Kate and Wills appear to enjoy Sydney zoo just as much as George as the duchess discovers that Koalas really do smell of eucalyptus



Kate, William, and George visited Sydney's Taronga Zoo, to see the bilby enclosure and bilby named after George

This is the second official engagement for the baby prince on his tour of Australia and New Zealand

George also attended a 'playgroup' in Wellington, New Zealand, with other babies close in age to him



Follow live updates from The Daily Mail's Royal Correspondent Rebecca English in Sydney on Twitter

Send your pictures of the Royal Tour to australiaroyal@mailonline.com


Prince George squealed with delight today as he met Australia's version of the Easter Bunny for the first time, a bilby named after him at the zoo in Sydney.

Meanwhile, the Duchess of Cambridge sniffed a koala to discover whether the animals really do smell of eucalyptus and Prince William tentatively handed a hungry giraffe a carrot.

During the visit at Taronga Zoo, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge officially opened The Prince George Bilby Exhibit at the Sydney landmark.

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The Duchess of Cambridge sniffs a koala at the zoo. The animals are said to smell of eucalyptus because the plant is their food of choice

The Duchess of Cambridge is pictured feeding a giraffe during the visit to Taronga Zoo today in Sydney Kate and William fed giraffes and tree kangaroos and watched a bird show in the zoo's amphitheatre

Kate, William and George went to Sydney's Taronga Zoo to visit the Prince George Bilby exhibit and meet the prince's namesake marsupial

The future king, who will be nine-months-old on Tuesday, met George, a three-and-a-half-year-old bilby in the Australian Nightlife enclosure. His original name was Boy but he was renamed George two months ago to celebrate the Prince's birth last year.

The infant Prince, carried by his mother when they arrived, looked on in wonder at the crowd surrounding the enclosure and then wriggled his arms and legs in excitement, squealing and gurgling when he spotted his namesake bilby.

His parents took it in turns to hold him in their arms and to support him standing up on the ground, restraining him as he tried to climb into the enclosure to get at the bilby.

But still Prince George was itching to get at the bilby so William crouched down with his son and holding him expertly with one arm, took some of the bilby's feed with his other hand to coax the marsupial back.

Prince William was totally fearless as the bilby came over to eat out of his hands and George, a chip off the old block, also reached out to stroke the creature.



Both parents protectively pulled him back.



'He's trying to grab his ear,' said Kate, 32, who was wearing a yellow dress.



'If he gets it he'll never let go,' said William, who kissed the top of his son's head.



As the keeper went to coax the bilby closer to George, Kate stepped in to stop him, thinking it a bad idea.



'He's got quite a strong grab actually,' she said.

Kate had changed out her dove-grey Alexander McQueen outfit she wore to church, into a lemon broderie angalise dress by a designer who did not want to be named. The dress had a fitted bodice and flared out to the knee. She last wore it on tour to the Solomon Islands in 2012.

Prince William was casual in a blue check shirt and navy trousers.

Prince William offered bilby George some food, so that he would come close to the edge of the enclosure, allowing Prince George a good view Prince George was enthralled by his bilby namesake, at Sydney's Taronga Zoo, which he visited with his mother and father

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited Sydney's Taronga Zoo with Prince George, as part of their 10-day tour of Australia The young prince was very intrigued by bilby George, who has been named after him in honour of his birth Prince George arrived for his first and only official appearance in Australia - visiting his namesake bilby at Sydney's Taronga Zoo The Cambridges enjoyed a family moment together in the midst of their royal tour of Australia and New Zealand Greater bilbies are rabbit-like creatures with large ears that pick up the sounds of insects and have long noses to sniffs out seeds and bulbs. They were once common in Australia's grassy woodlands but have been driven to the verge of extinction by predators such as foxes and cats and competition from rabbits, all introduced to the country by British settlers. With only 10,000 left in the wild in northern Queensland and Western Australia, a conservation campaign begun in the late 1960s has gathered pace in the last decade with chocolate Easter bilbies replacing chocolate bunnies in many Australian children's homes. Australia's government, under former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, gave Taronga Zoo's bilby preservation programme a $10,000 (£5,500) donation as a national gift to commemorate George's birth on July 22 last year.

Of course bilbies are nocturnal creatures who normally would be tucked up in bed at this time of the day.

But it's not often that three members of the royal family come to visit the creatures of their realm, so by royal command zoo an attendant brought renamed bilby George, a two-year-old handsome young adult, Taronga's finest bilby blinking into the sunshine to meet his patron, baby Prince George. Mr Davies had known about the visit since Christmas and has been acclimatising George to the daylight by bringing him out for 10 minutes each day and feeding him. George the bilby came to the zoo specifically for the breeding program a year and a half ago and then he was named Boy. Zoo officials had to apply to the national Stud Bookkeeper to have George officially recognised as the bilby's new name and the name Boy dropped. 'It did take me quite a while to stop calling him, "Boy George,"' said keeper Paul Davies, who thought that the animal looked like a George and was regal too. 'If you think of kings of the past, he has got that worldly presence,' Mr Davies said of bilby George. 'He has very little fear of anything. He calls his own shots. He is a very confident little animal.' In bright sunshine, George and his parents were shown around the bilby enclosure by Cameron Kerr, the Zoo's director and chief executive, and Mr Davies.



The Royals in blue: Kate and baby George arrived in Canberra on Sunday evening wearing matching blue outfits and even William had a blue tie

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge patted a young koala named Leuca, at the harbourside zoo 'The moment you've all been waiting for': Kate and William patted a young male koala at Taronga Zoo Kate and William got the giggles while greeting Leuca the koala at Taronga Zoo in Sydney George, dressed in blue shirt, navy shorts, socks, and shoes, was carried by Kate inside the Nightlife exhibit to view other nocturnal animals, including a bandicoot, before emerging to have a proper look at the bilby. William and the keeper took it in turns to feed the rabbit-like creature. Mr Davies, a 57-year-old Briton originally from Hertford, enticed him with a tasty dish of beef, carrot, and live, wriggling mealworms, which William also fed him. After touring the enclosure, William and Kate unveiled a plaque that read: 'A national gift from the Commonwealth Government to commemorate the birth of His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge.' The baby Prince interrupted Mr Kerr's speech with some enthusiastic squealing before gleefully taking a present from the zoo director, a stuffed toy bilby.

There was another gift too: a yellow car sticker that said 'Wild child on board'. George happily took it and tried to chew it.

'Munch, munch, munch,' said William. His son threw the toy bilby on the floor, as he tried to chew the sticker, to the laughter of everyone watching.

'He does love it honestly,' said William. Mr Kerr said he hoped the royal visit would help highlight efforts to conserve Australia's native animals.

'Bilbies were once found right throughout Australia, but are now threatened in the wild,' he said. 'Taronga is part of a national breeding programme across a number of Australian zoos and wildlife organisations that are involved in conservation, breeding and research to provide an insurance population to safeguard this species into the future.' The royal couple were excited to get the chance to greet the iconic Australian animal William and Kate listened to the zoo keeper as she discussed the care of koalas

Taronga Zoo is one of Sydney's most popular tourist sites. It has panoramic harbourside views Bilby keeper Paul Davies said that young Prince George was ‘absolutely brilliant. George really liked George,’ he said of the young prince and his bilby namesake. Mr Davies said he joked with Prince William about the London Zoo's nocturnal animal enclosure and how it was not a patch on the Nocturnal House where Prince George the bilby lives.

'They laughed, they are such lovely people and it was amazing that while his lordship (the bilby) was very active, Prince George (the baby) was very interested and grabbing at the glass.

'He was really interested and didn’t mind the dark [inside the bilby enclosure].' 'I'm a very proud zookeeper. If people didn't know what a bilby was before, they will now. That's conservation in a nutshell.

'I have never introduced a bilby to a baby before. But it wasn't a risk. We did a few dry runs in that enclosure. George really liked George. It was a once in a lifetime experience.

'Baby Prince George was so cute and so good. A feather-tailed glider was running on the grass and he tried to grab its tail which was very cute.

'George wanted to grab the bilby's ear, and I said he could but Kate said "If he grabs his ear he'll have one ear less!"'

Kate and William watched Jindi and Lynx, two of the zoo's echidnas feeding from a replica termite mound William and Kate patted the echidnas, after being reassured by zookeepers that their quills were not sharp when the animals are relaxed The Taronga Zoo Bird Show, which featured galahs, black cockatoos, tawny frogmouths, and doves, among other species entertained the royal couple One is amused: William seemed to find the antics of the birds particularly amusing and turned to the people seated behind him to share the joke George was handed over to his nanny, Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo, and taken off to the shade as the rest of the royal party went on to the tree kangaroo enclosure, where supervisor Vanessa Stebbings and keeper Sam Bennett encouraged them to feed the small marsupials with tasty snacks including avocado. They actually climbed into the enclosure and were given a bowl of goodies to feed to the extremely handsome rich brown and caramel striped kangaroos named Parum and Salsa.

Again Prince William showed no fear as he reached out to the kangaroos to touch their thick fur.

Looking in the bowl he picked up a piece of avocado and laughed.

'This is very good avocado I could eat that for lunch.'

He then gave it to the kangaroo for lunch, picking up another treat. 'It's peanut butter on celery.'

'Yes, that's their favourite,' said the keeper.

Delighted by the animals, William tried to persuade the more timid Duchess to join in.

'Here try this flower,' he said handing Catherine a hibiscus flower which the kangaroos love to eat...'or there's an egg' he said holding up a peeled hard boiled egg.

Warming to the task, Kate held out her hand and asked: 'Do I just hold out my palm?' And then took some pumpkin to feed to the kangaroos beaming from ear to ear.

The royal couple spent several minutes in the zoo's amphitheatre, kneeling on the grass as two echidnas, named Lynx and Jindi, fed from two replica termite mounds. 'The prince was really interested in what the echidnas were feeding on, which was a mixture of mince-meat, raw eggs, vitamins, and actually some dirt,' keeper Matthew Kettle said.

Animal show presenter, Brendan Host said that the duke was very interested in one of the echidnas.

'He said that Jindi couldn't have had its head any more into that termite mound.'

After being reassured that the quills of the echidnas, when the animals were relaxed, were not spiky, Prince William and Kate stroked the animals and spent several minutes on the grass, chatting in a relaxed manner with the keepers.

Next it was on to a quokka, a west Australian type of wallaby, which the duchess stroked as it chewed on a posy of native flowers presented to her by one of the keepers.

William held onto his nervous son as Prince George took in the marsupial

Prince George arrived for his first and only official appearance in Australia - visiting his namesake bilby at Sydney's Taronga Zoo The bilby was originally named Boy, but was renamed George a few months ago in honour of the young prince

Further down the hill at Taronga the couple stopped at the zoo's iconic giraffes who have one of the best views in Sydney across to the Harbour Bridge and Opera House.

Here they fed Nyota, the taller of the two giraffes, and Kitoto, the smaller, with lovely fresh orange carrots.



As William held out the carrots, the giraffes unfurled their unfeasibly long tongues to grab the veg from the Duke's hand causing much mirth.



Kate joined in also feeding the giraffes and William just couldn't get enough, teasing the giraffe with the carrot so he could see more and more of its tongue which wrapped around the carrot in a most amusing way.



The royal couple were greeted by more than 3,000 people on the route during the tour of the zoo. Some had been waiting long before the 9.30am opening.

'Several hundred people were here in long lines first thing this morning,' said Lisa Keen, the communications manager. Shortly before the Duke and Duchess arrived the zoo was declared full.

Afterwards the couple marvelled and gasped as they watch a display by birds of prey.

And they couldn't hide their excitement when they were introduced to a koala called Leuca.

Both Kate and William touched the iconic native mammal.



William joked: 'This is the picture they have all been waiting for.'

This is Prince George's second official function. The Palace accepted Australia's offer to name the bilby enclosure after Prince George after the royal heir's birth last year, as well as the Australian government's gift of a bilby for the young prince to 'adopt'.



During the New Zealand leg of the trip, he 'hosted' a play group event with other babies his age at Government House.

Prince George was given a plush bilby and a commemorative card to mark his visit to the Sydney zoo George seemed captivated by his bilby toy gift, though he did later throw it on the ground

'He does love it honestly,' said William as his son threw the toy bilby on the floor

After leaving the bilby enclosure, Prince George was taken back to Admiralty House to prepare for the royal couple's departure this afternoon for a night in the Australian capital of Canberra, staying at the Governor General's residence, Yarralumla, a former hunting lodge where there are a mob of kangaroos in the back paddock.

William and Kate proceeded on to the bird show at Taronga's amphitheatre where the zoo's collection of birds from around the world fly about to delight the crowds.

As the royal couple descended into the auditorium, Leon Burchill, a local indigineous man, dressed in an animal skin laplap, with his body streaked with ochre, played the didgeridoo.



Kate and William clapped in appreciation and watched intently as Nardi Simpson gave the Welcome To Country, an address which acknowledges the indigenous owners of Australia.

The birds who perform for the duke and duchess include Leslie, an Andean Condor, with a three-metre wingspan, two galahs named Jojo and Jasper who carry out clever and cheeky acrobatics to wow audiences, Stellar, a black kite which soars above the audience, catches food with her feet and eats it mid-air, and Slammer, a black-breasted buzzard will demonstrate the art of emu egg opening.

The bird show generates funds for the Zoo's conservation partnerships for 193 species of native birds, including the endangered flightless bird, the cassowary.

Kate and William got the chance to feed a tree kangaroo, which lives in the rainforest of northern Queensland and eats watermelon

This is Prince George's second official engagement during the tour of Australia and New Zealand. While in Wellington he attended a 'playdate' with other babies around his age The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge carried their son George through Sydney's Taronga Zoo to visit a bilby enclosure, which was named after the young prince Young couple Alissa and Luke Henderson and ten-month-old baby Amelia said they hoped to speak with the Duke and Duchess who were a young family the same age as them.

'William seems like a good fellow who likes a good time,' Luke said.

'While she may be a fashion icon, we appreciate her intelligence and what she does for charity,' said Alissa, who is originally from Wisconsin and is a zoo volunteer. 'We're seated right behind them so maybe we'll get to have a word.' Megan Plum, a Canadian, said she was very excited about seeing the Duchess at the bird show, which was 'amazing'.

'Kate is my fashion icon. She's perfectly put together.'

Patricia Bigger, who as a schoolgirl was 'next to the girl who gave the Queen flowers' said she was excited about seeing the young couple.

'I saw the Queen and Prince Philip, then Diana and Charles and now Kate and William. Three generations.' The final stop on the Duke and Duchess's Zoo walk is at the rhino conservation display which holds 15 rhinos, including black, greater one-horned and white rhino species. The zoo airlifted black rhinos from Zimbabwe and the US and has created a successful breeding programme, producing a female black rhino Bakhita, and her female calf, Kufara, born in 2010.

The couple finished their tour at the rhino conservation area and a group of brightly painted rhino sculptures part of Taronga Wild!, a mass public art exhibition and community conservation initiative raising awareness and crucial support for Taronga's world leading Black Rhinoceros breeding program and in-situ conservation projects.

It comprises 125 rhino sculptures that have been decorated by some of Australia's finest artists including Ken Done, and students from over 50 schools, to draw attention to the plight of rhinos in the wild.

All sculptures are on display to the public until April 28 when they will be sold to raise funds for the Taronga Foundation's conservation efforts.

This is a project that would certainly have interested the Duke who in February attended a high-level summit on the illegal wildlife trade in London alongside his father Prince Charles and brother Prince Harry to ensure the 'survival of some of the world's most treasured species' including the rhino and set up his own initiative, a wildlife charity, United For Wildlife. They met John Scanlon, Secretary-General Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora who has worked with Prince William for a while and talked to the Duke extensively about the important work they were both doing.

'The Duke speaks passionately about his child - Prince George - having the opportunity to see these animals in the wild,' said John Scanlon afterwards.

'He's very passionate and engaged in this issue.' The three chatted, the Opera House and Harbour Bridge sparkling in the harbour formed the perfect Sydney backdrop to a truly memorable day at the zoo.

After the visit to the bilby enclosure, Prince George returned to Admiralty House and did not accompany his parents on the rest of their tour of Taronga Zoo The duke and duchess fed the giraffes, whose enclosure overlooks Sydney's famous harbour The bilby was originally named Boy, but was renamed George a few months ago in honour of the young prince The Duchess of Cambridge looks on as a pink galah soars over the crowd during the Taronga Zoo bird show

Alissa Henderson, who is a zoo volunteer, is pictured with husband Luke and baby Amelia, who is the same age as Prince George. The young couple admire the Cambridges for their intelligence and charity work and hope to get a chance to talk to the couple

The official party left to pick up Prince George and fly to Canberra where they will stay at Government House.

Their zoo visit followed attendance at a church service this morning at St Andrew's Cathedral.



Looking elegant in a dove grey Alexander McQueen coat with Jane Taylor Hat, Kate and her husband, Prince William, attended morning service at St Andrew’s Cathedral in Sydney city centre.



Kate's hair had been coiffed underneath her hat in an elegant half up, half down style.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott and wife Margie arrived first, the Duke and Duchess were greeted on the road by the Archbishop of Sydney, Dr Glenn Davies and Reverend Phillip Jensen.



The royal couple walked up the steps to St Andrews Cathedral to a giant cheer from hundreds of people crowded into the town square, as the church bells pealed and hymns boomed from loudspeakers.

They sat in the front row alongside Prime Minister Tony Abbott, a Catholic, and his wife Margie.

Kate and William arrived at St Andrew's Cathedral in Sydney for an Easter Sunday service Kate wore a dove-grey Alexander McQueen coat dress and Jane Taylor hat to the service Kate carried flowers out of the church, accompanied by the Anglican Archbishop of Sydney Dr Glenn Davies, where hundreds of people were waiting to snap a photo of her

'We've come to honour the prince - the prince of peace as I call him,' The Most Reverend Dr Glenn Davies, Archbishop of Sydney, told the service, referring of course to Jesus, and not his royal visitor.



The service lasted a little over an hour and as they left, William and Kate signed the First Fleet Bible; a King James edition that came over with the First Fleet in 1788.



After the service the couple will undertake a very special visitors’ book signing in the cathedral Vestibule.



The Duke and Duchess will add their names to the ‘First Fleet Bible’ – the bible used in the first Christian service held in Australia in 1788.

The service was held by the Chaplain of the First Fleet, Reverend Richard Johnson, on the site of St Philip's Anglican church in Sydney.



It has since been signed by several members of the Royal Family, including the Queen in 1954.



William’s parents, the then Prince and Princess of Wales, added their names in 1983, the Duke and Duchess of York in 1988 and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother in 1958.

William and Kate also signed a prayer book before stepping outside the cathedral into the bright sunshine.

The Most Rev Dr Glenn Davies, the Anglican Arbishop of Sydney (left), and the Very Rev Phillip Jensen, Dean of the Cathedral (right), greeted the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge as they climbed the steps of St Andrew's Cathedral in Sydney's centre

After the service, they will sign the Bible that came over on the First Fleet and from which the first Australian Christian service was conducted

The Archbishop of Sydney chats to Kate as she arrives at the church, as Williams waves to the large crowd outside the church Kate had her hair in an elegant half-up style underneath her grey Jane Taylor hat

As they chatted with Rev Justin Moffatt, Rector of St Phillip's Church in Sydney, where the priceless artefacts are kept under lock and key, the Duchess complimented members of the clergy on their 'lovely' service.

'It was absolutely beautiful,' she said.

William joked that the Bible was 'in good nick' and appeared genuinely touched to see so many of his family - most notably his late mother, Princess Diana - had signed the book.



William and Kate wrote their names first in the Bible - below that of Charles and Diana - and then in the Book of Common Prayer.



Afterwards Rev Moffatt who with his wife Laurel, showed the royal visitors the books, said: 'I am sure the prince was very well briefed but he seemed surprised that so many members of his family had signed the Bible. He seemed genuinely touched to see so many of their signatures there.'



Rev Moffatt added: 'Prince William also joked to me 'It's in very good nick!' And I told him that it was very well looked after indeed. It is kept safe in our museum.



'He also seemed very interested when I showed him the prayer for King George III and the Royal Family and was rather touched when I turned to the page of the Solemnization of Matrimony, which was covered with ink blots from the signatures of the first Christians to marry in Australia.



'I explained to him that the first convicts to settle here held those pens.



'The prince seems fascinated.'



Hundreds of Sydney-siders turned out to catch a glimpse of Kate and William, as they arrived at the cathedral

The Easter service will be attended by hundreds of members of the St Andrew's community, and prominent members of clergy, such as the Dean of the Cathedral, Phillip Jensen (right)

William was asked to do a reading in the service, but declined, saying that he and Kate preferred to remain part of the congregation Afterwards the couple chatted to members of the choir and the Cathedral's Sunday School who had made her a card.

Kate honed in on the youngest chorister, Freddie Cobb, six, and spoke to his father, Ross, who is director of music at the cathedral.

Ross said: 'The Duchess said to Freddie: 'I had my eye on your right through the service. You were wonderful.'

The Easter service featured a choir, made up of students form the adjoining St Andrews Cathedral School, all wearing long purple cassocks. Reverend Phillip Jensen, the Dean of the Cathedral led the congregation and the Anglican Archbishop of Sydney, Dr Glenn Davies delivered the sermon with a resurrection theme, Jesus' Power Over Death.

Hundreds of parishioners registered to get special tickets for the service in the sandstone Gothic Revival church which opened in 1868 and is known for its beautiful stained glass feature windows. The Cathedral prides itself on catering for all ages and has a 'cry room' for nursing mothers, a crèche for toddlers and a Kathedral Kids programme for children. Prince William was asked to read the lesson, but declined, saying he and Kate just wanted to be part of the congregation. The couple sang hymns including Christ The Lord Is Risen Today, The Strife is Past, the Battle Done, In Christ Alone My Hope Is Found and Thine Be The Glory. The Bible readings were from Daniel 12:1-4 and John 11:17-44, the latter reading, which is about the raising of Lazarus, was enacted by four young people.

The church service, which focused on the resurrection of Jesus, went for approximately an hour, after which Kate and William signed the First Fleet Bible and Book of Common Prayer, before greeting the waiting public Prime Minister Tony Abbott (left) and wife Margie (right) were the first to arrive for the service Hundreds of people waited outside the cathedral on Easter Sunday morning, hoping to catch a glimpse of the royal couple

The cathedral choir of men and boys, all wearing long cassocks, formed a guard of honour as the royal couple walked out.



Kate and William paused to chat to the choirboys and received three cheers from the crowd outside as they left church.

'She came up to me and asked how I often we rehearse,' said choirboy Joshua Sanderson, 11.



'It's really a dream come true because I've always wanted to see someone from the royal family.'

Patricia Raymond, 74, arrived at 7am, wearing a Union Jack cap.



'I saw Charles and Diana at the same church when they were out here,' Ms Raymond told AAP.



'So it was absolutely wonderful to see the next generation - I'm a monarchist, I've got a whole cupboard full of royal items.'



A little girl clutched a Kate doll, dressed in a wedding dress. 'She's beautiful, I love her,' she told reporters.



The Duke and Duchess attended the service, which was Resurrection-themed, before signing the Fleet Bible, which has also been signed by Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles and Lady Diana Left: William looked engrossed by Dr Glenn Davies, the Anglican Archbishop of Sydney. Right: Kate's hair was pulled back in an elegant half-up style Kate spent some time after the service talking with the clergy, members of the choir, and young visitors

A small indigenous rights protest group had gathered on George Street with banners.

'Hey royals, give back what you stole. Sovereignty of tribes never ceded,' one of the banners read.



It was the same group that protested during the royals' trip to the Sydney Opera House on Wednesday, the first day of their Australian tour.



A man in the crowd was in tears on seeing prince William.



Chris, 41, of Brisbane came specifically to St Andrews to see the Duke, who he said was 'an inspiration'.



'Even though he is a public servant, he holds his own,' Chris said. 'He's lived his life without his mother. That talks of incredible courage. I can feel empathy towards him. I have a similar situation.



'It's quote emotional to see him. I've never seen him before. He's a role model and even though he's a prince, he's a human being too.'

Barbara Richards said it was great to have the Duke and Duchess in her congregation.

'She's so feminine. I think a whole lot of 30-year-olds should look at her clothes and follow her classic style.'

Prince George did not accompany Kate and William to the church service. But he will join them on a trip to Taronga Zoo on Sunday afternoon

The service included hymns, a sermon by the Archbishop on Jesus's power over death Kate and William added their signatures (top left) to the First Fleet Bible, from which the first Christian service on Australian soil was conducted in 1788. The Bible has been signed by Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, Prince Charles and Diana, and the Queen Mother Rev Justin Moffatt, rector of St Philip's York St, the country's oldest church, presented the couple with the First Fleet Bible, to which they added their signatures Crowds began to form outside the cathedral early on Sunday morning. St Andrew's is located on George St, in the heart of Sydney's CBD

The Duke and Duchess are half-way through their 10-day tour of Australia The Archbishop of Sydney, Glenn Davies, accompanies Kate after the Easter Sunday service at the St Andrew's Cathedral Royal fans gathered in Sydney's CBD hoping to catch sight of the royal couple Royal fans: (left) Abbie Taylor holds her Duchess of Cambridge doll as she waits for the real duchess to emerge from the church; (right) a member of the public waves a commemorative flag

The choirboys formed a guard of honour for the royal couple as they left the church. Kate stopped to talk with several of the choirboys as she was leaving Outside the church, Kate greeted some children one of whom presented her with a bunch of flowers (left) and then talked to some choir boys (right)

William and Kate greeted some young admirers outside the church after the service's conclusion

The crowd began to gather outside the church in the early hours of the morning, as they awaited the arrival of Kate and William

Kate carried gifts and an order of service as she exited the church. The couple will make their way to Taronga Zoo this afternoon

Kate addresses a group of children after the Easter Sunday service at St Andrew's Cathedral

The couple have a full schedule today. After the morning's church service, they will sign the Fleet Bible, before heading to Taronga Zoo with their son