbairn airport about 5.45pm, and she was welcomed off the plane by Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Governor-General Quentin Bryce and ACT Chief Minister Katy Gallagher just under a half hour later.

Speaker of the House Harry Jenkins, High Court Chief Justice Robert French and Liberal Leader Tony Abbott were also part of the official party, and Ms Gillard's partner Tim Mathieson and Mr Abbott's wife Margie were also there.

The royal couple inspected the Australian Federation Guard and were honoured with a 21-gun salute.

Her Majesty was presented with an Aboriginal artwork as a gift and received a bouquet of Australian wild flowers from Margaret Cunningham, who met the Queen on her first visit in 1954.

The Queen also stopped to receive flowers from some of the young people on hand.

The Duke engaged in a bit more banter with the children, saying to one "You've escaped school have you?"

He asked whether he could stand school, and when told it was tough, replied "That's what I thought".

He asked another if it snowed in Canberra.

They left in a Range Rover with a police escort for Government House, their official home during the visit, about 6.25pm.

While it was quiet at Dunrossil Drive earlier, a crowd of about 100 people were there when the Queen arrived at 7pm.

James Rhodes, 11, of Banks, was one of many children in the crowd at the airport.

He spent his own pocket money buying the Queen a bunch of orange gerberas.

He wanted to be there "so we can honour the Queen".

Twins Chelsea and Ebony Bolding, 10, of Banks, were also amongst the crowd.

Their mother, Leah, said they had recently been at a book reading with Ms Bryce and now wanted to see "the Governor General's boss".

St John Ambulance volunteers are on standby and air force personnel are giving out bottles of water as the crowd waits in warm weather.

Four spectators in the crowd had a particular interest in her arrival. They work at the Canberra Institute of Technology, which was responsible for building a brand new dais for the Queen to stand on during her reception.

Teachers Jim Gregory and Des Lloyd, education manager Peter Hansen and liaison officer Angela Tyrrell took three weeks working day and night to build the dais.

It features jarrah steps, jarrah sides carved with native Australian animals, the Australian coat of arms and - for a particular Aussie touch - a corrugated iron roof.

Steve McMahon and Sean Duffy from the metal fabrication area also helped build the structure.

The building and environment centre at CIT was approached by the Department of Prime and Cabinet to build the dais but it wasn't until recently that they realised the importance it would have.

Jim said, "we are actually very proud of it", while Angela added "That's why we are here today, to see something we have been a part of".

ACT Chief Minister Katy Gallagher said in a statement that it had been a great honour to meet Her Majesty, and she was particularly pleased the Queen was spending so long in Canberra.

"At the arrival a short time ago, there was the perfect mix of pomp and ceremony from the Federation Guard together with great excitement from around 200 primary school children who gathered to give our royal visitors such a rousing welcome,'' she said.

"I am personally very excited to be given the privilege of greeting the royal couple again tomorrow morning as they arrive at Floriade, and I am sure many thousands of Canberrans will line the route as Her Majesty and His Royal Highness make their way from Government House to Commonwealth Park."