She grew up in England and also remembers waving to the Queen and other royal family members if they were heading back to the palace from the airport.

"We lived not far from the road that was used from London airport to Buckingham Palace," Mrs Crothers said.

"We would see them leaving the airport on the news and then run to the road and wave to them."

Mrs Crothers had the honour of meeting Queen Elizabeth II twice in later years.

The first encounter was in 1977.

"She was doing the Silver Jubilee tour and my husband Ainslie was shire president," Mrs Crothers said.

"We got invited down to the reception at the art centre, where everyone was dressed in their finery."

The second meeting was in 2011, when Mrs Crothers was invited to an official reception at Government House.

Mrs Crothers was being recognised for her pastoral care volunteerism at Warrnambool Base Hospital since the early 1990s and received the invitation to the royal reception.

"At the events we would stand around and talk and then you would get separated into two sides of the room," she said.

Mrs Crothers said Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip would then walk along and speak to every 10^th or 11^th person they met.

"I wasn't lucky enough to get spoken to but both times I was in her presence it was exciting and a real privilege," she said.

Mrs Crothers also remembers hearing about King George VI's death as a student at a London school.

"There was an announcement that came over the loudspeaker that we were going to have a school assembly," she said.

Mrs Crothers remembers the whispers at the assembly that the King had died.

"We were told the King had died and then we sang God Save The Queen," she said.

Mrs Crothers said she was saddened to hear of the Queen's passing, but not surprised.

"She looked very frail meeting the new Prime Minister," she said.

On Friday, Member for Western Victoria Bev McArthur paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth II.

"The death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II saddens us deeply," Mrs McArthur said.

"Even at 96 years it seemed the Queen of Australia, of the Commonwealth - our Queen - would always be there, because for so many of us she has always been there.

"For 70 years Queen Elizabeth II has been a symbol of consistency - the quintessential model of devotion, bravery, strength, stoicism, selflessness, of quiet dignity and humility. She has been our true north."

Mrs McArthur said Queen Elizabeth had provided leadership through times of trouble.

"It is in her passing that we can truly reflect on a life incredibly lived - of a Queen so loved and admired," she said.

IN OTHER NEWS

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content:

Now just one tap with our new app: Digital subscribers now have the convenience of faster news, right at your fingertips with The Standard: